ICLEI East Asia Secretariat

🌍 Kuala Lumpur’s “Zero Plastic Campaign Programme” – A Leading Example in the Journey to a Plastic-Free Future 🌍 At the Seoul International Forum on Climate and Environment on November 7th, Kuala Lumpur had demonstrated its efforts to tackle the plastic waste crisis. So-called "Zero Plastic Campaign Programme", which was first launched in 2016, is a long-term commitment to create a cleaner, healthier city. Key Aspects of the Zero Plastic Campaign Programme ✏️ Biodegradable Product Promotion The campaign promotes biodegradable and compostable alternatives to single-use plastics. With the ECO 098:2023 standard, compostable food containers and packaging now break down fully, leaving no microplastic residue. This shift supports a circular economy and reduces landfill impact. Community Education through CEPA (Continue Education Promotion Awareness) ✏️ Engaging local communities is central to the campaign. Through events, workshops, and recycling drives, CEPA reaches high-traffic areas like shopping malls and promotes the adoption of reusable and eco-friendly products. ✏️ Strong Policy Framework and Enforcement In 2017, regulations were amended to ban plastics in restaurants and commercial spaces, providing a foundation for stricter enforcement. This policy demonstrates Kuala Lumpur’s commitment to real, lasting change in reducing plastic waste. Overcoming Challenges and Marking Milestones Since its inception, the campaign has expanded significantly and achieved milestones like widespread adoption of biodegradable products in restaurants and markets. However, the journey hasn't been without its challenges. Here are some key takeaways: 🗝️ Visionary Leadership and Policy Cohesion: Long-term objectives backed by strong leadership have driven the campaign forward. 🗝️ Enforcement Paired with Community Engagement: Effective enforcement, combined with community programs like CEPA, has been critical in driving sustainable behaviors. 🗝️ Public Awareness and Education: Raising awareness has proven essential in helping residents understand the importance of these changes, leading to greater acceptance. 🍀 This campaign aligns with Malaysia’s Plastics Sustainability Roadmap 2021-2030, which aims to eliminate single-use plastics nationwide by 2030. Through both local and national actions, Kuala Lumpur’s efforts contribute to a sustainable shift that empowers communities and businesses to embrace plastic-free lifestyles. #ZeroPlastic #SustainableCities #ClimateAction #KualaLumpur #SeoulClimateForum #ICLEI

🌿 Beijing’s Zero Waste City Initiative: A Model for Urban Sustainability On November 7, 2024, Beijing shared its experiences on the zero-waste future at the Seoul International Forum on Climate and Environment. As one of China's pioneering cities in the Zero Waste City Initiative, Beijing has aligned its goals with broader environmental targets, focusing on waste reduction, circular economy principles, and eco-friendly alternatives. In December 2020, the Beijing Municipal Development and Reform Commission and Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment, introduced the Beijing Municipal Plastic Pollution Control Action Plan (2020-2025). This plan targets six key sectors such as catering, takeout platforms, wholesale and retail, e-commerce express delivery, accommodation and exhibitions, and agriculture. 3 Key achievements: 📝 Reduced Use of Disposable Plastics: Bans on non-biodegradable disposable straws in restaurants and incentives for opting out of disposable tableware on delivery platforms. 📝 Technological Innovation: Support for developing high-strength, low-cost biodegradable materials, setting Beijing as a national leader in sustainable plastic alternatives. 📝 Market Alignment: A supply-and-demand platform that helps connect businesses with eco-friendly, non-degradable product options that meet quality and environmental standards. Beijing’s initiative offers valuable takeaways for other cities tackling similar challenges. It emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive management system, collaborative platforms for sustainable supply and demand, and investment in eco-friendly technologies. The city’s commitment to reducing landfill incineration ash by 2027 and reaching zero-waste status by 2035 further underlines its dedication to a sustainable future. 💡 Beijing stands as an inspiring example for cities worldwide striving to achieve a balance between growth and environmental responsibility. #SeoulInternationalForumonClimateandEnvironment #ICLEI #Beijing

🌏 Bangkok’s Commitment to Reducing Plastic Waste: The 'Bottle-Free Seas Project' As one of Asia’s dynamic metropolises, Bangkok faces challenges in waste management, especially with plastic waste. With around 9,000 tons of waste generated daily, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has prioritized sustainability through initiatives like the ‘Bottle-Free Seas Project.’ In collaboration with the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), the BMA has installed refillable water stations across the city—ranging from public parks to bus stops. This approach reduces dependency on plastic bottles, helping prevent waste from polluting rivers and seas. 📌 Lessons learned in combating plastic waste 📝 Policy Support: Strong backing from both national and local government. 📝 Partnerships: Collaborations with private sectors and NGOs to drive impactful results. 📝 Citizen Engagement: Active community involvement to promote sustainable practices. 💪 By promoting initiatives such as ‘Bottle-Free Seas Project’ and fostering an engaged community, Bangkok is making strides in environmental preservation. The city's initiatives provide valuable insights for other urban areas facing similar environmental challenge #SeoulInterntionalForumonClimateandEnvironment #ICLEI #SMG

🌎 Seoul International Forum on Climate and Environment 2024 🌎 In the distant future, when aliens come looking for human footprints, what will they find? Plastics？ At the Seoul International Forum on Climate and Environment 2024🌏💧♻️, leaders and experts gathered to address a critical global challenge: plastic pollution prevention. This annual forum, organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, is a pivotal platform for fostering international collaboration, innovative solutions, and citizen engagement on urgent climate issues. This year's focus—on local government efforts to curb plastic use—spotlights how cities can lead in sustainability and resilience. Oh Se-hoon, Mayor of the Seoul Metropolitan Government delivered the opening remarks. “The plastic pollution issue is one of the greatest challenges that humanity is facing”, he says, “and we need to be able to respond thoroughly and swiftly.” The city of Seoul has been leading the way in implementing proactive recycling policies, and has already reduced approximately 12 million single-use plastic items in 2024. The goal is to reduce plastic waste by 10% by 2026 and to raise the recycling rate to 79%. Cities and regions are at the forefront of addressing the impacts of plastic pollution and developing solutions. ICLEI has been a partner in this Forum since its inception. Shu Zhu, the Regional Director of ICLEI East Asia Secretariat, moderated the ICLEI session titled "International Community’s Efforts to Stop the Use of Plastic." The session featured four cities: Bangkok, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, and Matosinhos, each sharing their experiences related to plastic pollution and waste management. Bangkok: Through initiatives like the “Bottle-Free Seas Project,” Bangkok promotes sustainable practices to keep plastics out of waterways. Beijing: As a pilot city for China’s Zero-Waste City Initiative, Beijing is advancing a circular economy model, aiming for “zero-waste” by 2035. Kuala Lumpur: The city’s “Zero Plastic Campaign Programme” engages stakeholders to reduce single-use plastics and promotes sustainable practices across sectors. Matosinhos: A coastal city in Portugal, Matosinhos is focused on protecting marine environments by minimizing plastic waste and aligning with its goal of carbon neutrality by 2030. In the coming days, we will provide detailed insights on the experiences of each city. ICLEI also promoted the Local and Subnational Governments Coalition to End Plastic Pollution during the forum. In collaboration with its partners—Quebec, Catalonia, UCLG, and C40—ICLEI expressed the concerns of local and regional governments and emphasized the crucial role that regions and cities play in discussions about the Global Treaty.

💪 "Building Global Connections: Strengthen Collaboration through the summit" The summit is a crucial platform for facilitating meaningful exchanges among subnational governments and cities.  ICLEI nurtures collaborative partnerships between various Chinese cities. Good examples can be seen in the cases of Ninghe District in Tianjin, and prominent international urban centers such as Cali in Colombia and Kobe in Japan. This kind of exchange not only promotes dialogue, but also encourages the sharing of innovative ideas and best practices across diverse cultural landscapes. #ICLEI #GlobalExchange #Cali #Kobe #Tianjin

⭐ Celebrating Biodiversity: Chinese cities recognized as 'Biodiversity Charming Cities' and join "CitiesWithNature Initiative" On October 27, we proudly highlighted exemplary practices from various Chinese cities in relation to the biodiversity convention during our event at the subnational and local authorities hub. These cities, celebrated for their commitment to preserving and enhancing their natural environments, were honored with the title of Biodiversity Charming Cities. Additionally, they have become active participants in the CitiesWithNature Initiative, demonstrating their dedication to integrating biodiversity into urban planning and community initiatives.

🌳 Empowering local impact: Launch and panel on Chinese cities’ leadership in biodiversity conservation In the Outcome Launching Session, Yuchen Ma, Senior Program Officer at ICLEI East Asia Secretariat, presented best practices from Chinese cities on urban biodiversity.  🌟 Launching Ceremony Highlights:  🔸 CitiesWithNature: Best practices in urban biodiversity conservation by Chinese cities. Through selected cases and practices, this brief report demonstrated the growing commitment, concrete actions, and progress of Chinese cities in protecting nature at the local level towards a harmonious coexistence between man and nature.  🔸 the Cities Biodiversity Index: Supports the implementation of the #Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. By gathering feedback from experts in different organizations, ICLEI successfully developed the ‘City Biodiversity Index applicable to Chinese cities.  🔸 Local Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan Guidelines: Include general information, resources, materials, and data required for the Local Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. This includes general principles, regulations, case studies, and so on.  🔸 Biodiversity Financing for Cities and Regions: Addresses access to finance for projects. This guide helps local and regional governments understand which funding sources are available to support biodiversity conservation, maintenance, restoration, and preservation.  🔸 Cities Biodiversity Alliance: Develop city-level assessment, planning, and financing tools to provide capacity-building and technical support to local governments. It also organizes dialogues and exchanges to encourage multi-stakeholder participation and multilevel actions for urban biodiversity conservation. A panel discussion titled "Collaboration for Effective Framework Implementation"  explored strategies for fostering multi-level collaboration in support of the #Kunming-Montreal Framework. ICLEI was pivotal in organizing and moderating the session, with expert contributions from Shu Zhu, Regional Director of ICLEI East Asia Secretariat and China Representative, and Kobie Brand, ICLEI Deputy Secretary General and Global Director of the ICLEI Cities Biodiversity Center. By joining efforts, we emphasized how local actions are essential to the achievement of global biodiversity targets. Please stay connected for updates, as we work together to make a meaningful difference in global biodiversity conservation.   #ICLEI #Biodiversity #UrbanSustainability #CitiesWithNature

🌍 China's Local Actions of #Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework To review the state of implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and further develop it, ICLEI with other partners hosted “China’s Local Actions and Implementation of the #Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity The session featured Chinese local governments’ initiatives to implement the #Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, highlighting international collaboration. 💡 Key initiatives: 🔹 Hong Kong: Hong Kong’s first Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan(BSAP), launched in 2016, engaged NGOs, academia, communities, and government agencies. The updated BSAP, to be launched in 2025, will align with the Global Biodiversity Framework, focusing on conservation, mainstreaming, capacity-building, and partnerships.  “Over the years, our BSAP achievements have strengthened our belief in the power of cross-boundary, cross-sector, and cross-disciplinary collaboration to make Hong Kong a more eco-friendly, climate-resilient, and livable city” ( Kin-Fung Chan, Assistant Director (Conservation), The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government) 🔹 Ninghe: Tianjin Ninghe Qilihai Wetland is a vibrant sanctuary for plants and wildlife. Through a balanced approach of “protection in development and development in protection,” Ninghe has restored the wetland’s natural ecosystem.“Humans and wildlife share the same ecosystem, and the Earth is our common home. The case of the protection and restoration of the Qilihai Wetland in Ninghe District, Tianjin, shows that ecological protection, urban development, and economic development can be a win-win situation,” (Bing Hui, Mayor of Ninghe District) 🔹 Kunming: Kunming demonstrates a strong commitment to biodiversity conservation by implementing the #Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and hosting the Urban Biodiversity International Forum. Building on the #COP15 outcomes, Kunming has laid a solid foundation for subnational and local governments through its Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (2024–2030). 🔹 Beijing:  Beijing has made significant strides in advancing biodiversity and environmental protection, through its integrated approach to pollution reduction, carbon emissions control, and biodiversity conservation. Beijing demonstrated a model for synergistic pollution and carbon reduction. #COP16 #ICLEI #Biodiversity #UrbanSustainability #CitiesWithNature

🌟 채용 공고 🌟 ICLEI East Asia Secretariat 동아시아 본부 Operation Officer ICLEI East Asia Secretariat 동아시아 본부에서 함께 일할 Operation Officer를 찾고 있습니다. 🔹 근무지: 대한민국, 서울 🔹 모집 기한: 2024년 11월 28일 🔹 자세한 정보 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gG9cuUwf

🌟 ICLEI East Asia Secretariat is hiring! We’re looking for an Operations Officer to enhance financial practices and operational processes while supporting impactful project acquisitions and implementations. Apply now to join our sustainability journey! More info 🔗 https://lnkd.in/g2wE5VEU