ASEAN Regional Dialogue on Circular Economy
The ASEAN Regional Dialogue on Circular Economy brings together stakeholders across ASEAN to strengthen regional cooperation and advance practical, inclusive, and scalable circular economy solutions. This year’s event was convened under the patronage of the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as part of the Philippines ASEAN 2026 Chairship.
The Circulate Initiative’s Senior Director of Programs, Annerieke Douma, spoke at Session 5, “Inclusive Circular Economy and Just Transition.” Annerieke shared the importance of embedding traceability and inclusivity into business practices, alongside government policies and support that can build on and reinforce these efforts. Drawing on examples from South Africa, she also highlighted extended producer responsibility (EPR) as a potential lever for strengthening the inclusion of informal waste pickers and waste sector workers in circular economy systems.