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Nadya Hutagalung, UNEP Goodwill Ambassador, United Nations

Plenary 01 – The Plastic Pandemic: Is less plastic wasted even possible during COVID-19?

Marine litter and plastic pollution are among the most pressing sustainable development challenges, globally and in South East Asia. While efforts to tackle plastic pollution have been significantly stepped up, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about increased plastic use, and exposed the inadequacy of systems for waste management and recycling. Setting the stage for the SEA of Solutions, this opening plenary will consider how far the needle has moved - what do we know and what have we achieved? – as well as what we still need to be told in order to successfully tackle marine plastic pollution.

MC & Moderator

Speakers

Inger Andersen, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme

Igor Driesmans, EU Ambassador to ASEAN

Ann Måwe, Ambassador of Sweden to Vietnam, Embassy of Sweden, Hanoi

Tran Hong Ha, Minister, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Viet Nam

Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary, Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions

Belinda Ford, ASEAN Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability Director, Coca-Cola ASEAN

Nalini Shekar, Co-Founder, Hasiru Dala Innovations

Hamish Daud Wylie, Co-founder, Indonesian Ocean Pride and OCTOPUS

Video

12:00 - 13:30

Participant Networking - Online Exhibit - Side Events (Virtual)

Heidi Savelli-Soderberg, Programme Officer, Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities, UNEP

Parallel Session 01 – Making the most of international and regional agreements and mechanisms

Over the past years, a number of international frameworks have been created to address the transboundary challenge of plastic pollution and guide concerted action on marine litter and plastic pollution: from United Nations Environment Assembly resolutions to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Basel Convention at the global level, to Regional Action Plans on Marine Litter of Regional Seas programmes and regional frameworks under ASEAN and APEC. And countries are working together to take stock of marine litter action and identify effective global responses through the ad hoc open-ended expert group on marine litter and microplastics (AHEG). How can we make the most of existing frameworks and mechanisms to link levels of governance, overcome remaining barriers and walk the talk? What else is needed?

Moderator

Speakers

Federica Sarah Piovesana, Policy Analyst, Environmental Security (ENS) Global Pollution Enforcement Team, INTERPOL

Jerker Tamelander, Coordinator, Secretariat of the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Karen Raubenheimer, Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS), Wollongoong University

Nagulendran Kangayatkarasu, Ministry of Environment and Water, Malaysia

Vincent Crasnier, Head, One Planet One Health, Water Division, Danone

Parallel Session 02 – Every little helps: Local innovation and small-scale solutions off-the-grid

Small-scale, community-based approaches to provide innovative solutions outside of big cities are often overlooked, but what benefits can they provide to communities to improve waste management and create income opportunities from recycling/upcycling plastic? Should we be paying more attention to technology, infrastructure, and outreach approaches at the local level? How can community-level initiatives be replicated, upscaled and integrated into national plastic pollution strategies?

Moderator

Tom Peacock-Nazil, Founder, Seven Clean Seas

Speakers

Dominic Thomson, Deputy Director/Project Manager (SEA), Environmental Justice Foundation

Louise Hardman, Founder, Plastic Collective

Linh Le, Founder, AYA CUP, Viet Nam

Sanghamitra Mandal, Principal Consultant, The Idea

Video

Net Free Seas: a community-based solution to mitigate marine plastic waste in the Thai waters

Presentations

Two Types of cups

Lightning Talks

15:00 – 16:00

Parallel Session 03 – Plastic protection without pollution

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the ways plastics are produced, used and disposed. Usefulness of a vast range of plastic products including those for personal protection and healthcare, has been re-confirmed during COVID. At the same time, the challenge of hazardous plastic waste management mounted and the pollution with single use plastic products is accelerating. This session share expert views about plastic products that offer benefits in sanitation, hygiene, and safety. The session also offers insight into domestic and international factors that have disrupted national plastic management plans and options for governments and businesses to get back on track with plastic pollution reduction targets.

Moderator

Kakuko Nagatani-Yoshida, Regional Coordinator, Chemicals, Waste and Air Quality, UN Environment Programme

Speakers

Chettiyappan Visvanathan, Professor, Environmental Engineering and Management Program, School of Environment, Resources and Development, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT)

So Sasaki, Professor, Chuo University, Japan

Rasheed Hussain, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for South-East Asia (SEARO)

Edwin Seah, Head of Sustainability and Communications, Food Industry Asia (FIA)

Discussant

Nguyen Le Tuan, Director, Vietnam Institute of Sea and Islands

Video

International policy landscape for marine litter

Presentations

15:00 – 16:00

Parallel Session 04 – Localizing action: Reducing plastic leakage in cities and municipal waterways

Big cities and settlements near waterways are major sources of marine litter and important players in preventing leakage into the environment. While framework polices are often made at the national level, implementation of waste management largely falls in the mandate of cities and municipalities. Mayors in South-East and East Asia can lead change on the ground by championing effective and inclusive waste collection, sorting and disposal, and creating awareness and momentum among city dwellers. This session shares good practices, common challenges, and replicable solutions to reduce plastic pollution at the city level.

Moderator

Voltaire Acosta, Project Manager, Healthy Oceans and Clean Cities Initiative, UN-Habitat

Speakers

Bernhard Barth, Human Settlements Officer, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP), UN-Habitat

Omar Siddique, Economic Affairs Officer, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)

Patrick Gabutina, Hapsay Sapa Program Coordinator, City Government of Cagayan de Oro, Philippines

Shom Teoh, Programme Manager for Sustainable Cities, Institute for Global Environmental Studies (IGES)

Thomas Bell, Science and Communications Officer, Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA)

Patricia Akinyi K’Omudho, Chief Environment Officer, Nairobi Metropolitan Services, Kenya

Video

16:00 – 17:30

Participant Networking - Online Exhibit - Side Events (Virtual)

Wednesday | 25 November 2020

Participant Networking - Online Exhibit - Side Events (Virtual)

Veronica Pedrosa, Independent Broadcast Journalist

Plenary 02 – Financing to build back better: Risk and opportunities for investment in plastic pollution and marine litter reduction

Marine litter and plastic pollution are among the most pressing sustainable development challenges, globally and in South East Asia. While efforts to tackle plastic pollution have been significantly stepped up, including through technical assistance and investment programmes by multilateral and private financing institutions, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about increased plastic use, exposed the inadequacy of systems for waste management and recycling, and highlighted the need for investment in infrastructure. This presents increased uncertainty and risk, as well as an opportunity to build back better. Has the pandemic derailed or enabled investment? How can fiscal stimulus packages and direct financing/investment be effectively leveraged to build back better? How can governments de-risk private finance? Can existing instruments and approaches do the job, and do we need to deploy them differently? This session will feature perspectives from organizations that are at the forefront of financing for marine litter and plastic pollution reduction through projects that impact lives and livelihoods, plastic waste and ocean health. Their interventions will identify pathways to accelerating investment and building back better.

Moderator

Opening

Ta Dinh Thi (VASI), Director General, Viet Nam Administration of Seas and Islands

Keynote

Anthony Cox, Deputy Director, Environment Directorate, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

Speakers

Mona Sur, Practice Manager, Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy, World Bank

Jacob Duer, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Alliance to End Plastic Waste

Andrew Jeffries, Country Director, Viet Nam, Asian Development Bank (ADB)

Hermelo Bacani, Programme Leader, UN Environment Programme's Principles for Sustainable Insurance Initiative (UNEP-FI)

Video

Financing to Build Back Better

Presentations

12:00 - 13:00

Participant Networking - Online Exhibit - Side Events (Virtual)

Shereen Zorba, Head of UNEP Science Policy Business Forum, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Parallel Session 05 – Environmental innovation, digital transformation and frontier technologies to tackle plastic pollution

New technologies such as nanotechnology, genetic modification and advanced chemical and bio-chemical processes could help curb plastic pollution by developing natural substitutes, producing truly biodegradable ‘plastics’ and revolutionizing waste sorting and recycling. Which technological solutions are within our grasp and how can they become feasible and affordable in the region? And what will remain science fiction? Which incentives, investments and policies/regulations are needed to maximize the potential of new technologies?

Moderator

Speakers

Dr. Anne Bowser, Consultant, UNEP

Haischel Dabian Co-Founder, KryHa

Sean Kian Hoe, Founder and Managing Director, Heng Hiap Industries

Sankar S. Villupuram, Associate Director, ARUP

Video

Circularity through 5C Collaboration

Presentations

Global Partnership on Marine Litter (GPML) Digital Platform

Lightning Talks

The OPTOCE Project: How the Involvement of Private Industry Can Increase the Treatment Capacity for Non-Recyclable Plastic Waste

KryHa: Scaling waste recycling infrastructure through blockchain technology

Geoinformatics Center – Asian Institute of Technology: Teaching Computers to Identify Trash

John Duncan, Initiative Lead: No Plastics in Nature, WWF

Parallel Session 06 – Taking responsibility: Business models and incentives for plastic neutrality

This session will discuss the responsibility of businesses and producers to reduce their plastic footprints now. This includes discussion of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes that leave no one behind, plastic neutrality and credit programs that can generate additional financial flows and involve communities, and other models that can mitigate fluctuating market prices for recyclables and help address challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Moderator

Asa Stenmarck, Material Flow Expert, Naturvårdsverket (Swedish EPA)

Speakers

Alvaro Zurita, Team Leader, Rethinking Plastics project, GIZ

Casper Durandt, Director Sustainable Packaging and Climate Protection, Coca-Cola

Patrick Bürgi, Innovation Director / Co-Founder, South Pole

Discussant

Tom Peacock-Nazil, Founder, Seven Clean Seas

Video

Starboard: Generating strong plastic-waste clean-up action: Transforming the power of consumer purchases through the internal taxation of business profits

Lightning Talks

InOff Plastic: Reuse as a solution to eliminate plastic waste

KryHa: Scaling waste recycling infrastructure through blockchain technology

South Pole: Plastic Solutions - How can plastic credit be used credibly?

South Pole: Plastic Footprinting

14:30 - 15:00

Break

15:00 - 16:00

Parallel Session 07 – Enhancing recyclability through better product design in South-East Asia

Product identification and labelling, lightweight plastic primary packaging, and designing for easy separation and recycling are key actions businesses and producers can take now. Information on the packaging is often misleading consumers to think that packaging is recyclable or using “greener” raw material, and often gives little or no information on how to separate and sort products for correct disposal and recycling. With recycling not well understood in South-East Asia and relying heavily on informal activities, how does product design need to improve, and what types of on-product labelling is required for consumers and waste workers to understand the differences among packaging materials, how to handle them at the products’ end-of-life and most importantly, how to choose wisely when making greener purchases?

Moderator

Janet Salem, Economic Affairs Officer, Circular Economy, Sustainable Urban Development Section, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

Speakers

Tom Szacky, CEO and Founder, TerraCycle

Andrew Almack, Founder/CEO, Plastics For Change

Paola Cortese, Indonesia Country Manager, Plastic Bank

Crispian Lao, Commissioner, Private Sector Representative, Recycling Industry Sector, National Solid Waste Management Commission, Philippines

Isabel Petit, Director Asia Pacific Evian Volvic International, Danone

Vivekanand Sistla, Regional R&D Director - Personal Care & Site Leader, Unilever, Thailand

Video

Recycle Across the World & International Waste Platform: Recycling has been designed to fail, so let’s fix it!

Lightning Talks

15:00 - 16:00

Parallel Session 08 – Leaving no one behind: Protecting informal waste workers and those most vulnerable in times of COVID

Waste management is largely informal in many cities in the region. How are lockdown measures, the drop in value of recyclables, and an increase in hard-to-recycle/single-use items and potentially hazardous waste affecting the informal waste sector and disadvantaged groups of society? How can we future-proof the livelihoods of those most vulnerable and build back better post-pandemic?

Moderator

Malika Amélie Taoufiq-Cailliau, Legal Officer, Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions’ Secretariat

Keynote

Jasmin Irisha Jim Ilham, Climate and Environment Consultant, UNICEF Malaysia

Speakers

Malti Gadgil, Program Manager Asia, Plastic Solutions Fund

Pamela Mejia, Founder, Phinix

Jon Khoo, Head of Sustainability (EAAA), Interface

Mayuree Aroonwaranon, CEO & Co-founder, GEPP Sa-Ard Co., Ltd.

Video

Green2Get: Leaving no one behind - informal waste management in Thailand (Thai audio)

Lightning Talks

16:00 - 17:30

Participant Networking - Online Exhibit - Side Events (Virtual)

Thursday | 26 November 2020

Participant Networking - Online Exhibit - Side Events (Virtual)

Sandra Averous-Monnery, Programme Officer, Chemicals and Health Branch, Economy Division, UNEP

Parallel Session 09 – How can we bridge the science-policy divide?

Scientific research on marine litter from the region and beyond has flourished in recent years, yet significant gaps remain in areas that speak to policy priorities. Methodologies and the depth of research vary greatly across countries, limiting collaborative research to address gaps. Intensified research, investment in science (including citizen science), and a reframing of the research agenda are needed to better understand sources, pathways, fate and impact of pollution and reduction measures. While the aim of science is not only to serve policy making, bringing science and policy together is critical for effective and evidence-based decision making.

Moderator

Speakers

Daoji Li, Professor, East China Normal University (ECNU)

Suchana Chavanich, Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University

Youna Lyons, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for International Law at the National University of Singapore (NUS) CIL

Yegor Volovik, Coordinator, Northwest Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP)

Peter Kershaw, Co-Chair, Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP)

Video

Maggie Lee, Programme Management Officer, Markets and Value Chain, SEA circular

Parallel Session 10 – Efficacy of green alliances (corporate-NGO partnerships) in reducing plastic waste

A growing trend is observed with large businesses collaborating with civil society or intergovernmental organizations on waste reduction and innovation. These corporate-NGO partnerships are referred to as “green alliances”, and they have not been new to the realm of conservation. With plastic waste primarily originating from the commercial world, are “green alliances” effective in solving the problems of marine litter and plastic pollution? This session will have experts familiar with green alliances to talk about how green alliances have moved the needle in the plastic pollution problem.

Moderator

Speakers

James Scott, Executive Director, TerraCycle Thai Foundation

Kim Stengert, Chief, Strategic Communication and External Relations, WWF Singapore

Vasimon Ruanglek, Partnerships Manager, SCG

Megan Morikawa, Global Director for Sustainability, Iberostar Group

Video

12:00 - 13:30

Participant Networking - Online Exhibit - Side Events (Virtual)

Viet Nam Technical Session – Promoting partnership for combating marine plastic litter in Viet Nam

Viet Nam Administration for Seas and Islands (VASI) presents its commitments on plastic pollution and its plan to establish a regional research center on marine plastic litter, in order to promote collaboration and sharing experience for tackling marine plastic litter in the ASEAN. In Vietnam, it is also important to engage different stakeholders including government agencies, businesses, NGOs, academia and the people, recognizing that joining hands in partnership between formal and informal sectors in dealing with waste and plastic is one of the key points for success.

Moderator

Luu Anh Duc, Deputy Director - Department of Science, Technology and International Cooperation (DSTIC), Viet Nam Administration of Seas and Islands (VASI), Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE)

Speakers

Vu Dinh Hieu, Deputy Director of the Institute of Marine and Island Research

Hoang Thanh Vinh, Representative of UNDP Viet Nam

Long Nguyen, Head, R&D Department, An Phat Bioplastics Corporation

Video

Veronica Pedrosa, Independent Broadcast Journalist

14:30 – 15:00

Break

15:00 – 16:00

Plenary 03 / High-level Panel – Plastic pollution and the COVID-19 pandemic: A cohesive and responsive ASEAN

In this session, ministers in the region share their thoughts on tackling marine plastic pollution, catalyzing solutions through policy and fiscal reform, and their governments’ vision for collective efforts at the international level, including through the UN Environment Assembly and the Ad-hoc open-ended Expert Group on marine litter and microplastics as well as through delivering on commitments such as the G20 Osaka Blue Vision, the Bangkok Declaration on Combating Marine Debris in ASEAN Region, ASEAN Framework for Marine Debris, and COBSEA Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter. Reflections on these statements follow, on the ways progress can be attained, especially in identifying collaboration pathways to further accelerate efforts in the region.

Moderator

Speakers

Ta Dinh Thi (VASI), Director General, Viet Nam Administration of Seas and Islands

Isabella Lövin, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Environment and Climate of Sweden

Le Minh Ngan, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Viet Nam

Dr. Ir. Siti Nurbaya, Minister of Environment and Forestry, Republic of Indonesia

Seong-Hyeok Moon, Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, Republic of Korea

YB Dato’ Sri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, Minister of Environment and Water, Malaysia

Ohn Win, Minister for Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, Myanmar

Grace Fu Hai Yien, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, Singapore

Datu Seri Paduka Ar. Haji Marzuke Haji Mohsin, Deputy Minister of Development, Brunei Darussalam

Sao Sopheap, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Environment, Cambodia

Kondo Tomohiro, Vice Minister for Global Affairs, Ministry of the Environment, Japan

Discussant

David Osborn, Deputy Director of Ecosystems Division, UN Environment Programme

Video

Nadya Hutagalung, UNEP Goodwill Ambassador, United Nations

16:00 - 16:40

Plenary 04 / Voices – Scaling up commitments that move the needle

This session will raise collective regional voices for solutions to the plastic pollution and marine litter challenges, and will feature messages of urgency, pledges, announcements and commitments from various perspectives – of national and local governments, research and academia, private sector, community groups, youth and media. The aim is to focus on ways forward and collective actions now, taking on each stakeholders’ responsibility and role with more urgency and effort.

Moderator

Speakers

Nguyen Que Lam (VASI), Deputy Director General, Vietnam Administration of Sea and Island, Vietnam

An Phat Holdings

Iris Lam, Director of Food & Beverage - Design & Sustainable Development, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group

Kabir Arora, Women in Informal Employment Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO)/ Global Alliance of Wastepickers

Tom Peacock-Nazil, Founder, Seven Clean Seas, Malaysia

Antoinette Taus, UNEP National Goodwill Ambassador and Founder, Communities Organized for Resource Allocation (CORA), Philippines

Nguyen Thi Quynh Anh, Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment

Melati Wijsen, Kevin Fernando and Amrita Wikara, Bye Bye Plastic Bags, Indonesia

Video