Press Release

September 09, 2025
  • Global Environment

Outcome of the Third ASEAN-Japan Ministerial Dialogue for Environment and Climate Change　

1. From September 2 to 5, 2025, ASAO Keiichiro, Minister of the Environment of Japan, visited Langkawi, Malaysia and participated in the Third ASEAN-Japan Ministerial Dialogue for Environment and Climate Change and other meetings.
 
2. In the Third ASEAN-Japan Ministerial Dialogue for Environment and Climate Change, the Joint Statement was adopted. The Member States of the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) and Japan affirmed their commitment to continue convening the ASEAN-Japan Ministerial Dialogue, and agreed on updating the “Strategic Program for ASEAN Climate and Environment (SPACE)”, which was launched in 2023 to address the triple crises of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss, and further strengthening Japan-ASEAN cooperation in the field of environment and climate change.

■　Overview

(1) Date
September 3 and 4

(2) Venue
Langkawi, Malaysia
Langkawi International Convention Centre (LICC)

(3) Participants
Ministers in charge of environment from Japan and ASEAN Member Staes
ASEAN Secretariat
Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), and others

■　Outcome

(1) Third ASEAN-Japan Ministerial Dialogue for Environment and Climate Change
The Japan-ASEAN partnership in the field of environment has been strengthened steadily under the on-going summit-level initiatives, such as “ASEAN-Japan Environmental Cooperation Initiative” proposed by Mr. ABE Shinzo, former Prime Minister of Japan, in 2017, and the “ASEAN-Japan Climate Change Action Agenda 2.0” proposed by Mr. KISHIDA Fumio, former Prime Minister of Japan, in 2021. On the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation, the “Strategic Program for ASEAN Climate and Environment (SPACE)” was launched.
 
In conjunction with the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Environment in Malaysia, the Third ASEAN-Japan Ministerial Dialogue for Environment and Climate Change (AJMDEC) was held. The ASEAN Member States and Japan adopted (1) the Joint Statement and (2) the updated SPACE (SPACE 2025), affirmed their commitment to continue convening AJMDEC, and agreed on further maintaining and strengthening Japan-ASEAN cooperation in the field of environment.
 
1. Adoption of the Joint Statement
The ASEAN Member States and Japan adopted the “Joint Statement on the ASEAN-Japan Mutually Beneficial Partnership on Environment and Climate Change for Materializing New Growth”, agreed on the following, and affirmed their commitment to continue convening AJMDEC.
 
a. Contributing to building an enabling environment through integration of environment, economy and society, to generate integrated and synergetic benefits, and expanding private sector investment including through public-private partnerships and co-financing that facilitates improvement of environmental quality and sustainable development.
b. Encouraging a co-creation relationship by leveraging innovation, business collaboration, rulemaking, knowledge sharing, and technology development.
c. Striving to enhance global public goods and sustainability through internationally coordinated actions on emission reduction based on the Paris Agreement and biodiversity conservation through the Convention on Biological Diversity, as well as international cooperation to solve other regional and local environmental pollution challenges including waste, air and water pollution.
d. Strengthening the ASEAN-Japan partnership on circular economy in view of the importance of circular economy on the global agenda.
e. Collaborating on implementation of measures in the ASEAN region to address plastic pollution.
 
2. Adoption of SPACE 2025
As an annex of the above Joint Statement, the ASEAN Member States and Japan agreed on updating the “Strategic Program for ASEAN Climate and Environment (SPACE)”, which was launched in 2023 to address the triple crises of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. The primary updates are as follows:
 
a. Climate Change
・Under the Support Initiative for Transparency in Asia (SITA), support for development of the Biennial Transparency Reports (BTR).
・Improving accuracy of GHG emission reports by using estimation technologies with Japanese Satellites (GOSAT series).
・Support for formulation of the Long-term Low Emissions Development Strategy (LT-LEDS) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and implementation harnessing Asia-Pacific Integrated Model (AIM) for the ASEAN Member States towards realizing net zero.
・Promoting utilization of carbon market bilateral cooperation in line with Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement, including Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM).
・Promotion of science-based climate change adaptation encompassing primary industry based on the Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Information Platform (AP-PLAT).
・In preparation for the second Global Stocktake (GST) at COP33, preparing and disseminating an “ASEAN-Japan GST report” to accurately reflect in the COP negotiations.
b. Pollution
・ Support for early alignment and compliance, including exploring pilot implementation activities at regional, national or sub-national levels, to address plastic pollution and promote circular economy in the ASEAN region.
・ Expansion of the scope of the “ASEAN-Japan Resource Circulation Partnerships on E-Waste, ELV and Critical Minerals” (ARCPEEC) to add End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs) including batteries.
c. Biodiversity
・Through participation in the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI), promotion of the implementation of the goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) at national and subnational levels.
・Development of “Nature Footprint” as an indicator to evaluate and disclose the natural environmental impact of corporate business activities in an integrated manner over the entire life cycle, and promotion of the use of this indicator.
 
(2) ASEAN + 3 Environment Ministers Meeting
The ASEAN+3 Environment Ministers Meeting was held by ASEAN countries and Japan, China, and Korea. Ministers shared the progress of efforts based on the ASEAN+3 Marine Plastics Debris Cooperative Action Initiative and other initiatives, and exchanged views. 
 
(3) Bilateral meetings and other events
ASAO Keiichiro, Minister of the Environment of Japan, signed the Memorandum of Cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Lao People’s Democratic Republic on Environment. He also held bilateral meetings with European Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth, Minister of Environment of Cambodia, Secretary General of ASEAN, and Minister for Sustainability and the Environment of Singapore, on future bilateral cooperation. Moreover, he received a courtesy call from Mr. WATANABE Tetsuya, President of Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA).
 
* Please refer to the webpage below for the Memorandum of Cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Lao People’s Democratic Republic on Environment:
 
Related Information (related press release)
Launch of the Strategic Program for Japan Climate and Environment (SPACE) and Results of the ASEAN-Japan Environment Week to Commemorate 50th Anniversary (August 31, 2023)
 

Contact

Office of Director for International Cooperation for Transition to Decarbonization and Sustainable Infrastructure, Global Environment Bureau, Ministry of the Environment, Japan
Tel  +81-(0)3-5521-8248