Background
ASEAN is home to nearly 20 percent[1] of the world’s species and serves as the centre of global marine biodiversity, even though it covers only a small share of the Earth’s land area. Yet this natural wealth is increasingly under threat from human activities and environmental changes that place the region’s fragile ecosystems at risk.
Recognising that the ASEAN region is prone to climate change and natural disasters, Japan and ASEAN have built a long-standing partnership to advance regional environmental action. The collaboration began with the “Japan-ASEAN Dialogue on Environmental Cooperation” in 2008[2] and was strengthened through the “ASEAN-Japan Environmental Cooperation Initiative” in 2017, expanding into areas such as climate change, waste management, and marine plastic debris.
In 2023, during the 50th ASEAN-Japan Ministerial Dialogue on Environment and Climate Change (AJMDEC), Japan and ASEAN deepened their environmental cooperation through strategic initiatives such as the “Strategic Program for ASEAN Climate and Environment (SPACE)” to tackle the global crises of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. The program was further enhanced at the 3rd ASEAN-Japan Ministerial Dialogue for Environment and Climate Change (AJMDEC) in 2025, following the Joint Statement on the ASEAN-Japan Mutually Beneficial Partnership on Environment and Climate Change for Materializing New Growth. These efforts reflect a shared commitment to fostering sustainable growth and resilience against environmental challenges.
Three Pillars of the Strategic Program for ASEAN Climate and Environment (SPACE) 2025.
Source: Joint Statement on the ASEAN-Japan Mutually Beneficial Partnership on Environment and Climate Change for Materializing New Growth. Retrieved from the Joint Statement on the ASEAN-Japan Mutually Beneficial Partnership on Environment and Climate Change for Materialising New Growth.
Areas of Support and Key Contributions
To support the implementation of ASEAN 2025: Forging Ahead Together, the 26th Meeting of the ASEAN Senior Officials on Environment (ASOEN) in 2015 developed the ASEAN Strategic Plan on Environment (ASPEN) 2016–2025 as a framework for regional environmental cooperation. ASPEN translates ASEAN’s long-term vision into seven strategic priorities addressing both existing initiatives and emerging environmental needs across Member States.
Aligned with these strategic priorities, numerous JAIF-funded projects have been implemented, significantly contributing to the advancement of ASEAN’s environmental agenda. The following highlights key achievements of JAIF-funded projects under ASPEN 2016–2025.
JAIF Projects under the Environment Sector
In the area of climate change, JAIF has actively supported the ASEAN climate action agenda through a strategic series of projects. The project, "Development and Implementation of Facility-Level Measurement and Reporting (M&R) Framework for Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions in ASEAN Member States (AMS)," conducted in-country consultations and developed the Facility-Level GHG M&R Guidelines for the ASEAN Region. This phase was critical in strengthening region-wide transparency activities. The project was implemented by Overseas Environmental Cooperation Centre (OECC), Japan for one year, July 2029 to July 2020.
Following Phase 1, the second phase commenced in January 2022. This stage focused on the practical application of the M&R framework through the active participation of both state and non-state actors, utilizing the guidelines established in the initial phase. The project was implemented from December 2021 to March 2023 by OECC, Japan.
The current phase, "Development and Implementing of Facility Level M&R Framework with Engagement of State and Non-State Actors in AMS," builds direct capacity to address climate change. This is achieved through pilot projects, seminars, and hands-on training in GHG monitoring. By co-designing pilot projects with AMS, the initiative has reinforced both human and institutional capacity for climate change mitigation. Furthermore, the project promotes access to financing mechanisms for essential decarbonization initiatives.
Final Workshop of the PaSTI-JAIF Phase 3 in July 2025
Source: Ministry of the Environment Japan (2025), PASTI-JAIF Activities in ASEAN. Retrieved from https://www.env.go.jp/earth/ondanka/pasti/en/activity/asean.html.
In the area of pollution control, JAIF funded the project, "Strengthening Capacity for Marine Debris Reduction in the ASEAN Region through the Formulation of National Action Plans for ASEAN Member States and an Integrated Land-to-Sea Policy Approach (Phase 1)." Under this initiative, an outline for a National Action Plan was developed by reviewing legal frameworks, assessing current conditions of marine debris, and conducting a gap analysis based on the collected data. Furthermore, the project delivered a draft capacity-building programme and conducted a comprehensive review of marine debris monitoring methods both within and beyond the ASEAN region. The project was implemented by Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) Vietnam from December 2021 - December 2023.
The current phase, “Strengthening Capacity for Marine Debris Reduction in the ASEAN Region through the Formulation of National Action Plans for ASEAN Member States and an Integrated Land-to-Sea Policy Approach (Phase 2)”. Through a series of regional and national workshops, the project enhanced capacities for evidence-based policymaking and strengthened coordination across sectors, bridging regional frameworks with national action plans, ensuring coherence and practical implementation.
Strengthening Capacity for Marine Debris Reduction in ASEAN Region through Formulation of National Action Plans for ASEAN Member States and Integrated Land-to-Sea Policy Approach
Source: Asian Institute of Technology & Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, IGES Marine Debris Portal. Retrieved from https://geoinfo.ait.ac.th/iges-marine-debris/
In the area of biodiversity, JAIF has demonstrated its commitment to supporting ASEAN in advancing its environmental sector through the financing of two projects on enhancing capacity and biodiversity information management in ASEAN Heritage Parks (AHP) from 2014 to 2020. Implemented by the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) as the Secretariat of the AHP Programme, the projects strengthened the capabilities of AHP staff in data management and developed a Communication, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA) strategy and action plan to promote greater understanding of biodiversity conservation in the region.
Morning fog covering tropical rainforest at Nam Ha National Protected Area, Lao PDR
Read more about this project in Beneficiaries’ Voice.
1 ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community – Environment. https://asean.org/our-communities/asean-socio-cultural-community/environment/
2 Japan-ASEAN Dialogue on Environmental Cooperation. https://www.env.go.jp/earth/coop/coop/english/dialogue/asean_j.html
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