Vientiane, 24 August 2023: Mr Koji Hachiyama, ERIA Chief Operating Officer, gave presentations at both the 18th ASEAN+3 Environment Ministers Meeting (APT EMM) and the ASEAN-Japan Ministerial Dialogue on Environmental Cooperation (AJMDEC) .
Mr Hachiyama spoke of how the mission of ERIA's Regional Knowledge Centre for Marine Plastic Debris (the Centre) aligns perfectly with the ASEAN Regional Action Plan for Combating Marine Debris in the ASEAN Member States (2021-2015), and that ERIA is committed to supporting the action plan's strategies.
Mr Hachiyama highlighted at the APT EMM three ERIA activities focusing on the ASEAN+3 region.
ERIA initiated a project to develop a Regional Plastics Outlook focusing on the ASEAN+3 region, in partnership with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Institute for Global Environment Strategies (IGES). Based on the OECD’s Global Plastics Outlook in 2022, the new report aims to enhance region-specific modelling to provide a more granular assessment of the plastic production, utilisation, and waste generation of each ASEAN Member State (AMS).
ERIA started the Pilot Project of Floating and Drifted Marine Plastics in Mangroves in Indonesia, investigating the composition of plastic debris and their negative impact on mangrove forests, as well as establishing a community-led clean-up model. The lessons learned will be disseminated not only in Indonesia but also widely in ASEAN countries.
ERIA is also conducting the Bioindicator Development for Marine Litter in the ASEAN Region project. Recognising the lack of a harmonised methodology to assess and monitor the impact of plastics on the marine ecosystem, the project aims to identify suitable species within the ASEAN context as indicators to assess the impact of plastic pollution on the marine environment.
Mr Hachiyama introduced three more ERIA activities at the AJMDEC which focus on the ASEAN region.
ERIA’s Private Sector Platform highlights efforts already undertaken by private companies to reduce plastic waste. At the time of writing, 76 entries from companies from seven ASEAN+3 countries have been published online. ERIA has also organised seven events in seven different ASEAN countries to promote the public-private dialogue.
ERIA has been selected as one of the 3RproMar Knowledge Partners for Marine Litter Prevention in ASEAN. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) and the ASEAN Secretariat chose ERIA, the Asian Institute of Technology, and the Norwegian Institute for Water Research to form a knowledge partnership from 2022 to 2024 to enhance regional knowledge management.
ERIA has been steering the Experts Working Group (EWG) on Marine Plastic Debris since the end of 2021. This EWG covers a wide range of marine plastic debris issues, including a plastic value chain study and gap analysis, expertise mapping and database development, a plastic leakage study, and monitoring indicator development. Four meetings had been organised by May 2023.
A number of AMS environment ministers welcomed the progress of the implementation of marine debris related projects and initiatives, but also expressed concern about the rapid increase of marine plastic pollution in the region. The ministers said the meetings should reaffirm their commitment to implement the ASEAN Regional Action Plan on Combating Marine Debris.
H E Ms Siti Nurbaya Bakar, Indonesia’s Minister of Environment and Forestry, said it was necessary to establish a venue for ASEAN member states to discuss marine plastic pollution. The Indonesian government will organise an ASEAN Conference on Combating Plastic Pollution before the third session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-3), which will be held in November in Nairobi, Kenya, to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution.
Director of the Knowledge Centre
Vientiane, 24 August 2023: Mr Koji Hachiyama, ERIA Chief Operating Officer, gave presentations at both the 18th ASEAN+3 Environment Ministers Meeting (APT EMM) and the ASEAN-Japan Ministerial Dialogue on Environmental Cooperation (AJMDEC) .
Mr Hachiyama spoke of how the mission of ERIA's Regional Knowledge Centre for Marine Plastic Debris (the Centre) aligns perfectly with the ASEAN Regional Action Plan for Combating Marine Debris in the ASEAN Member States (2021-2015), and that ERIA is committed to supporting the action plan's strategies.
Mr Hachiyama highlighted at the APT EMM three ERIA activities focusing on the ASEAN+3 region.
ERIA initiated a project to develop a Regional Plastics Outlook focusing on the ASEAN+3 region, in partnership with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Institute for Global Environment Strategies (IGES). Based on the OECD’s Global Plastics Outlook in 2022, the new report aims to enhance region-specific modelling to provide a more granular assessment of the plastic production, utilisation, and waste generation of each ASEAN Member State (AMS).
ERIA started the Pilot Project of Floating and Drifted Marine Plastics in Mangroves in Indonesia, investigating the composition of plastic debris and their negative impact on mangrove forests, as well as establishing a community-led clean-up model. The lessons learned will be disseminated not only in Indonesia but also widely in ASEAN countries.
ERIA is also conducting the Bioindicator Development for Marine Litter in the ASEAN Region project. Recognising the lack of a harmonised methodology to assess and monitor the impact of plastics on the marine ecosystem, the project aims to identify suitable species within the ASEAN context as indicators to assess the impact of plastic pollution on the marine environment.
Mr Hachiyama introduced three more ERIA activities at the AJMDEC which focus on the ASEAN region.
ERIA’s Private Sector Platform highlights efforts already undertaken by private companies to reduce plastic waste. At the time of writing, 76 entries from companies from seven ASEAN+3 countries have been published online. ERIA has also organised seven events in seven different ASEAN countries to promote the public-private dialogue.
ERIA has been selected as one of the 3RproMar Knowledge Partners for Marine Litter Prevention in ASEAN. Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) and the ASEAN Secretariat chose ERIA, the Asian Institute of Technology, and the Norwegian Institute for Water Research to form a knowledge partnership from 2022 to 2024 to enhance regional knowledge management.
ERIA has been steering the Experts Working Group (EWG) on Marine Plastic Debris since the end of 2021. This EWG covers a wide range of marine plastic debris issues, including a plastic value chain study and gap analysis, expertise mapping and database development, a plastic leakage study, and monitoring indicator development. Four meetings had been organised by May 2023.
A number of AMS environment ministers welcomed the progress of the implementation of marine debris related projects and initiatives, but also expressed concern about the rapid increase of marine plastic pollution in the region. The ministers said the meetings should reaffirm their commitment to implement the ASEAN Regional Action Plan on Combating Marine Debris.
H E Ms Siti Nurbaya Bakar, Indonesia’s Minister of Environment and Forestry, said it was necessary to establish a venue for ASEAN member states to discuss marine plastic pollution. The Indonesian government will organise an ASEAN Conference on Combating Plastic Pollution before the third session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-3), which will be held in November in Nairobi, Kenya, to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution.
Director of the Knowledge Centre
