The 2025 ASEAN Circular Economy Forum (ACEF2025) is scheduled to take place from October 16 to 17, in conjunction with the International Greentech & Eco Products Exhibition and Conference Malaysia (IGEM), which will be conducted under the first-ever Kuala Lumpur Sustainability Summit (KLSS) 2025. Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said Malaysia remains determined to lead ASEAN efforts for environmental resilience through the summit, and that KLSS 2025 is more than just a summit — it’s a call to action for all ASEAN Member States. ACEF2025 will be held in the same action-oriented spirit.
Transitioning to a circular economy requires a capable and suitably trained workforce with relevant skills and knowledge, encompassing both manual labourers and white-collar professionals. This is one of the critical bottlenecks to building circular societies. Given the current status of the circular economy in the AMS and its associated needs, ACEF2025 will be held with the main theme of “Powering the Circular Economy Transition in ASEAN with Green Skills and Know-How.”
The forum will identify ways to strengthen a wide range of skills and know-how needed for planning and implementing circular solutions. This includes the skills required to design business models and products following circular economy principles, to ensure the long-term beneficial use of products and infrastructure through maintenance, reuse, repair, and repurposing, and to manage products and buildings at the end of their lifespan through disassembly, sorting, component reuse, recycling, and safe disposal.
Under this theme, building on existing ASEAN activities on Green Jobs, Green Skills, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), and Higher Education, the Forum will discuss:
- How to strengthen existing TVET programmes in the AMS and how such programmes could better serve the region as a whole, building on initiatives such as https://atc.sea-vet.net/;
- Priority sectors for circular skills enhancement;
- The need for new training facilities and programmes, including for reskilling the current workforce and enabling lifelong learning;
- The potential benefits and feasibility of regionally standardised certifications for circular economy-related professional skills;
- How could university programmes better equip future leaders in the private and public sectors with an understanding of the strategic importance of building a circular economy and the necessary skills to develop and implement circular practices, including those that build upon cultural and traditional practices promoting sustainability?
The forum could also showcase good practices regarding circular skills enhancement from other regions.
In addition to the main theme, the Forum could also include sessions or side-events on topics such as:
- The role of circular economy practices in achieving the objectives of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, “ASEAN Community Vision 2045: Resilient, Innovative, Dynamic and People-Centred ASEAN.” With the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 recently adopted, discussing priorities for achieving a resilient and prosperous ASEAN through circular practices would be timely. Under this theme, the Forum could also explore the need for a common ASEAN circular economy vision, relevant to the three community pillars, and discuss how such a vision could be developed.
- Mechanisms for policy coordination and coherence across government ministries at the national level and among AMS, which ensure that governmental actions “pull in the same direction” and contribute to an innovative and resilient use of materials. Under this theme, AMS governments can share current practices and discuss how to address common challenges. The discussion could benefit from input from a country outside the region, such as Finland, one of the first nations to develop a national roadmap for a circular economy.
On the three days before ACEF 2025 (13-15 October), there will be associated events co-organised with partners. One such event will feature the SEA-Map Innovation and Investment Platform, with a focus on plastic circularity. This event, organised by GIZ, is expected to include an investor-innovator matchmaking session as well as an exhibition. The Finnish innovation fund Sitra and Business Finland will organise a session on circular business models. Other partners are welcome to propose additional associated events during these three days.