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ASEAN Conference on Combatting Plastic Pollution 2025: 'All Hands on Deck: Uniting Forces for a Sustainable Plastics Future'

Upcoming
ASEAN Conference on Combatting Plastic Pollution 2025: 'All Hands on Deck: Uniting Forces for a Sustainable Plastics Future'

Tue, 14 October 2025

Over the past few decades, plastic pollution has rapidly emerged as one of the most significant threats to the world’s oceans. Like other regions globally, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is also grappling with the adverse impacts of plastic pollution. This issue is particularly critical for ASEAN Member States (AMS) due to their reliance on the region’s marine resources for sustenance, economic activity, and the daily lives of their communities. While AMS have taken action both individually and collectively, it is imperative that collaborative efforts are sustained to prevent further harm and to address the issue effectively.

Against this backdrop, the ASEAN Conference on Combatting Plastic Pollution (ACCPP) was first held in 2023 in Jakarta, Indonesia, under the country’s ASEAN Chairmanship. The conference aimed to provide a platform for stakeholders across the region to convene, exchange knowledge, and discuss collaborative strategies to tackle the issue. The full-day event brought together over 300 participants to discuss topics primarily related to the upcoming Global Plastics Treaty and the enabling conditions for a sustainable plastics economy. ACCPP 2023 resulted in the publication of an event report, which included actionable recommendations drawn from the conference discussions.

Building on the success of the inaugural conference, the subsequent ASEAN Chair, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), agreed to continue regional discussions by hosting ACCPP 2024 in Vientiane. For its second edition, the conference was extended to two days to accommodate additional sessions. Emphasising the need for innovative strategies to combat plastic pollution, this iteration successfully convened over 200 international participants. With the success of these consecutive conferences, the ACCPP is anticipated to become an annual event, officially recognised under the ASEAN Chairmanship.

The ACCPP 2025 will adopt the theme 'All Hands on Deck: Uniting Forces for a Sustainable Plastics Future' to highlight the diverse yet equally important contributions of various stakeholder groups in addressing plastic pollution in line with their respective mandates.

Agenda

9 AM - 9:45 AM

Opening and Welcoming Remarks

Opening remarks

  • Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability of Malaysia 

Welcoming remarks

  • Tetsuya Watanabe, President of ERIA 
  • AFD 
  • Liviana Zorzi, Specialist, National Plastic Action Partnership, World Economic Forum 

Remarks from previous chair

  • Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Lao PDR, succession of ACCPP 2024 to 2025 (TBC)

Photo Session

9:45 AM - 10:50 AM

Session 1: Reflections on ASEAN RAP and way forward

Panel Discussion

Speakers:

  • Mr Phong Giang, Advisor ASEAN Regional Project AMUSE / 3RproMar, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH 
  • Mr Daniel Mira-Salama, Lead Environmental Specialist, Global Department for the Environment, the World Bank 
  • Dr Arisman, Executive Director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS)
  • Dr Vong Sok, Head of Environment Division, Assistant Director of Sustainable Development Director, The ASEAN Secretariat

Moderator: Dr. Premakumara Jagath Dickella Gamaralalage Director, IGES Centre Collaborating with UNEP on Environmental Technologies (IGES CCET)

Q&A

10:50 AM - 11:05 AM

Coffee Break

11:05 AM - 12:10 PM

Session 2: Reflections from INC-5.2 and ASEAN Relevancy

Opening presentation: ERIA

Panel Discussion

Speakers:

  • Pubadi A/L Govindasamy, Malaysia’s National Focal Point for the INC, Undersecretary, Environmental Management Division, NRES (TBC)
  • Wassana Jangprajak, Thailand’s National Focal Point for the INC, Senior Environmental Officer, Pollution Control Department, MoNRE (TBC)
  • Maria Dorica Naz-Hipe, The Philippines’ National Focal Point for the INC, Assistant Director, EMB, DENR (TBC)
  • Liviana Zorzi, Asia Regional Specialist, GPAP (TBC)
  • Michikazu Kojima, Senior Research Fellow on Environmental Issues, ERIA

Q&A 

12:10 PM - 1:10 PM

Lunch break

1:10 PM - 2:15 PM

Session 3: Sea-based Marine Plastic Pollution Management

Setting the scene: Ms Rosa Heuveling van Beek, Global Public Affairs Associate, The Ocean Cleanup 

Keynote presentation: AFD

Panel Discussion

Speakers:

  • Dato' Monaliza binti Sulaiman, Director General, Malaysia Marine Institute
  • Nguyen Thi Viet Ha, International Cooperation Department, Vietnam Maritime Administration (VINAMARINE)
  • Soontharee Pirom, Marine Department, Thailand

Q&A 

2:15 PM - 3:20 PM

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

Keynote speech: Government of Indonesia (TBC)

Panel discussion

Speakers: NPAP representatives from Cambodia, the Philippines, Viet Nam (TBC)

Moderator: GPAP

Q&A

3:20 PM - 3:35 PM

Coffee break

3:35 PM - 4:40 PM

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

Keynote presentation by ERIA

Topic: Behavioural Lab Partnership and Roles in ASEAN

Panel discussion

Topic: Behavioural Lab partnership and common objectives to contribute to behavioural change policymaking in ASEAN

Speakers:

  • Ms Shiyang Li, Founder & General Manager at Rare China Center for Behavior
  • Ms Yumi Pupella Nishikawa, Coordinator, WWF Plastic-Smart Cities (TBC)
  • Mr Bonang Titian Rahardjo, Regional Advisor for ASEAN Municipal Solid Waste Management Enhancement, GIZ (TBC)
  • Ms Ayako Mizuno, Programme Manager, ERIA

Moderator: Dwayne Appleby, Deputy Director of SCP Area, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)

Q&A

4:40 PM - 5:45 PM

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

Keynote presentation: Mr Reo Kawamura, Director of the Regional Knowledge Centre for Marine Plastic Debris, ERIA

Topic: Introduction to ERIA’s Private Sector Platform

Panel Discussion

Speakers:

  • NRES (TBC)
  • Mr Rahyang Nusantara - Asia Reuse Consortium
  • Refiller Mobile – Refill-based business based in Malaysia (TBC)
  • Muuse – Reuse-based business based in Singapore (TBC)
5:45 PM -5:55 PM

Closing remarks by NRES

Event Details:

Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Sapphire Ballroom, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

ASEAN Conference on Combatting Plastic Pollution 2025: 'All Hands on Deck: Uniting Forces for a Sustainable Plastics Future',

Start Date:

Tuesday, 14 October 2025,

End Date:

Tuesday, 14 October 2025,

Time:

09:00 AM - 05:55 PM

Timezone:

Malaysia time, UTC+8