The Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) is launching a review of the implementation experience of Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) countries on Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG12): Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP). This publication, titled “Closing the Loop: ASEM’s transition towards achieving a circular economy”, includes research curated for the annual ENVforum Conference 2018, and provides a bird-eye view of how ASEM member countries approach the implementation of SDG12 targets and integrate them into national strategies, target-setting, and monitoring activities.

In order to achieve the targets of SDG 12, the publication sets out five key messages for ASEM member countries to address the full production and consumption cycle of natural resources and support a circular economy transition. The five key messages suggested are listed below:

1. To support a systemic change, governments should create a strong policy and legislative framework, as a backbone of a successful transition to a circular economy
2. Businesses should play a major part in the transformation towards a circular economy
3. By setting an example and influencing a considerable share of national consumption, public procurement practices supporting circular economy development are of key importance
4. In supporting a systemic transformation to SCP, governments should educate consumers on the importance of SCP practices
5. Smart monitoring is crucial to support policy formulation and implementation as well as to track progress towards and enable the review and the revision of policy measures

To launch the publication, ASEF is hosting a side-event at the 2019 World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF2019) to discuss the framework, strategic direction, and findings in the publication through a panel discussion with the authors and key leaders of the publication and the foundation.