"We call for ASEAN to unite in championing a global agreement to end plastic pollution," Ary Sudijanto, Deputy for Climate Change Management and Carbon Economic Value Governance at the Ministry of Environment, said on Wednesday.
He explained that the call reflects recognition that today's environmental challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, marine pollution, and the waste crisis, transcend national and regional boundaries.
As a regional organization, ASEAN must act collectively to protect the environment for future generations, he stressed.
"Indonesia is determined to be a pioneer in regional waste management, with a target of ensuring 100 percent of waste, including plastic, is properly managed by 2029," Sudijanto noted.
The 18th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Environment (AMME), held in Langkawi, Malaysia, on September 3, produced concrete steps to strengthen regional cooperation in tackling the global environmental crisis.
The meeting — attended by ASEAN ministers and strategic partners such as Japan, the European Union, China, and South Korea — also resulted in several key agreement: the ratification of the ASEAN Joint Statement on Climate Change for COP30 UNFCCC, a progress report on establishing the ASEAN Center for Climate Change (ACCC), and the development of the ASEAN Climate Change Strategic Action Plan, slated for launch in early 2026. Six new protected areas were also ratified as ASEAN Heritage Parks.
In addition, several cities received the ASEAN Environmentally Sustainable Cities Award for achievements in clean air, sustainable water and land management, and urban biodiversity protection.
As a follow-up, ASEAN will hold the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP-21) to the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution in Vietnam in 2026, and the 19th AMME and COP-22 in Myanmar in 2027.
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Translator: Prisca Triferna Violleta, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Anton Santoso
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