ASEAN Countries’ Transition to a Circular Economy – a Means of Minimizing Damage from Climate Challenges

Cover Page

Cite item

Full Text

Open Access Open Access
Restricted Access Access granted
Restricted Access Subscription Access

Abstract

This article summarizes the most significant climate threats and environmental challenges specific to each of the ten ASEAN member countries and the region as a whole. The current priority is to prevent the exacerbation of the impacts caused by natural disasters through additional anthropogenic accidents, as the combined impact of these factors could lead to negative synergies with potentially catastrophic results. In this regard, it is emphasized that ASEAN is making significant efforts to modernize infrastructure and develop appropriate policy and institutional mechanisms to facilitate the implementation of the circular economy model in the region, which is seen as a key tool for mitigating damage from climate risks. In general, the process of introducing the concept of circular economy in ASEAN countries is progressing, although relatively slow. At the same time, some countries are taking significant steps to move to a sustainable development trajectory. In the countries where there has been a relative slowdown or stagnation in the introduction of circular economy, overcoming policy obstacles to ensure institutional prioritization is key to progress. It is important to create a sustainable understanding that the implementation of circular economy is not only a mechanism for environmental protection, but also an effective tool for achieving economic growth, deepening international integration and ensuring long-term sustainability of the region’s development as a whole.

About the authors

G. G Sakhvadze

IMEMO, Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: gigisakhvadze97@gmail.com
Post-graduate student, Junior Researcher, Center of the Indian Ocean region, Sector of new challenges in South and Southeast Asia, IMEMO Moscow, Russia

References

  1. Hicks R. 2021. Southeast Asia to bear the brunt of worsening global climate, IPCC warns. World Economic Forum, 17. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/08/southeast-asiweather-extremes-global-warming-2030-ipcc-report/
  2. Jabbar A.S., Qadar T., Ghafoor S. et al. 2022. Air Quality, Pollution and Sustainability Trends in South Asia: A Population-Based Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(12), 7534. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127534
  3. Sakhvadze G.G. Analysis of climate challenges in ASEAN countries and their impact on the region’s socio-economic stability. Journal of Economics, Entrepreneurship and Law. 2025; 15(3). Pp. 2189–2206. (In Russ.). DOI: 10.18334/ epp.15.3.122798
  4. Arifin E.N., Hoon C.Y., Slesman L. et al. 2022. Self-rated health and perceived environmental quality in Brunei Darussalam: a cross-sectional study. BMJ Open, 12 (8), e060799. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-060799
  5. Herrador M., Dat T., Truong D. et al. 2023. The unique case study of circular economy in Vietnam remarking recycling craft villages. SAGE Open, 13 (3). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231082551
  6. Xin Y., Sun L., Hansen M. 2022. Oil palm reconciliation in Indonesia: Balancing rising demand and environmental conservation towards 2050. Journal of Cleaner Production. 380 (Part 2), 135087. https://doi.Org/10.1016/j.jclepro. 2022.135087
  7. Sokharavuth P., Thiv S., Nara C. et al. 2023. Air pollution mitigation assessment to inform Cambodia’s first clean air plan. Environmental Research. 220, 115230. https://doi.org/l0.1016/j.envres.2023.115230
  8. Chen S., Olofsson P., Sapliangthong T. et al. 2023. Monitoring shifting cultivation in Laos with Landsat time series. Remote Sensing of Environment. 288, 113507. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2023.113507
  9. Abdul-Hamid A., Ah M., Osman L. et al. 2021. The drivers of industry 4.0 in a circular economy: The palm oil industry in Malaysia. Journal of Cleaner Production. 324, 129216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.129216
  10. Oh S., Kim S., Cho I. et al. 2023. Myanmar’s decision-making structure for the introduction of renewable energy. Journal of Cleaner Production. 413, 137254. https://doi.Org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.137254
  11. Ho A., Zheng Н., Cheong К. et al. 2020. The relationship between air pollution and all-cause mortality in Singapore. Atmosphere. 11 (1), 9. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmosl1010009
  12. Lee К., Wong S. 2023. Comparative environmental and socioeconomic assessment on mixed plastic waste management: A Singapore case study. Science of the Total Environment. 393, 164384. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. scitotenv.2023.164334
  13. Marks D., Miller M.A., Vassanadumrongdee S. 2023. Closing the loop or widening the gap? The unequal politics of Thailand’s circular economy in addressing marine plastic pollution. Journal of Cleaner Production. 391, 136213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.136213
  14. Henderson I., Gue R., Tan R. et al. 2022. Environmentally-extended input-output analysis of circular economy scenarios in the Philippines. Journal of Cleaner Production. 377, 134360. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022. 134360
  15. Tantengco O., Guinto R. 2022. Tackling air pollution in the Philippines. The Lancet Planetary Health. 6(4), e300. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(22)00065-1
  16. Rogozhina N.G. Climate policy of the countries of Southeast Asia. Asia and Africa today. 2022. № 11. Pp. 58–65. (In Russ.). doi: 10.31857/S032150750022932-7

Supplementary files

Supplementary Files
Action
1. JATS XML

Copyright (c) 2025 Russian Academy of Sciences