2026 International Industrial Ecology Day (Session 2): Prosperity within planetary boundaries: Industrial ecology for a sustainable ASEAN Community

How can ASEAN improve living standards and expand economic opportunity while reducing environmental pressures? Home to more than 680 million people and an economy of approximately US$3.9 trillion, the ASEAN Community has a major role in shaping global sustainability outcomes. Its development choices will influence energy demand, infrastructure, resource use and environmental pressures for decades to come. Industrial ecology offers a systemic perspective on this challenge, connecting the material and energy foundations of development with their implications for climate, biodiversity, pollution, and human wellbeing. This session explores how its methods and insights can support energy decarbonisation, resource efficiency, and a more circular economy across ASEAN's diverse national contexts. Bringing together regional challenges and practical applications, it examines how scientific evidence can help policymakers and business leaders assess trade-offs, identify opportunities, and avoid shifting environmental burdens between sectors and countries. The discussion will consider how regional collaboration can turn this knowledge into pathways that advance prosperity, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability together.

Pricing

• Free

Dates and Times

Contact

Natasha Porter

More information

Chair:

Dr Alessio Miatto

Panellists:

Prof Shabbir Ghewalla, KMUTT, Bangkok, Thailand

Rene Van Berkel, UNEP International Resource Panel

Ms Imelda Bacudo, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Find out more

• Opening Session of the 2026 International Industrial Ecology Day (Session 1)