The 6th ERIA’s Experts Working Group (EWG) on Marine Plastic Debris Meeting was held on 18 February 2025 in a hybrid format, co-organised by the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)’s Regional Knowledge Centre for Marine Plastic Debris (RKC-MPD) and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES).
This EWG was part of a broader regional capacity-building initiative on marine plastic debris, aiming to support ASEAN+3 countries in addressing plastic pollution through policy development, technical collaboration, and knowledge sharing.
The meeting focused on four key areas:
- The ASEAN Book Project on plastic pollution
- ERIA’s planned activities for 2025
- Outcomes from the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on global plastics by IGES
- Ongoing research on marine plastic leakage and emerging solutions by IGES under ERIA-IGES collaboration
Event Details
Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (Hybrid Format)
IGES Sustainable Consumption and Production
Chochoe Devaporihartakula
E-mail: [email protected]
Presentation Materials
Programme
Key Sessions and Discussions | |||
| 09:00-09:50 | Session 1: ASEAN Book Project on Plastic Pollution in East Asia RegionLed by ERIA representatives, this session introduced the concept and tentative structure of a 25-chapter Book dedicated to plastic pollution countermeasures in East Asia, including ASEAN+3 countries. Proposed chapter topics range from the status quo and outlook of pollution and ecological impacts to waste management systems, single-use plastic (SUP) reduction, alternative materials, and EPR schemes. Experts were asked to:
| ||
| Reo Kawamura, Director for RKC-MPD, ERIA | |||
| Fusanori Iwasaki, Research Fellow, ERIA | |||
| Q&A, Discussions |
| ||
| 10:00-10:50 | Session 2: ERIA Activity 2025 - Inputs from the ExpertsThis session showcased ERIA’s planned projects and deliverables for 2025, inviting expert commentary. Key highlights included:
| ||
| Michikazu Kojima, Senior Research Fellow, ERIA | |||
| Q&A, Discussions |
| ||
| 11:00-12:00 | Session 3: INC-5 and Beyond | ||
| INC 5 Reporting and Introducing Current Chair's Text Yasuhiko Hotta, Programme Director, Sustainable Consumption and Production, IGES | |||
| Beyond the Negotiations: Highlighting Side Events on the Margins of INC-5 Chochoe Devaporihartakula, Programme Manager, Regional Centre in Bangkok,IGES | |||
| Exploring EPR at INC-5: Key Discussions and Outcomes Chochoe Devaporihartakula / Yasuhiko Hotta | |||
| 13:00-14:15 | Session 4-1: Key topics for plastic pollution countermeasures:
| ||
| National Action Plan Development on Marine Plastic leakage in ASEAN Member countries Vivek Anand ASOKAN, Policy Researcher, Sustainable Consumption and Production, IGES | |||
| Policy Design for Tackling Single-Use Plastics Consumption in ASEAN+3 for the Post-COVID-19 Society Chen LIU, Research Manager, Sustainable Consumption and Production, IGES | |||
| Understanding Public Attitudes Toward Plastic Pollution and Addressing Training Needs for Microplastics Sampling and Analysis in the Philippines Ngoc-Bao PHAM, Deputy Director, Adaptation & Water, IGES | |||
| 14:30-15:20 | Session 4-2 Key topics for plastic pollution countermeasures:
| ||
| Present status of marine plastic pollution by fishing gear and future collaboration in Asia Junko TOYOSHIMA, Research Manager, Biodiversity & Forests, IGES | |||
| Behaviour Change, Plastics, and ASEAN: Update on Phase II of Breaking the Plastic Habit in ASEAN and Announcement of a New Behavioural Lab and Needs Assessment Dwayne APPLEBY, Programme Manager, Sustainable Consumption and Production, IGES | |||
