The ASEAN Circular Economy Forum (ACEF) 2024, themed “Guiding the Transition – ASEAN and EU Approaches to Circular Innovation and Entrepreneurship,” was successfully held on 2 October 2024 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand. This year’s forum, supported by the Enhanced Regional EU-ASEAN Dialogue Instrument (E-READI), brought together diverse stakeholders to deepen the dialogue on transitioning to a circular economy through policy innovation, entrepreneurship, and public-private collaboration.
Building on the success of ACEF2023 in Jakarta, ACEF2024 featured robust participation, with 277 attendees in-person and 69 joining online, representing ASEAN Member States, EU officials, private sector leaders, civil society, academia, and development organizations. The forum was a collaborative effort led by E-READI, alongside the ASEAN Centre for Sustainable Development Studies and Dialogue (ACSDSD), the ASEAN Secretariat, C asean, the host country Thailand, the EU Mission to ASEAN, the EU Delegation to Thailand, Team Finland Bangkok, and other stakeholders under the Team Europe Initiative (TEI). It also aligned with the SX Sustainability Exhibition, further amplifying its impact.
Under the overarching theme, the forum highlighted the critical role of government policies in enabling a circular transition and emphasized the importance of fostering innovation not just in technology but also in business models and community practices. The discussions were enriched by insights into financing, capacity building, technical standards, and public-private research and development (R&D). Two pre-forum side events further explored circular startups in ASEAN and best practices in circular plastics and textiles, setting the stage for deeper exploration during the main event.
This report provides a comprehensive overview of the forum, detailing its objectives, sessions, key observations, and outcomes. Through these insights, the ACEF2024 reaffirms its role as a pivotal platform for advancing circular economy dialogues in ASEAN, while offering actionable ideas for Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025 and future regional initiatives.