Introduction to Circular Business

WHEN:  12 May 2026     I    TIME:  14:00 - 15:30 (Manila Time)    I    This event is by invitation only 

Background:

Southeast Asia has committed to transition to Circular Economy to support more resilient economies, sustainable growth, and resource efficiency, through the 2021 ASEAN Circular Economy Framework. This is complemented by national policy and action plans in ASEAN Member States, including the Philippines. The Philippine government has adopted a Philippine Action Plan for Sustainable Consumption and Production, enacted an Extended Producer Responsibility Act, and is implementing sustainable public procurement and other related initiatives to facilitate transition to a low carbon, resource efficient and circular economy.

Leading businesses and organisations in the Philippines and in the ASEAN region have started to benefit from the adoption of Circular Economy practices in sectors as diverse as hospitality, building materials, agri-food, textiles, and recycling and resource recovery.

The ASEAN Circular Economy Business Alliance (ACEBA) was launched in 2024 to further facilitate business leadership and action on Circular Economy, in support of Philippine and regional policies, plans, and strategies. ACEBA engages businesses through advocacy, knowledge and experience sharing, capacity building, and networking. Key partners are the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), one of the oldest chambers of commerce in the country and is the ACEBA country lead for the Philippines, and Global Compact Network Philippines, the national network of the United Nations Global Compact that brings together Philippine companies and non-business stakeholders who have committed to uphold and operationalize the Ten Principles of the UNGC (foundational business responsibilities in the areas of human rights, labour, environment, and anti-corruption).

This year, ACEBA, CCCI, and GCNP are co-hosting this Circular Business Webinar Series to deepen understanding of the circular economy, and facilitate circular business learning—design, development, implementation, and assessment among Philippine businesses, including startups and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Each webinar/ session in this series is envisioned to generate business interest, ideas, and action plans for circular business innovation, design, and implementation.

Making Circular Economy Work for Your Business

Circular Economy is, principally, relevant to any business—regardless of size, age, sector, location, market, and ownership structure. The operationalization of Circular Economy, however, requires tailored approaches considering a business’ specific operating environment; its products, services and business processes; the value chains it is part of; and its maturity in understanding and committing to Circular Economy. An important first step is understanding the basics: What is a circular economy, and how does a business start getting “circular”?

ACEBA Philippines Circular Business Webinar Series: Introduction to Circular Business

This first session of this webinar series will provide an overview of Circular Economy for business, as a responsible business and innovation strategy, and what circular business innovation involves—circular (re)design, resource efficient and cleaner production, circular business models. The webinar will be informed by selected circular business practices and models in ASEAN, particularly in the Philippines, as shown in the business cases curated by ACEBA and the EU SWITCH-Asia Policy Support Component from 2023-2025. The webinar will be interactive, and participants will be engaged in Q&A, polls, and short reflections.

Target Participants: This webinar is designed to engage business and industry professionals involved in business management, operations, product and business development, environment and sustainability, research and innovation, and related areas. The session is not sector-specific, and will cover Circular Economy and circular business perspectives and ideas applicable to a wide range of  sectors and industries.

Resource/ reference material: Primary resource for ACEBA learning sessions is the activity menu for business outlined in “Unlocking the Circularity Opportunity: Guidance to Advance Circular Business”. Participants may download and read this reference material in advance.

Speakers/ Facilitators

Dr. Rene Van Berkel. A leading expert in circular economy, resource efficiency, and responsible business practice. Since 2023, he is an international expert, contributing amongst others, to the EU SWITCH-Asia Policy Support Component and international faculty at the School of Global Studies, Thammasat University, Thailand. His 35-year career covers more than 15 years in leadership roles at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in India, Indonesia, and at Headquarters in Austria, and senior academic roles at Curtin University of Technology, Australia, and University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Dr. Van Berkel holds a PhD in Environmental Science from the University of Amsterdam, and a Master’s in Environmental Hygiene from Agricultural State University of Wageningen, The Netherlands.

Mr. Thomas Thomas. Founder and Chairman of ARAIBA Sdn Bhd, the successor organization to ASEAN CSR Network (ACN), of which he was the founder and CEO. He has been involved in responsible business, CSR, and sustainability since 2004, when he co-chaired Singapore’s National Tripartite on CSR, and set the direction for business responsibility in Singapore as founder of the Singapore Compact for CSR. Thomas is also the Chair of the ISO26000 Stakeholder Global Network (SGN) since 2022. He has been active with trade unions, co-operatives, the consumer movement, and social enterprises, and also served as a Nominated Member of Parliament in Singapore. Thomas holds a Master of Arts in Industrial Relations from Warwick University, UK.

Agenda