Jakarta (ANTARA) - ASEAN government leaders and European business executives will convene for the ASEAN-EU Sustainability Summit to address economic resilience and sustainable growth as Southeast Asia grapples with a worsening energy crisis and economic strain.

"We are facing multiple crises at once: energy, economic and supply chain challenges that no party can address alone," said Chris Humphrey, the Executive Director of the EU-ASEAN Business Council (EU-ABC).

EU-ABC organize the summit together with the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP).

"ASEAN and the EU should look to each other for a reliable, long-term partnership built on shared ambitions for sustainable economic growth," Humphrey said in the ASEAN Philippines 2026 media release, on Thursday.

The inaugural summit will take place on May 7, 2026, in Cebu, Philippines, where a national energy emergency has been declared, as recent shocks have exposed critical gaps in ASEAN's energy and economic systems.

The summit will focus on how ASEAN can strengthen resilience and sustain growth, with ASEAN-EU partnership and public-private collaboration emerging as key drivers of the region’s sustainable development.

A ministerial panel will feature the Philippines Secretary of Finance Frederick D. Go and Indonesia’s Deputy Minister of National Development Planning Leonardo A. A. Teguh Sambodo.

EU Ambassador to the Philippines Massimo Santoro will join a dialogue on cooperation alongside Vice Chairperson and Executive Director of the Philippines’ Climate Change Commission Robert E.A. Borje.

ASEAN Secretary General Dr Kao Kim Hourn and other European Commission representatives are expected to participate in the summit sessions virtually.

Discussions will focus on sustainability priorities under the Philippines’ 2026 ASEAN Chairmanship, including energy transition and green finance, circular economy development, sustainable trade and supply chains, and climate-resilient agriculture.

These discussions are aimed at fostering greater public-private cooperation, and will feature executives from Boehringer Ingelheim, Coca-Cola, Philip Morris International and other international companies.

More than 200 representatives from government, business, development institutions and civil society are expected to attend the summit.

The summit aims to drive ASEAN-EU cooperation towards practical outcomes for the region’s sustainable development.

"The ASEAN-EU partnership has grown significantly, but the priority now is to turn that momentum into practical collaboration," said the President of ECCP and a member of the EU-ABC’s Executive Board, Paulo Duarte.

"The EU has channelled significant resources towards sustainable development through the Global Gateway and other initiatives – the summit will explore how these can support that next phase of cooperation," he added.

A key focus during the summit will be on how the private sector can help translate sustainability priorities into scalable, real-world solutions, particularly in areas such as circular economy, supply chain integrity, and sustainable agriculture.

"As ASEAN faces economic strain, strengthening supply chain resilience has become a critical priority," said Rodney van Dooren, Director of Illicit Trade Prevention at Philip Morris International.

"Ensuring sustainability and protecting legitimate trade during periods of disruption requires systems that balance efficiency with safeguards, so illicit activity cannot exploit vulnerabilities in lawful supply chains," he continued.

The private sector, he added, has a lot to offer. So, they are eager to work with governments to identify gaps and fortify ASEAN’s supply chains, through intelligence sharing, technical capacity building and support for enforcement frameworks.

Beyond trade, supply chain disruptions are also affecting essential sectors such as food production. The agriculture industry has been impacted by fertiliser shortages and rising production costs, placing increasing strain on food security across the region.

Therefore, the summit will also explore how to strengthen ASEAN’s food systems through more resilient and sustainable approaches, including animal disease prevention, farmer support, and stronger veterinary ecosystems.

Related news: Indonesia encourages ASEAN-EU cooperation amid global crisis

Related news: Indonesia needs to speed up SDG achievements through ASEAN-EU