KUCHING, 20 January 2025 – The 2nd Meeting of ASEAN’s Focal Group on Circular Economy (FG-CE) was held this morning in Kuching, Malaysia. The meeting brought together representatives from eight ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) sectoral bodies to advance ASEAN’s circular economy agenda and prepare the region for the next wave of sustainability requirement in the global supply chain.

The meeting focused on reviewing the progress report of the Circular Economy Implementation Plan, with an emphasis on accelerating progress and initiatives related to standard harmonisation. Key discussions included the inclusion of circular elements into the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement upgrade, the establishment of an Industry Advisory Panel (IAP) for FG-CE and aligning circular economy efforts with the Strategic Measures in the AEC Post-2025 Vision. Additionally, an ISO International Expert was invited to brief the meeting on the newly published circular economy standards.

FG-CE members agreed on the recommendations to accelerate progress and highlighted the importance of addressing challenges and the need for increased capacity building. Members also agreed on the establishment of the IAP and to identify potential members to the panel. 

The 2nd Meeting of ASEAN’s Focal Group on Circular Economy concluded with a renewed commitment to closely monitor the implementation plan and provide strategic direction, ensuring impactful results and successful outcomes.

Images credit: MITI Malaysia