Press Release
March 31, 2026
- Air & Transportation
Outcome of the Regional Meeting and Workshop related to Regional Environmentally Sustainable Transport (EST) Forum in Asia
１．In order to realize Environmentally Sustainable Transport (EST) in Asia, the Ministry of the Environment (MOE), Japan, held the Regional Meeting and Workshop related to Regional Environmentally Sustainable Transport (EST) Forum in Asia in Bangkok, Kingdom of Thailand, co-organized with the United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD) and other organizations, from March 16 to 18, 2026.
２．The event shared policies and technologies in each country towards the achievement of goals set forth in the Aichi 2030 Declaration* adopted in the 14th Forum, and exchanged a wide spectrum of opinions on EST.
* The Aichi 2030 Declaration upholds EST goals to be achieved by 2030, in line with international trends, including the SDGs and the Paris Agreement, in order to accelerate the movement towards the decarbonization and other goals of Asia.
２．The event shared policies and technologies in each country towards the achievement of goals set forth in the Aichi 2030 Declaration* adopted in the 14th Forum, and exchanged a wide spectrum of opinions on EST.
* The Aichi 2030 Declaration upholds EST goals to be achieved by 2030, in line with international trends, including the SDGs and the Paris Agreement, in order to accelerate the movement towards the decarbonization and other goals of Asia.
■ Outline of the event
Date: March 16-18, 2026
Venue: Bangkok, Kingdom of Thailand
Organizers:
Ministry of the Environment (MOE), Japan
United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD)
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA)
and others
Participants:
Senior officials of the governments (ministries and agencies of environment, transportation, and other related fields) of 25 countries*1, senior officials of municipal governments, academic and other experts in the areas of transportation and the environment, officials from international organizations, and others.
*1 People's Republic of Bangladesh, Kingdom of Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, People's Republic of China, Republic of Fiji, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Republic of Maldives, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Nepal, Republic of the Philippines, Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Solomon Islands, United Republic of Tanzania, Kingdom of Thailand, The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, Republic of Vanuatu, and Socialist Republic of Viet Nam
Venue: Bangkok, Kingdom of Thailand
Organizers:
Ministry of the Environment (MOE), Japan
United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD)
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA)
and others
Participants:
Senior officials of the governments (ministries and agencies of environment, transportation, and other related fields) of 25 countries*1, senior officials of municipal governments, academic and other experts in the areas of transportation and the environment, officials from international organizations, and others.
*1 People's Republic of Bangladesh, Kingdom of Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, People's Republic of China, Republic of Fiji, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Republic of Maldives, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Nepal, Republic of the Philippines, Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Solomon Islands, United Republic of Tanzania, Kingdom of Thailand, The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, Republic of Vanuatu, and Socialist Republic of Viet Nam
■ Main results
（１）With the aim of accelerating the implementation of the Aichi 2030 Declaration, focused on each of the declaration’s goals, Asian countries and international organizations shared case studies on best practices and other topics, and participants engaged in group discussions.
（２）From Japan, the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism shared information on EST-related policies (transportation environmental measures, global warming countermeasures, and automated logistics roads). In addition, stakeholders*2, including logistics operators and expressway companies, presented the initiatives they are currently implementing regarding EST case studies both in Japan and abroad.
*2 Nippon Express Co., Ltd., Metropolitan Expressway Co., Ltd., Toyota Mobility Foundation, Foundation for Promoting Personal Mobility and Ecological Transportation, Toyota Transportation Research Institute, and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
（２）From Japan, the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism shared information on EST-related policies (transportation environmental measures, global warming countermeasures, and automated logistics roads). In addition, stakeholders*2, including logistics operators and expressway companies, presented the initiatives they are currently implementing regarding EST case studies both in Japan and abroad.
*2 Nippon Express Co., Ltd., Metropolitan Expressway Co., Ltd., Toyota Mobility Foundation, Foundation for Promoting Personal Mobility and Ecological Transportation, Toyota Transportation Research Institute, and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
■ Other
Please refer to the links below for the program of the event.
■ Reference
<What is the Regional EST Forum in Asia?>
The Regional EST Forum in Asia facilitates high-level policy dialogues in cooperation with the United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD) to realize environmentally sustainable transport (EST) in Asia.
<Year of establishment> 2005
<Main activities>
- Sharing information and exchanging opinions on the policies and advanced cases of EST.
- Seeking advice and information from academic and other experts in the areas of the environment and transportation, etc.
The Regional EST Forum in Asia facilitates high-level policy dialogues in cooperation with the United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD) to realize environmentally sustainable transport (EST) in Asia.
<Year of establishment> 2005
<Main activities>
- Sharing information and exchanging opinions on the policies and advanced cases of EST.
- Seeking advice and information from academic and other experts in the areas of the environment and transportation, etc.
■ Related links
United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD)
https://uncrd.un.org/
Official website of the Workshop
https://uncrd.un.org/content/2026-est-workshop
https://uncrd.un.org/
Official website of the Workshop
https://uncrd.un.org/content/2026-est-workshop
■ Photos of the event
