Ensuring a sustainable future and achieving net-zero emissions are paramount for a cleaner, more resilient environment. Combining circular economy (CE) methods and the APO’s Green Productivity (GP) concept offers a comprehensive approach to mitigating the adverse environmental impacts of industries, while enhancing productivity and strengthening resilience against future challenges. The 2022 Glasgow Climate Pact and 2015 Paris Agreement underscored the urgency of keeping the global temperature increase within 1.5°C. To meet that goal, industries and consumers must adopt GP and CE methodologies and techniques.

An online Conference on GP and CE was organized by the Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality (STAMEQ) of Vietnam and APO Secretariat on 26 September 2023. The online conference was attended by 52 participants from 15 APO member economies and facilitated by three resource persons from the Republic of China, Japan, and Vietnam. The topics covered included mapping of GP in APO members, implications of CE policy trends in the EU, and introduction of GP 2.0. This holistic approach paves the way for a sustainable future where economic growth and environmental stewardship go hand in hand. The adoption of such combined strategies will be especially beneficial for SMEs in APO members.