Ha Noi, 5-7 July 2023: Advancing the utilisation of technologies for environmentally sound management of hazardous chemicals and waste was the focus of the eighth ASEAN Working Group on Chemicals and Waste meeting. The event was co-hosted by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) of Vietnam and the ASEAN Secretariat in Hanoi.
Offering opening remarks, Mr Vo Tuan Nhan, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of Vietnam, reaffirmed the region’s commitment to addressing chemicals and waste as an effort to build a greener ASEAN.
‘Environmental pollution from chemicals and waste poses detrimental impacts to the health of the planet. As a responsible and active member of ASEAN, Vietnam will continue to closely cooperate with ASEAN and non-ASEAN countries, as well as international partners to promote capacity building, technology transfer, and information sharing on the management of hazardous chemicals and waste in this region,’ he said.
The ASEAN Working Group on Chemicals and Waste (AWGCW) was established in 2015 as a reform from the former ASEAN Working Group on Multilateral Environmental Agreements (AWGMEA). The primary purpose of the working group is to strengthen regional cooperation on the implementation of chemicals and waste-related multilateral environmental agreements, such as the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions. Each year, the working group convenes to discuss and coordinate the implementation of the AWGCW Action Plan, which comprises 7 programs on the environmentally sound management (ESM) of hazardous chemicals and waste.
Mr Vo Tuan Nhan (left) and Mr Achmad Gunawan Widjaksono (right) delivering their remarks on the 8th AWGCW meeting
ASEAN Cooperation on Plastic Waste
As the chair of the meeting, Mr Achmad Gunawan Widjaksono, Director of Hazardous and Toxic and Non-hazardous and Non-toxic Waste Management, Ministry of Environment and Forestry Indonesia, emphasized the pressing issue of plastic waste.
‘Southeast Asia’s rapid population and economic growth gave rise to increased plastic production and consumption, which contributed to marine plastic pollution when coupled with waste import and low recycling rate,’ he said.
The event, which took place on 5 July, also took stock of activities undertaken by development and dialogue partners to address plastic pollution in the region.
Mr Michikazu Kojima, Senior Advisor to the President on Environmental Issues, ERIA, presented the project on preventing plastics and resin pellets leakage from factories and informal recycling in ASEAN. The project, which is implemented by the Regional Resource Centre of Asia and the Pacific at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT RRC.AP) will develop and disseminate technical guidelines based on good practices in the region.
Representing the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Dr Nguyen Thi Ming Ngoc, Senior Programme Officer highlighted key takeaways from the 2nd Regional Workshop of the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle to Protect the Marine Environment and Coral Reefs in ASEAN (3R-ProMar) programme.
‘The workshop pointed out ASEAN’s preparedness for the upcoming Global Plastics Treaty, which can be enhanced by the implementation of the ASEAN Regional Action Plan for Combating Marine Debris through actions such as advancing policies on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and leveraging behavioural change,’ she said.
Participants of the 8th ASEAN Working Group on Chemicals and Waste meeting discussed the utilisation of technologies for better management of hazardous chemicals and waste
Also joining online was Ms Emily Wana, Project Director of the Southeast Asia Regional Program on Combating Marine Plastics (SEA-MaP) of the World Bank, who shared updates on the SEA-MaP program that is now in the procurement phase.
Dr Yasuhiko Hotta, Programme Director of Sustainable Consumption and Production Area of the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) said that the project titled “Strengthening Capacity for Marine Debris Reduction in ASEAN Region through Formulation of National Action Plans for ASEAN Member States and Integrated Land-to-Sea Policy Approach” under The Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) is set to be completed in October 2023 and will address the capacity development needs in Myanmar and Cambodia.