ERIA - Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia
ERIA - Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia
02/08/2024 | News release | Archived content
ERIA Receives a Visit from Members of the House of Representatives, National Diet of Japan
ERIA Receives a Visit from Members of the House of Representatives, National Diet of Japan
Date:
2 August 2024Category:
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Courtesy Visit, RKC-MPDShare Article:
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Jakarta, 2 August 2024: ERIA welcomed members of the House of Representatives of the National Diet of Japan to its office. The delegation was comprised of four members of the Standing Committee on Environment who visited ERIA during their tour of Indonesia and Viet Nam to exchange views on environmental issues.
Toru Furuichi, Chief Operating Officer of ERIA, greeted the members of the Standing Committee on Environment: Mr Shunsuke Mutai (Chair), Mr Tadahiko Ito (Senior Director), Mr Toshikazu Morita (Director), and Mr Shogo Azemoto (Director), in lieu of Mr Tetsuya Watanabe, President of ERIA. Mr Furuichi began the meeting by explaining the overarching purposes and roles of ERIA for ASEAN and the gradual expansion of its scope since its establishment in 2008.
Following the introduction, four ERIA workstreams aimed at supporting ASEAN's sustainable environment were presented to the members of the House of Representatives.
Naoto Okura, Director General for Research and Policy Design, showcased the Asia Zero Emission Center, which is expected to be launched within ERIA in a few weeks. Led by the Prime Minister of Japan, H.E. Mr Fumio Kishida, the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) includes partner countries such as Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Viet Nam. To achieve the net-zero emissions objective while ensuring decarbonisation, economic growth, and energy security, ERIA is expected to play a crucial role in the region.
Dr Venkatachalam Anbumozhi, Senior Research Fellow for Innovation, presented ERIA's ongoing efforts in support of ASEAN's Circular Economy (CE). He highlighted key regional research projects carried out by ERIA in this field, including the development of the Framework for Circular Economy for the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), adopted by the ASEAN Member States (AMS) in 2021. This Framework guides ASEAN in achieving a resilient economy, resource efficiency, and sustainable and inclusive growth. In this context, he noted that varying levels of CE readiness amongst AMS present both challenges and opportunities for cooperation.
Reo Kawamura, Director for Environmental Policy and Director of the Regional Knowledge Centre for Marine Plastic Debris, presented two programs under his portfolio. First, he provided an overview of the Vehicle Recycling project, initiated in 2024, which aims to offer sustainable recycling policy recommendations in response to the rapid transformation of the automobile industry in ASEAN. He then summarised the activities implemented by the Regional Knowledge Centre for Marine Plastic Debris since 2019, including research projects, awareness-raising and capacity-building activities, knowledge management and dissemination, as well as the development of regional partnerships.
During the latter half of the meeting, members of the Standing Committee on Environment and ERIA engaged in an open exchange of views and opinions on how Japan and ERIA can support environmental sustainability in the ASEAN region. The discussion highlighted Japan's role in peer-to-peer learning, drawing from its own experience in addressing waste management problems, and emphasised the importance of community awareness-raising and environmental education. The ERIA team reiterated its commitment to serving the AMS while being mindful of the different socio-economic backgrounds, capacity gaps, and needs of each ASEAN country.