Based on the endorsement of the ASEAN Environmental Education Action Plan (AEEAP 2008 – 2012) by the ten ASEAN member countries (AMCs) in 2007, the Department of Environmental Quality Promotion (DEQP), Thailand, took the initiative in implementing a workshop with ten AMCs, three partner countries (Japan, Korea and China) and international organizations. The Education for Sustainable Development Research Center (ESDRC), Rikkyo University, supported and participated in this workshop.

AEEAP 2008 – 2012 succeeds the AEEAP 2000 – 2005, and aims to serve as the regional collaborative framework for the development and implementation of environmental education initiatives in ASEAN, consisting of four target areas: formal sector; non-formal sector; human resource capacity building; and networking, collaboration and communication. As is seen from its subtitle, ‘Environmental Education for Sustainable Development’, AEEAP 2008 – 2012 is linked to the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.

This workshop was aimed at facilitating the AMCs with the intention of tailoring AEEAP to suit specific national conditions. Also, this workshop was held based on the recognition that there needs to be a coordinating oversight function at the regional level as contained in the AEEAP, even though member countries are responsible for implementation.

The representatives from the ten ASEAN member countries (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam), who were in charge of environmental education policies in each country, participated in the workshop. They made presentations on the status of environmental education and ESD in each country, and discussed the strategic approaches for implementing the AEEAP. It included identifying champion or lead nations/institutes to coordinate and implement selected, priority ASEAN-wide actions as outlined in the Plan.

The participants from Japan, China, and Korea as well as international organisations such as UNEP, UNESCO, United Nations University – Institute of Advanced Studies, discussed regional partnership with the AMCs. ESDRC also contributed to the discussions.ESDRC and the organizers collected baseline data on the progress of EE/ESD in each of the ten ASEAN member countries. (The results of which will be uploaded on ESDRC’s website.) The proceedings of this workshop will also be available from ESDRC’s website as soon as possible.