The 2nd Regional (Closing) Workshop of the ASEAN SDGs Frontrunner Cities Programme (Phase 2) took place during 26-28 November 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand, with around 99 participants (physical). These included representatives from ASEAN Member States, participating cities in the SDGs Frontrunner Cities Programme, the ASEAN Secretariat, IGES (the implementing agency); as well as various additional Thai cities and Kitakyushu City, Japan. The event was held back-to-back with the 14th East Asia Summit High-Level Seminar on Sustainable Cities (14th HLS), aiming to foster regional cooperation in addressing urban sustainability challenges.
The Workshop's objectives were to highlight the achievements of participating cities, present Certificates of Completion, discuss lessons learned, and gather inputs for future activities. The event featured a series of presentations and fostered discussions on circular economy and urban resilience practices among a group of ASEAN’s champion cities and their stakeholders.
Day 1 commenced with the 14th HLS segment in the morning. Participants were welcomed with remarks by (i) Mr. Suga Yoshinori, Director for Sustainable Infrastructure, Ministry of the Environment, Japan; ii) Ms. Uma Srisuk, Director of Climate Change and Environmental Participation Promotion Division, Department of Climate Change and Environment (DCCE), Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Thailand; and (iii) Mr. Nguyen Minh Cuong, Chair of ASEAN Working Group on Environmentally Sustainable Cities (AWGESC). These key persons underscored the importance of regional collaboration and knowledge exchange in tackling urban sustainability challenges, including decarbonisation and climate resilience.
The keynote speech by Mr. Junichi Sono, Executive Director of Kitakyushu City’s Environment Bureau, highlighted Kitakyushu City’s transformation from an industrial hub to a leader in environmental sustainability. Kitakyushu has set ambitious decarbonisation targets and is pioneering nature-positive development. Its Eco-Town initiative, focused on recycling and waste management, and the Green Impact program, which integrates renewable energy, hydrogen use, and the circular economy, were presented as successful examples of sustainable urban innovations.
A panel session highlighted local solutions and aspirations in ‘circular economy’ and ‘climate mitigation & resilience’. Surakarta (Indonesia), Xay District (Lao PDR), and Saensuk Municipality (Thailand) presented innovative approaches to waste management, including community-based waste banks, recycling initiatives, and upcycling projects. Climate mitigation strategies focused on enhancing urban resilience, such as Kampot Province’s tree planting campaigns, Parañaque City’s Clean Air Action Plan, and Seberang Perai’s zero waste initiatives. All cities emphasised: i) their commitment to integrating public participation, in local governance; ii) the importance of public-private partnerships, community engagement, and; iii) the use of affordable technologies in addressing urban challenges. The role of international cooperation, particularly among ASEAN and with Japan, was seen as helpful for scaling up successful initiatives. Key takeaways included the need for clear local priorities, community involvement, and enforcement of environmental regulations to achieve long-term sustainability.
In the Closing Session of the 14th HLS, Mr. Kawakami Tsuyoshi, Managing Director of IGES emphasised the importance of integrated solutions and stakeholder collaboration to address interconnected urban challenges. He highlighted the success stories shared during the workshop and expressed a commitment to continuing support for sustainable, resilient and decarbonised cities with ASEAN Member States.
In the afternoon, the 2nd Regional (Closing) Workshop segment commenced with an Opening Ceremony, where Certificates of Completion were presented to 11 participating cities: Kampot and Kep, Cambodia; Banda Aceh and Surakarta, Indonesia; Xay, Lao PDR; Seberang Perai and Redang Island, Malaysia; Yangon, Myanmar; Parañaque, Philippines; and Prik and Saensuk, Thailand. Ms. Shom Teoh, Programme Manager of Sustainable Cities of IGES, highlighted the programme's contributions to localising the SDGs. In contrast to the slow global progress in terms of achieving the SDGs, she noted that ASEAN’s frontrunner cities demonstrated optimism and inspiration through tangible outputs and steady progress.
Day 1 concluded with a consultation session with key stakeholders on lessons learned and the way forward. Participants noted the importance of continued funding and support from external funders and international supporting organisations, with a focus on actionable projects that involve communities at all stages. Key priority themes for future initiatives included climate adaptation, urban greening, waste management, and nature-based solutions. Proposals for new regional projects on urban heat and plastic upcycling were presented, with IGES inviting feedback. The workshop concluded with a call for continued collaboration, sharing best practices, and exploring new project opportunities.
Day 2 of the Workshop opened with ice-breaking activities and featured three panel sessions entitled: i) ‘Pollution & Land-based Marine Plastics; ii) Climate and Urban Resilience; and iii) How to Develop Community Initiatives into a Social Enterprise? Panellists presented their latest efforts and innovative pilot projects and discussed the key challenges faced.
The sessions concluded with recommendations for cities to integrate scientific data, reflect global trends, promote community participation and collaborate with academic and private sectors to enhance climate resilience and achieve sustainability goals.
To conclude Day 2, a live poll and open-ended discussion was conducted by Dr. Jun Ichihara, Director of IGES Regional Centre in Bangkok, regarding: i) challenges for the way forward in sustaining and scaling up current projects and; ii) the role of ASEAN and regional frameworks. Key challenges identified include stakeholder collaboration, funding, and capacity building. Many ASEAN economies are still recovering from COVID-19, with limited government spending on environmental issues. Effective community engagement and awareness-raising are crucial for project success. ASEAN frameworks are helpful for enabling regional cooperation to set standards on sustainability, circular economy, and biodiversity.
On Day 3, participants visited Scrap Lab at Kasetsart University’s Faculty of Architecture. Participants learned how Scrap Lab's academic-private collaboration with factories has upcycled low-value discarded materials and led to the creation of commercially viable products, including bags and stationery made from repurposed medical waste plastic, which are now sold in European markets.
The ASEAN SDGs Frontrunner Cities Programme (SDGs-FC) is an initiative under the ASEAN Working Group on Environmentally Sustainable Cities (AWGESC) and funded by the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF). It aims to support ASEAN cities to achieve inclusive, sustainable, resilient and dynamic development in line with ASEAN Vision 2020. The programme strategically builds on the ASEAN ESC Model Cities programme (2011 – 2017), and has to date supported and recognised over 60 frontrunner cities for their innovative practices/policies in bottom-up environmental management. The SDGs-FC Phase 1 was implemented during 2018-2020 and Phase 2 (SDGs-FC 2) is being implemented from Sep 2022 – Dec 2024, based on two core themes of ‘Reducing Land-based Marine Plastics’ and ‘Urban Resilience’.
Event Details
Amari Bangkok Hotel, Thailand
