Series: ADB Data Room: Circular Economy ADB Circular Economy Webinar Series — Managing Used Lead-Acid Batteries (ULABs): Evidence, Country Practice, and Solutions 10 to 24 November 2026 REGISTER HERE Lead-acid battery (LAB) manufacturing accounts for approximately 85% of global lead consumption. These batteries are used primarily in the automotive sector, photovoltaic systems, and uninterruptible power supplies. In many low and middle-income countries—including numerous developing member countries (DMCs)—the improper recycling of used lead acid batteries (ULABs) is a major source of lead pollution. Elevated lead levels are increasingly detected in soil, water, and human bloodstreams, posing serious risks to public health, particularly for children and workers. A circular economy approach—grounded in safe collection, regulated recycling, extended producer responsibility, and market incentives—can play a critical role in addressing this challenge while protecting vulnerable populations and supporting sustainable and inclusive growth. With this in mind, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will stage a three-part online capacity-building series to learn key findings from the regional study on managing and recycling ULABs conducted jointly by ADB’s Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department (CCSD) and the Economic Research and Development Impact Department (ERDI). The series will facilitate deeper dialogue on this important issue and identify cooperation opportunities to promote policy, technological, and financing solutions for sound ULAB management in Asia and the Pacific. Both the webinar series and the study support ADB’s Operational Approach to Achieve a Lead-Free Future in Asia and the Pacific. Each webinar will be an hour-long, each building on the previous session. An invitation to register will be sent closer to the date, together with the agenda. To be part of the mailing list and to receive an invite, please sign up here. Below is a list of the webinar sessions under the series, with more details (including speakers) to be added soon. Program and Learning Materials 10 November 2026 17 November 2026 24 November 2026 Session / Activity Title Speaker(s) Session 1: Evidence and Global Context on ULAB Risks and Management Welcome Remarks Francesca Montevecchi, Senior Circular Economy Specialist, ADB Session 1: Evidence and Global Context on ULAB Risks and Management Opening Remarks Yoko Watanabe, Director, Nature and Environment, ADB Session 1: Evidence and Global Context on ULAB Risks and Management Presentation: Health Impacts of Lead Exposure from Unsafe ULAB Recycling Balkrishna Korgaonkar, Director, Lead-safe India, Initiative of Global Development Incubator Session 1: Evidence and Global Context on ULAB Risks and Management Presentation: Key Findings from the ADB ULAB Study Steph Smith, Director of Programmes, Lead-Acid Battery Recycling Initiative (LABRI) Tom Daniels, Executive Director, LABRI Session 1: Evidence and Global Context on ULAB Risks and Management Presentation: Global Initiatives to Combat Lead Exposure from ULABs James Hu, Senior Program Associate, Lead Exposure Action Fund, Coefficient Giving Session 1: Evidence and Global Context on ULAB Risks and Management Open Discussion Session 1: Evidence and Global Context on ULAB Risks and Management Closing Remarks Francesca Montevecchi, Senior Circular Economy Specialist, ADB Session / Activity Title Speaker(s) Session 2: Country Perspectives and Policy Frameworks for ULAB Management Opening Remarks Ananya Basu, Deputy Director General, Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department, ADB Session 2: Country Perspectives and Policy Frameworks for ULAB Management Overview of Policy and Regulatory Approaches to ULAB Management in Asia Francesca Montevecchi, Senior Circular Economy Specialist, ADB Session 2: Country Perspectives and Policy Frameworks for ULAB Management Country Perspective on ULAB Management – Philippines Rasheila Yanina T. Antasuda, Senior Environmental Management Specialist, Hazardous Waste Management Section, Environmental Management Bureau, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Government of the Philippines Session 2: Country Perspectives and Policy Frameworks for ULAB Management Country Perspective on ULAB Management – Cambodia Laska Sophal, Director, Department of Hazardous Substance Management, General Directorate of Environmental Protection (EPA), Ministry of Environment, Royal Government of Cambodia Session 2: Country Perspectives and Policy Frameworks for ULAB Management Country Perspective on ULAB Management – Georgia Ana Chokheli, Head of Waste Management Division, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, Government of Georgia Session 2: Country Perspectives and Policy Frameworks for ULAB Management Panel Discussion Session 2: Country Perspectives and Policy Frameworks for ULAB Management Closing Remarks Daniel Suryadarma, Senior Economist, ADB Session / Activity Title Speaker(s) Session 3: Best Practices, Solutions, and the Way Forward Disclaimer The views expressed on this website are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) or its Board of Governors or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this publication and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. By making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area, or by using the term “country” in this document, ADB does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. Event Coordinator/s Francesca Montevecchi ADB Organizer/s Economic Research and Development Impact Department Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department Topics Environment