ACCPP 2025: All Hands on Deck – Uniting Forces for a Sustainable Plastics Future in ASEAN

Opening Session: A Call for Regional Solidarity

Opening remarks were delivered by Mr Oudomsack Philavong, former ACCPP Chair and Director General of the Department of Water Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, Lao PDR. In a recorded message, he called on participants to demonstrate strong commitment and leverage regional frameworks to drive progress, reminding that ‘the journey won’t be easy but it’s achievable’.

Echoing this spirit, Mr Tetsuya Watanabe, President of ERIA, stressed the need for a holistic and cross-sectoral approach to plastic pollution, highlighting that  'shared responsibility across ASEAN is key to ensuring sustainable and inclusive solutions.’ His message was reinforced by Mr Oskar Lecuyer, Economist and Sustainability Specialist at AFD, and Ms Clémence Schmid, Director of GPAP, who underscored the importance of multi-stakeholder engagement and stronger regional co-operation. 

Representing the host country, Mr Pubadi Govindasamy, Undersecretary of the Environmental Management Division, NRES, reaffirmed Malaysia’s and ASEAN’s leadership in addressing plastic pollution. He noted that the outcomes of ACCPP 2025 would be reflected in the ASEAN Chair’s Statement, demonstrating the linkage between conference dialogue and regional policymaking. 

Expert Discussions: Bridging Knowledge and Action

The conference featured six thematic sessions addressing critical aspects of ASEAN’s fight against plastic pollution: 

1. Reflections on the ASEAN Regional Action Plan and the Way Forward 

2. Understanding INC 5.2 Takeaways Through an ASEAN Lens 

3. Sea-based Marine Plastic Pollution Management 

4. Leading with Action: The National Plastic Action Partnerships in ASEAN 

5. The Science of Change: Launching the Behaviour Lab Partnership in ASEAN 

6. Private Sector Initiatives - Shaping the Future of Reuse and Refill  

Experts from ERIA’s Regional Knowledge Centre for Marine Plastic Debris actively contributed to several sessions. 

• Mr Reo Kawamura (Director) delivered keynote remarks in Sessions 5 and 6, reaffirming ERIA’s commitment to advancing behavioural change through evidence-based tools and introducing a private-sector platform to promote initiatives across the ASEAN+3 region. 

• Mr Fusanori Iwasaki (Research Fellow) presented the history and key milestones of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) process during Session 2, moderated by Ms Aulia Salsabella Suwarno (Research Associate). Mr Michikazu Kojima (Senior Research Fellow) enriched the panel discussion with insights on the negotiation progress and its suitability for the ASEAN context. 

• Ms Ayako Mizuno (Programme Manager) participated as a panellist in Session 5, shared her aspiration for the Behaviour Lab to achieve tangible results. 

Key Messages: Progress and Persistent Gaps

ACCPP 2025 showcased ASEAN’s growing momentum in tackling plastic pollution through innovation, knowledge sharing, capacity-building, and collaboration. Progress includes: 

• Publication of baseline studies, strategies, recommendations, and toolkits; 

• Strengthened ship-based waste management, including recycling, monitoring systems, and detection tools; 

• Expanding collaborative platforms, partnerships, and task forces; 

• The rollout of national policy measures, awareness campaigns, and behavioural change interventions; and 

• Innovative circular economy solutions, such as mobile refill stations, returnable packaging platforms, and deposit-and-return schemes. 

However, participants identified a persistent implementation gap between action plans and on-ground impact. Despite growing awareness, behavioural change would benefit from additional empirical evidence grounded in the ASEAN context. Limited enforcement, inadequate investment, and the need for harmonised regional standards continue to challenge progress, particularly in local capacity and technical expertise. 

The Way Forward: Aligning Frameworks and Actions

Participants agreed that stronger collaboration amongst all stakeholders in the plastics value chain is essential. Governments, private sectors, and communities must work in tandem through a regional systems approach that integrates sectoral priorities and considers cross-border impacts. 

They recommended: 

• Leveraging existing ASEAN platforms and frameworks for synergy and policy coherence; 

• Scaling good practices beyond national borders; 

• Expanding technical assistance, capacity building, and information exchange; and 

• Developing clear regional standards for labelling, cleaning, reuse, and refill systems to accelerate circularity. 

Closing Remarks: From Knowledge to Action

The conference concluded with remarks by H.E. Datuk Dr Ching Thoo A/L Kim, Secretary-General of NRES Malaysia, who urged participants to transform insights into tangible action: ‘The knowledge we gain today is valuable, but its true worth lies in how we translate it into real change.’ 

He reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment to continued collaboration with ASEAN counterparts and partners to advance innovation and implement scalable solutions across the plastics value chain – paving the way for a cleaner and more resilient region.