Enviro News Asia, Jakarta – Southeast Asian environment ministers convened for the 18th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Environment (AMME) at the Langkawi International Convention Centre, Kedah, Malaysia, on September 3, 2025. The forum produced concrete measures to strengthen regional cooperation in addressing global environmental crises, including climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss.
The meeting gathered ASEAN environment ministers along with strategic partners from Japan, the European Union, China, and the Republic of Korea. Indonesia’s delegation was led by Ary Sudijanto, Deputy for Climate Change Control and Carbon Economic Valuation at the Ministry of Environment/Environmental Control Agency (KLH/BPLH), accompanied by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Director for ASEAN Socio-Cultural Cooperation.
“Environmental challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, marine pollution, and waste crises know no borders. ASEAN must act collectively to safeguard this region for future generations,” Ary stated in his official remarks.
He reaffirmed Indonesia’s determination to lead regional waste management efforts, targeting 100 percent proper handling of all waste, including plastics, by 2029. “We also call on ASEAN to unite in pursuing a global treaty to end plastic pollution,” Ary emphasized.
Key outcomes of the meeting included the adoption of the ASEAN Joint Statement on Climate Change for COP30 UNFCCC, updates on the establishment of the ASEAN Center for Climate Change (ACCC), and preparations for the ASEAN Climate Change Strategic Action Plan to be launched in early 2026. Ministers also approved six new ASEAN Heritage Parks and recognized several cities with the ASEAN Environmentally Sustainable Cities Award for achievements in clean air, water and soil management, and urban biodiversity protection.
The ministers agreed on upcoming agendas, including the 21st Conference of the Parties to the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (COP-21 AATHP) in Vietnam in 2026, and the 19th AMME alongside COP-22 AATHP in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, in 2027.
Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment/Environmental Control Agency underscored the country’s continued leadership in international environmental diplomacy, promoting inclusive and sustainable regional collaboration for a healthier planet. (*)
