ASEAN+3 SCP 2026 promotes climate action

Challenges in advancing the circular economy within climate policy

The Philippines’ Department of Environment and Natural Resources, through the ASEAN Secretariat, invited member states to participate in the 13th ASEAN+3 Leadership Programme on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) 2026, themed “Climate Resilience through Sustainable Consumption and Production and Circular Economy for a Sustainable Future.”

The programme took place from March 9-11, 2026, in Manila, Philippines, co-organized by the Philippines’ Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the ASEAN Secretariat, with support from the EU SWITCH-Asia Programme and the Hanns Seidel Foundation.

The event served as an important platform for policymakers from ASEAN+3 countries - ASEAN member states along with China, Japan, and the RoK, to exchange experiences, share innovative practices, and discuss policy pathways to integrate climate action into strategies on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) and the Circular Economy (CE).

According to the organizers, as climate change impacts intensify, promoting sustainable production and consumption alongside circular economy approaches is seen as a key solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve resource efficiency and enhance economic resilience.

These approaches also support global commitments, including the Paris Agreement on climate change and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

During discussions, delegates from member countries highlighted several challenges in advancing the circular economy and integrating it with climate policies.

First, circular economy infrastructure remains underdeveloped in many countries, particularly in recycling, resource recovery and waste management systems. At the same time, financial resources for circular economy initiatives remain limited, making large-scale implementation difficult.

In addition, climate policies in many countries still do not fully account for the product life cycle, which is essential for assessing emissions and environmental impacts. A lack of reliable data and information on product life cycles also poses challenges for policy development and emissions monitoring.

Another challenge is the gap in understanding between policy areas, as climate policymakers may not be familiar with circular economy tools, and vice versa.

To address these challenges, experts recommended strengthening incentives for businesses, such as tax reductions or financial support, to encourage the adoption of circular business models.

They also emphasized the need to build capacity among policymakers to better integrate climate policies with circular economy strategies. Some experts suggested encouraging companies to report greenhouse gas emissions based on product life cycles, which would help improve transparency and provide better data for policymaking.

Viet Nam promotes circular economy to support climate goals

From Viet Nam, representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment attended the programme, including the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Agriculture and Environment (ISPAE), the Department of Climate Change (DCC), and Viet Nam Agriculture and Nature News (VAN).

In recent years, Viet Nam has increasingly integrated circular economy principles into climate and sustainable development policies, supporting its commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, announced at COP26.

The policy framework linking circular economy and climate action is reflected in several national strategies and legal documents. The National Green Growth Strategy for 2021-2030 with a vision to 2050 promotes efficient resource use, sustainable production and consumption, and circular business models to reduce emission intensity across economic sectors.

Similarly, Viet Nam’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in 2022 identifies improved waste management, recycling and efficient material use as key measures for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The country is also preparing its next-generation NDC (NDC 3.0) for the 2026-2035 period, in line with the update cycle of the Paris Agreement.

The concept of the circular economy has also been institutionalized in the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection, providing a legal foundation to promote reuse, recycling and environmentally friendly product design within production and consumption systems.

Regulations such as Decree 08/2022/ND-CP introduced the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) mechanism, requiring companies to collect and recycle products or packaging after use.

These policies encourage businesses to adopt circular approaches such as waste-to-resource technologies, industrial symbiosis, sustainable packaging and resource-efficient production. By reducing the use of virgin materials, increasing recycling rates and cutting emissions from production and waste treatment, circular economy models support Viet Nam’s transition to a low-carbon economy.

As Viet Nam moves toward its net-zero target by 2050, circular approaches can help reduce emissions across sectors including industry, waste management, agriculture and energy.

Circular business models also contribute to climate mitigation by reducing emissions from resource extraction and industrial production. Through product redesign, reuse, repair and remanufacturing, companies can extend product life cycles and reduce demand for new raw materials.

Circular solutions can also reduce waste and recover resources. Innovations such as recycling systems, waste-to-energy technologies and material recovery facilities help reduce landfill waste and limit methane emissions. For example, converting organic waste into compost or biogas can both reduce emissions and provide energy or agricultural inputs.

Industrial symbiosis, where by-products or waste from one company become inputs for another, is also being promoted in several industrial zones. This approach improves resource efficiency and reduces emissions across value chains, particularly in sectors such as cement, steel and food processing.

Technological innovation also plays a key role in advancing circular business models. Digital tools for tracking material life cycles, advanced recycling technologies and bio-based materials are creating new opportunities for businesses to reduce their carbon footprint while remaining competitive.

Through policy dialogue and experience sharing, the ASEAN+3 Leadership Programme on SCP 2026 is expected to further strengthen regional cooperation, accelerate circular economy initiatives and support countries in building low-carbon and climate-resilient economies.