24 January 2010: The UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the ASEAN Secretariat organized a seminar on creating awareness and fostering “green industry” development in the ASEAN region by expanding and scaling-up the application of resource efficient and cleaner production methods, practices, technologies and policies.

The seminar, titled “Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production in ASEAN Member States,” is part of UNIDO’s regional programme “Expansion and scaling-up of the application of resource efficient and cleaner production in the ASEAN Region,” funded by Austria. Participants agreed that the Green Industry Initiative contributes towards ASEAN regional economic co-operation and integration. They stressed the importance of building on existing resource efficient and cleaner production capacities, as well as improving the policy environment in this respect, supporting novel approaches, diversifying available applications, and enhancing such practices, particularly in the manufacturing sector. They also called for synergies between development priorities of the ASEAN Community and the implementation of resource efficient and cleaner production capacities, practices and technologies. [ASEAN Press Release] [UNIDO Press Release]