Publications

This paper briefly describes the circular economy (CE) practices and opportunities in Africa and the significant role that hubs play in driving a transition towards a CE. It further reveals learnings from the WCEF 22 side event discussions on the priority areas of the hubs in Africa, activities and crucial stakeholders. The WCEF 22 side event was...

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increased demand for SUPs that intensified pressure on an already out-of-control global plastic pollution. Asian cities are hotspots for tackling plastic issues for a number of reasons such as extensive coastline; rapid urbanization, rapid economic and population growth; fast growing of urban middle class...

The progress report on Japan ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) Project "Strengthening Capacity for Marine Debris Reduction in ASEAN Region: Formulation of National Action Plans for ASEAN Member States and Integrated Land-to-Sea Policy Approach (Phase2 - Dec. 2021-Dec. 2023)" were made to the Members of ASEAN Working Group on Coastal and Marine...

Amila Abeynayaka (Policy Researcher on Sustainable Consumption and Production at the IGES) and Simon Høiberg Olsen (Senior Policy Researcher at the IGES) shed light on the limitations faced by countries in Asia and the Pacific in actively monitoring plastics and plastic-related chemicals – hampering the effectiveness of any future legally binding...

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement established a strong foundation for the coherent implementation of climate action and sustainable development objectives across all levels and sectors. However, recent global crises, such as climate, energy, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), and...

Building a Resilient Supply Chain: Can Japan and India Partner on Critical Minerals for the EV Ecosystem?

An opinion piece about the degree to which the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework invokes market-based as opposed to regulatory mechanisms.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown of cities have led to the rapid growth of online food delivery (OFD). Moreover, there are concerns that OFD platforms may impose offers on users in order to continue to increase their market share, leading to numerous environmental issues such as overconsumption and a significant increase in plastic...

The International Energy Agency estimates that to hit net-zero globally by 2050, six times more critical minerals will be required in 2040 than today. The rapid increase in demand for critical minerals is likely to increase price volatility. This could aggravate energy security concerns, and thereby delay the necessary clean energy transition...

Illegal sand mining has been identified as a significant cause of harm to riverbanks, as it leads to excessive removal of sand from rivers and negatively impacts river shorelines. This investigation aimed to identify instances of shoreline erosion and accretion at illegal sand mining sites along the Chambal River. These sites were selected based on...