Despite intensive negotiations at INC-5.2 in Geneva, governments had not agreed on a final draft of the Global Plastics Treaty, leaving its future uncertain. For Southeast Asia, however, the challenge was immediate: plastic use was projected to triple by 2060, and the region already generated the majority of the world’s mismanaged plastic waste.

Building on ADB’s earlier webinar, Progress on the Global Plastics Treaty: Outcomes and Insights from INC-5.2, this session shifted to ASEAN and national perspectives. It highlighted how countries—including early efforts in the Philippines—were shaping accountability and circular solutions, and explored opportunities to turn treaty ambitions into concrete regional action.

The webinar was organized by the ASEAN Catalytic Green Finance Facility (ACGF) and hosted by ADB’s Southeast Asia Development Solutions (SEADS) platform. ACGF, an initiative of the ASEAN Infrastructure Fund jointly owned by ASEAN governments and ADB and managed by ADB, helped Southeast Asian governments prepare and finance green infrastructure projects that advanced sustainability and climate resilience.