Watch Sessions

Countries in Asia and the Pacific are at the centre of the marine plastic pollution crisis - with some countries in the region representing the biggest contributors and others disproportionately affected. Tens of billions of dollars are spent annually on the efforts to stem the flow of more than one million metric tons of plastic into rivers and oceans, but these efforts do little to tackle the pollution at source. On the current trajectory, plastic pollution could rise from 11 million MT to 29 million MT the next 20 years. Using diverse solutions and technologies, ocean plastic flows can be reduced by 80% in the same time frame. This session examined the scale and scope of the required commitments by governments, industry and investors to better mitigate and manage current challenges. Read more.

Asia and Pacific countries have been severely impacted by COVID-19 with a total of more than 51.5 million cases and approximately 800,000 deaths, as of September 2021. While some countries have brought down infections through strict control measures and/or rapid vaccinations, cases are still on the rise fueled by new highly contagious variants. The session explore pathways to prevent new zoonotic diseases and the impact of ecosystem degradation on human health in the region. Read more.