Start Date
May 25, 2026 at 12:57 PM
End Date
May 26, 2026 at 12:57 PM
Location
Tokyo, Japan
On May 25, 2026, Mr. Jay Yuvallos, Chairman of the East Asia Business Council (EABC), officially signed a Programme Charter on Joint Cooperation on Circular Economy and Responsible Business under the East Asia Circularity Agenda with Mr. Thomas Thomas, Co-Convenor of the ASEAN Circular Economy Business Alliance (ACEBA)@Chairman of ARAIBA Sdn Bhd. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Mr. Tetsuya Matsuoka, Co-Chair of EABC, and Dr. Rene van Berkel, Co-Convenor of ACEBA.
The collaboration marks an important milestone in strengthening regional cooperation towards advancing circular economy transition, responsible business practices, and sustainability driven growth across East Asia. Through this partnership, EABC and ARAIBA/ACEBA will work together to support businesses, particularly Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in adopting practical and commercially relevant circular economy approaches that enhance resource efficiency, resilience, ESG readiness, and long-term competitiveness.
The Programme Charter outlines several strategic areas of cooperation, including the development of the East Asia Circularity Roadmap 2030, a business-centric regional roadmap aimed at accelerating circular economy adoption across the 13 EABC member economies comprising ASEAN, China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. The initiative will focus on practical business solutions, policy enablers, and sector specific pathways to help MSMEs transition towards more sustainable and circular operations.
In addition, both parties will collaborate on the development and pilot implementation of the “Circular Business Check”, a practical diagnostic and assessment toolkit designed to help MSMEs evaluate their readiness, maturity, and impact in areas such as energy efficiency, waste reduction, material optimisation, and sustainable business practices. Pilot projects are expected to be conducted across several ASEAN countries prior to the regional launch targeted during the EABC Forum in September 2026.
The partnership will also support the organisation of capacity building programmes and training initiatives focusing on circular economy strategy, waste-to-value opportunities, ESG compliance, and resource efficiency to equip businesses with the knowledge and tools necessary to remain competitive in an increasingly sustainability-focused global market.
This collaboration reflects the shared commitment of EABC, ARAIBA, and ACEBA towards fostering a more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable business ecosystem in East Asia through stronger regional cooperation, business engagement, and practical circular economy solutions.
