Accelerating Circular Business Transition in Southeast Asia

Business transition in the circular economy is not only a climate necessity but also a strategic opportunity. Business journey to achieve net emission by the middle of this century as outlined in the Paris Agreement is impossible to achieve without integrating circular business model. According to the Global Resources Outlook 2024, the extraction and processing of material resources accounts for more than 90% of impacts on land-use related biodiversity loss and water stress, 55% of GHG emissions and up to 40% of particulate matter related pollution. Meanwhile, realizing a transition to circular economy can unlock economic growth of $324 billion and generate 1.5 million jobs (ADB, 2023).

With this background, Indonesia Business Council for Sustainable Development (IBCSD) has interest in joining the ASEAN Circular Economy Business Alliance (ACEBA), reinforcing its commitment to advancing a principles-based circular economy approach at both local and regional levels. IBCSD is willing to collaborate with peer partner organizations in the region to accelerate circular business transition, while promoting resource efficiency, and reducing negative environmental impacts.

As part of the collaboration with the ACEBA, the IBCSD participated in the inaugural workshop on “Circular Economy Business Change Makers Initiative for Southeast Asia” in Manila, on 11-13 March 2026. This ACEBA’s workshop was supported by the EU SWITCH-Asia Programme and attended by 15 organizations that have engaged in supporting circular business transformation in the region, including Indonesia, Lao PDR, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The workshop aims to create a common understanding of circular economy, the opportunities and risks, and specific business service activities to accelerate circular business transition in the Southeast region. The participating organizations are expected to be cadres of circular business facilitators and changemakers that can support businesses in their home country in circularizing their products, services, and operations. Prior to this workshop, the ACEBA with the technical support from the EU SWITCH-Asia Programme also developed a principles-based circular economy framework for business, circular economy business cases in Southeast Asia and business guide for unlocking the circularity opportunity.

With the facilitation of Dr. Rene Van Berkel, ACEBA co-convenor, EU SWITCH-Asia senior expert on Circular Economy, the workshop itself consisted of four sessions. First was on exploring ambition and synergies in circular economy. In this session the participants learned the rationale, guiding principles, the nexus agenda and make reflection on the current initiatives in each home country. The second session was on circular business solutions in which the circular economy concepts and business practices, product strategies, business models and processes were discussed. The third session was on circular business transition. The participants learned the circular business readiness, transformation approaches and deep dive of the ACEBA SADI framework (stocktake of circularity and risks, ambition through vision and delivery pathways, delivery, and integration of circular business processes). The fourth session was on circular business services in which the participants discussed business service modalities, circular services delivery, and design of circular business service modules.

In the end of the workshop, the participants had country group discussion for the planning of the next step. As the follow up of the workshop, the participants are expected to support businesses in their home country to accelerate circular business transition  through diverse service packages, including advocacy and knowledge sharing, training, mentoring, facilitation of design workshops, etc. The ACEBA with the EU SWITCH-Asia resources will support and collaborate to scaling up circular business adoption in the Southeast region.