The 3rd ASEAN Circular Economy Forum (watch the recordings) took place on 16-17 October 2025 in Kuala Lumpur. The Forum was organized by the ASEAN Centre for Sustainable Development Studies and Dialogue (ACSDSD), with the support of the Government of Malaysia in its capacity as 2025 ASEAN Chair, and in collaboration with projects and partnerships of the European Union, the Governments of Finland and Germany, and other European development partners.

In his opening address, H.E. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of the ASEAN Secretariat, noted, ASEAN confronts serious challenges: resource depletion, unsustainable consumption patterns, accelerating climate change. Rapid urbanisation and rising consumption continue pressuring our ecosystems. The circular economy presents a genuine alternative – one that maximises resource efficiency, enhances resilience, and supports deeper regional integration. ASEAN has already built strong foundations for this transition.

H.E. Sujiro Seam, Ambassador of the European Union to ASEAN stated, The ASEAN Circular Economy Forum is the clear evidence of our dynamic win-win partnership. Through the strategic approach of the EU Global Gateway, we are transforming our shared vision into concrete actions: mobilizing investment, sharing policy know-how, and prioritising the green skills needed to shape a sustainable future for both ASEAN and the world.

He furthermore emphasized the central role of the circular economy in EU-ASEAN cooperation, noting that both the EU and ASEAN, along with their respective Member States, have made ambitious policy commitments. He highlighted two flagship partnerships advancing circular economy progress:

1. The ASEAN Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ACESP), modelled after the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform, hosted by ACSDSD and initiated with support from the Enhanced Regional EU–ASEAN Dialogue Instrument (E-READI); and

2. The ASEAN Circular Economy Business Alliance (ACEBA), a spin-off from the EU SWITCH-Asia Policy Support Component, which mobilizes ASEAN businesses to demonstrate leadership and action on circular economy.

H.E. Jarno Syrjälä, Undersecretary for International Trade of Finland, referred to the EU Circular Economy Resource Centre, implemented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, in collaboration with Sitra, the Finnish Innovation Fund, and the Belgian Development Agency (Enabel).

The Forum also announced new EU-ASEAN partnership initiatives, including the establishment of an ASEAN Centre of Excellence for MSME Green Transition, the ASEAN+3 Leadership Programme on Circular Economy for Ambitious SCP and Climate Action, and new initiatives aimed at reducing marine plastic pollution.

A dedicated session focused on opportunities and challenges for circular start-ups, showcasing inspiring cases such as norn-norn (Thailand), which offers premium mattresses through a circular subscription model, and MYCL (Indonesia), which cultivates mushrooms on agricultural residues to produce sustainable leather alternatives—two business cases documented by SWITCH-Asia in the lead-up to the ACEBA launch.

The second day featured the first Circular Economy Policy Forum, convened under the Regional Team Europe Initiative on ASEAN Regional Circular Economy Transition, funded by the EU and the Government of Denmark, and implemented by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), in collaboration with ACSDSD.

Dr. Rene Van Berkel, Circular Economy Advisor, opened the policy dialogue by presenting analyses based on ASEAN experiences with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and Green Public Procurement (GPP), conducted by the SWITCH-Asia Policy Support Component in consultation with policymakers and stakeholders from several ASEAN Member States. The Forum concluded with panel discussions bringing together business leaders and policymakers to explore ways to unlock trade and financing for the regional circular economy transition.