The ASEAN State of the Environment Report (SOER) is a key publication by the ASEAN Senior Officials on Environment (ASOEN). The sixth edition, SOER6, provides valuable insights into the environmental status and trends in the ASEAN region, guiding environmental management decisions to support sustainable development efforts. It utilizes the Drivers-Pressures-State-Impacts-Response (DPSIR) methodology, developed by the OECD and used for the Global Environment Outlook (GEO). The report’s development involved extensive consultations with ASEAN Member States (AMS), relevant sectoral bodies, and regional experts.
Key drivers affecting environmental quality in ASEAN include economic growth, population growth, recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, global trade and investment structures, infrastructure development, technological advancements from the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and uncoordinated sustainability promotion at the regional level. Global climate change and biodiversity loss are also significant drivers, with social and economic impacts. These drivers often fall under the jurisdiction of various national ministries and are influenced by global trends beyond ASEAN’s control. Thus, effective policies require multi-sectoral and international cooperation.
“ASEAN 2025: Forging Ahead Together” outlines key environmental goals, including biodiversity conservation, sustainable management of natural resources, environmentally sustainable cities, climate sustainability, and sustainable consumption and production. SOER6 evaluates the current and future efforts by AMS to address these issues.