Rapid economic growth, coupled with a lack of solid waste management infrastructure, has led to East and Southeast Asia countries becoming the biggest contributors of marine plastic pollution. In 2019, Southeast Asian countries forged the ASEAN Framework of Action on Marine Debris and adopted the Bangkok Declaration on Combating Marine Debris in ASEAN Region.

Although much is still left to be studied, particularly the long-term impacts of plastics on our marine ecosystem, and its potential harm to human health through the food chain, there is a wide international consensus to take urgent preventative actions before further damage is done. To this end, ERIA established the Regional Knowledge Centre for Marine Plastic Debris in 2019 to provide ASEAN+3 Member States with support in addressing emerging challenges associated with marine plastic debris.

At this forum, ERIA and ASEC will focus on the role played by the private sector, especially in tackling plastic waste from upstream production. ERIA will also present the Regional Knowledge Centre for Marine Plastic Debris and its activities.

Moderator:

• Dwight Jason Ronan, Senior Officer, ASEAN Secretariat
• Michikazu Kojima, Research Fellow, ERIA 

Speakers:

• Supatchaya Techachoochert, Co-Founder, Refill Station, Thailand
• Tommy Tjiptadjaja, Co-Founder and CEO, Greenhope, Indonesia
• Kentaro Inukai, President, Pana Chemical, Japan
• Iris Chang, Director of Social Impact and Sustainability, Grab, Singapore