On 13 September 2017 an ERIA delegation participated in the 18th ASEAN plus 3 Ministers of Environment Meeting held in Brunei Darussalam. Prof Hidetoshi Nishimura, President of the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) made a presentation titled 'Empowering ASEAN for Circular Economy' as a part of the presentation of Japan.

Prior to that, H.E. Mr Tadahiko Ito, State Minister of Environment for Japan, outlined the new Japan-ASEAN Environment cooperation Initiative under which ERIA is entrusted with producing a new study on 'Environmental and Economic Benefits and Risks of Emerging Waste Management and E-Waste Options in ASEAN.'

ASEAN plus 3 Ministers welcomed the proposal and the Japan-ASEAN Knowledge partnership. On the sidelines of the Ministerial meeting, Prof Nishimura also joined the bilateral discussion with Ministers of Cambodia, Singapore and Viet Nam.