Policy action in the ASEAN on resource efficiency and raw material management through transfer of knowledge and experiences from the European Union
Published on
Joint activity of University of Novi Sad, BioSense Center, and UNESCAP, Environment and Development Division and other partners.
Abstract
The proposed collaboration aims to stimulate policy action in the ASEAN on resource efficiency and raw material management through transfer of knowledge and experiences from the European Union. Doing this now is more urgent than ever as the ASEAN takes concrete steps towards greater economic integration with the initiation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015. Trade and investments have been key drivers of environmental performance and trends in the region. Therefore, policymakers in the ASEAN need to better understand the implications of greater economic integration for climate and the environment and start considering mechanisms and safeguards that need to be in place to manage the risk and opportunities from AEC 2015.
The collaboration will be carried out in the context of preparing the 2015 Transformation for Sustainable Development Goals in Asia and the Pacific Regional Report, which is being developed by ESCAP and its partners, including UNEP, UNU, and IGES. Resource efficiency and productivity transformation is one of the five key transformations being investigated. The collaboration aims to produce a policy-oriented paper on resource efficiency and raw material management in the ASEAN which will be featured as a special section in the 2015 regional report.
The geographic focus of the collaboration will be the ASEAN region. The collaboration will focus on: i) reviewing resource efficiency and material use trends in the ASEAN region and their impacts on the environment and climate; 2) identifying the risks and vulnerabilities to which countries are exposed in the context of regional integration; 3) recommending risk mitigation strategies and policies that are critical for inclusion in regional integration processes; 4) identifying opportunities for transformations that can turn such resource-related challenges into socio-economic benefits, where possible; and 5) formulating recommendations for consideration by ASEAN member States.
