Final Report Summary - SUSTAIN EU-ASEAN (SUSTAIN EU-ASEAN: Sustain and enhance cooperation on sustainable development between Europe and Southeast Asia)
Executive Summary:
SUSTAIN EU-ASEAN, an European Union FP7 project, focuses on climate action, resource efficiency and raw materials issues and will aim to enhance collaboration between researchers in the EU and the ASEAN region. Addressing these issues in a coherent way is vital for sustainable development that leads to economic prosperity, social cohesion and environmental integrity. Both ASEAN and the EU have developed innovative ideas to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, to adapt to climate change, improve resource efficiency and manage raw materials. A wealth of knowledge has been generated by EU-funded projects and other initiatives relevant for the ASEAN region. However, the exploitation and uptake of these research results and potential joint innovations can still be improved. So can the collaboration between researchers from the EU and the ASEAN region. SUSTAIN EU-ASEAN was designed to facilitate both, focusing on existing research projects, networks and platforms and has done so by the following actions:
• Identify and cluster EU-funded projects on climate action, resource efficiency and raw materials issues relevant for the ASEAN region, analyse thematic gaps and funding and cooperation opportunities
• Provide a number of services, such as project twinning, access to mobility funds, showcasing and training to interested projects and institutions which aim to enhanced cooperation with ASEAN counterparts, initiate pilot Actions to enhance uptake and implementation as show cases for EU-ASEAN cooperation
• Facilitate vision building and the development of concrete proposals for more sustainable collaboration
Project Context and Objectives:
The SUSTAIN EU-ASEAN project has achieved these goals that enhance collaboration between researchers in the EU and ASEAN region. It has identified EU funded projects in ASEAN countries (both bilateral and multilateral funded projects) and clustered them into themes - Cities and climate action, and Natural resources and into geographic focus. The analysis on ongoing project activities and national needs identified the gaps in national and regional coverage, and the scope of support undertaken. In order to identify the funding opportunities, the project has assessed international and national environment funding sources with their funding focus, scope, geographic interest and thematic focus. An interactive online platform in the project website was formed that offer information about the project and its services and access to its output, and also funding overview. With the informative toolkits, the platform provides opportunities for partnering and networking with the information on latest events, finding right experts and institution.
Project Results:
The SUSTAIN project is successful in taking pilot actions to enhance uptake and implementation. After the call for interest for the project twinning 20 applications were received, out of which 7 projects were positively evaluated. The twinned projects expanded their networks, developed and submitted joint research or implementation proposals, developed high-level policy reports, scientific papers, working papers, concept notes, presented at international conferences, exchanged best practices, developed concepts on collaboration in capacity building activities, explored opportunities for collaboration within Horizon2020, participated in expert groups, international conferences, and UN-meetings. In order to advance joint research and development projects in EU and ASEAN countries with good bi-regional cooperation and/or implementation prospects, call was launched. From the 20 applications received, 2 proposals were positively evaluated to receive specific support for implementing their research results.
To showcase the project’s research result and to reach target stakeholders, various key opportunities – such as events or fora in Europe and Southeast Asia were selected. Some of the events were STI Days Paris and Habitat III conference etc. 2 successful media trainings were carried out within project periods. The first media training session was carried out during the first cluster meeting in Bogor, Indonesia and second was carried out as a webinar. The participants improved their competences, resources and awareness of media players in Southeast Asia and developed their capacity to inform and influence policy makers and media representatives of their research results.
From the assessment of a range of high level policy documents and studies and the scenarios developed in the SUSTAIN foresight workshops, various policy measures and roadmaps to stipulate future research cooperation on four thematic areas (climate and energy, water, resources and bio-diversity) in Southeast Asia were developed. Using the participatory process during foresight workshops, recommendation for future research within the Horizon 2020 framework programme were developed in the selected thematic area. These recommendations are helpful for EU ASEAN cooperation in advancing science to support societal challenges. In addition, specific areas of cooperation are recommended specifying ASEAN countries to be involved and potential funders. The project also carries out mapping for synergies between two programs – EuropeAid and Horizon 2020 with the recommendation to maximise these synergies.
For the successful project communication and dissemination activities, a three-paged leaflet was designed that provide an overview of the project’s objectives and the opportunities and assistance for further collaboration it offers. Likewise, a presentation was created to show the project’s objectives and concepts, key steps, and finally its focus on transferability and co-benefits. A project fact-sheet has also been produced, in which basic facts about the project are presented in very concise form. Timely press releases can be seen in the project website on the current findings.
Alignment between ASEAN country needs and bi-lateral EU climate finance via OECD DAC (on the process to submit in ‘Sustainability’ Journal): This paper adopts a ‘meso-scale’ framing, exploring the distribution and focus of EU-ASEAN bilateral ODA (drawn from the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) repository) and its sectoral and activity alignment with country-stated development needs (drawn from formal UNFCCC National Communications Documents (NCDs)). The EU-to-ASEAN focus was chosen in preference to a comprehensive (i.e. total ODA funding landscape) study as a proof of concept to understand the challenges and barriers associated with conducting such an analysis (which brings together two distinct information sources), and to elicit key gaps in alignment relevant to this important bilateral relationship. The conclusions thus detail examples of the insights on alignments and misalignments drawn from this bounded case study, as well as highlighting the challenges associated with broadening and deepening future related analyses.
Gap analysis and funding opportunities on climate action in ASEAN countries: The paper carry out detail study on the scope (across several facets of climate mitigation and adaptation) and type (in terms of the nature activities undertaken) of collaboration and support that is available and undertaken via EU-supported funding and collaboration activities within the ASEAN region. These activities are then cross-references against stated, and inferred, needs within the ASEAN region to identify the gaps in national and regional coverage, and the scope of support undertaken. Gap analysis compares actual performance and desired performance (i.e. on-going activities and national plans).
Twinning projects benefitted from various linking and funding opportunities by the SUSTAIN EU-ASEAN project. Five projects were supported by mobility funds in order strengthen collaboration between the R&D projects in EU and ASEAN countries through, e.g. development of follow-up applied research, dissemination of research results at events, or facilitating the commercial application of R&D results and solutions. Two projects to received specific support for implementing their research results by a consultant.
Each twinned project consisted of two or multiple EU-funded projects. We invited projects with different levels of maturity, both in terms of content and level of cooperation with partners from the ASEAN region in order to add value to SUSTAIN EU-ASEAN project by capturing a wide diversity of projects. Besides projects that were identified by WP1.
The following table provides an overview on the title and the partners of the twinned projects. Mentioned here are only the lead partners. However, each project included a number of partners from the respective EU project consortium
Title of Twinned Projects
Lead Partner
Waste prevention as strategic approach for resource efficiency – mutual learnings from experiences in Vietnam and Germany
Wuppertal Institute, Germany
Center for Creativity & Sustainability Study, Vietnam
Spin-off research project in Singapore and the ASEAN region based upon the FASUDIR project and also to foster cooperation and knowledge transfer between the EU and ASEAN
Munich University of Applied Sciences represented by the Faculty of Architecture, Germany
National University of Singapore (NUS) represented by CiBEST (Centre for Integrated Building Energy and Sustainability in the Tropics), Singapore
POCACITO and the ASEAN project on Long-term Action Planning for Low Emission Development Collaboration project
Ecologic Institute’s Post-Carbon Cities of Tomorrow (POCACITO) project, Germany
Clean Air Asia’s Long-term Action Planning for Low Emission Development project, Philippines
Expand the Sustainable Wetlands Adaptation & Mitigation Program (SWAMP) network on peatland and wetland research to Europe
Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Indonesia
Thünen Institute of Climate-Smart Agriculture, Germany
Boosting the Value of Weather Radar Technology for Flood Early Warning in the Philippines
University of Potsdam, Germany
Philippines Atmospheric, Geophysical & Astronomical Services Administration, Philippines
Policy action in the ASEAN on resource efficiency and raw material management through transfer of knowledge and experiences from the European Union
University of Novi Sad, Serbia
United Nations Economic and Social Committee for Asia and Pacific (UNESCAP), Thailand
University of Split, Croatia
Policy dialogues and dissemination of research results on the implementation of incentive based policy instruments (PIs) for the sustainable provision of (carbon) ecosystem services
Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Germany
Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Indonesia
The twinned projects expanded their networks, developed and submitted joint research or implementation proposals, developed high-level policy reports, scientific papers, working papers, concept notes, presented at international conferences, exchanged best practices, developed concepts on collaboration in capacity building activities, explored opportunities for collaboration within Horizon2020, participated in expert groups, international conferences, and UN-meetings.
Toolkit for more strategic and more sustainable environmental research cooperation between EU and ASEAN countries
In order to assist researchers from the EU and ASEAN to initiate, enhance and sustain cooperation, toolkit was developed. This toolkit complements the other activities of the project and brings together the main deliverables and findings. It is aimed to act as a gateway for researchers and practitioners in the EU and ASEAN regions to initiate cooperation in the areas of climate action, environment, resources efficiency and raw materials. The web-based toolkit is build to endure well beyond the lifetime of the SUSTAIN EU-ASEAN project.
The SUSTAIN website [http://www.sustain-eu-asean.eu/] has been adapted particularly taking into account SUSTAIN’s role as facilitator of thematic project clusters and related research communities. To this end, the toolkit provides information on:
(1) funding opportunities
(2) relevant policy news and research results
(3) partnering and networking (information on institutes, individual researchers, networks, events such as conferences, workshops etc.)
Vision building and road-mapping
Roadmap papers on four thematic areas (climate and energy, water, resources and bio-diversity) in Southeast Asia were developed in an participatory process involving experts and stakeholders from Europe and Southeast Asia. These papers identify trends and drivers in each theme in Southeast Asia, and carry out it’s environmental analysis and linkages between EU and Southeast Asia. Policy measures were derived from the assessment of a range of high level policy documents and studies and validated in two workshops.
Potential Impact:
Using the participatory process during foresight workshops, recommendation for future research within the Horizon 2020 framework programme were developed in the selected thematic area. These recommendations are helpful for EU ASEAN cooperation in advancing science to support societal challenges. In addition, specific areas of cooperation are recommended specifying ASEAN countries to be involved and potential funders.
The following recommendations were communicated to relevant stakeholders:
1. Participatory, integrated urban planning that include citizens, industry and NGOs, researchers and policy maker from different levels in order to analyse already existing good practice and jointly design model of new governance approaches of ASEAN cities on energy sector.
2. Integrated water management plans in ASEAN countries that contribute to the accessibility of drinking water and wastewater treatment, to the avoidance of negative impacts of human activities on water quality, on preserving or restoring the health of aquatic ecosystems, and to positively contribute to food security and the livelihood of rural populations.
3. Governance of global value chains: Industry 4.0 as an enabler of efficient supply chains
4. Halting biodiversity loss by protecting biodiversity and promoting sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems through participatory approaches
Translating these recommendations into policy action will lead to reduced greenhouse gas emissions, energy and resources use and improved environmental well-being. The project twinning and pilot actions will also make a direct contribution to this.
List of Websites:
Mr. Oliver Lah, FREIE UNIVERSITAET BERLIN
Tel: +49 (0)30 288745816
E-mail: oliver.lah@wupperinst.org /oliver.lah@fu-berlin.de
Project website address: http://sustain-eu-asean.eu/
SUSTAIN EU-ASEAN, an European Union FP7 project, focuses on climate action, resource efficiency and raw materials issues and will aim to enhance collaboration between researchers in the EU and the ASEAN region. Addressing these issues in a coherent way is vital for sustainable development that leads to economic prosperity, social cohesion and environmental integrity. Both ASEAN and the EU have developed innovative ideas to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, to adapt to climate change, improve resource efficiency and manage raw materials. A wealth of knowledge has been generated by EU-funded projects and other initiatives relevant for the ASEAN region. However, the exploitation and uptake of these research results and potential joint innovations can still be improved. So can the collaboration between researchers from the EU and the ASEAN region. SUSTAIN EU-ASEAN was designed to facilitate both, focusing on existing research projects, networks and platforms and has done so by the following actions:
• Identify and cluster EU-funded projects on climate action, resource efficiency and raw materials issues relevant for the ASEAN region, analyse thematic gaps and funding and cooperation opportunities
• Provide a number of services, such as project twinning, access to mobility funds, showcasing and training to interested projects and institutions which aim to enhanced cooperation with ASEAN counterparts, initiate pilot Actions to enhance uptake and implementation as show cases for EU-ASEAN cooperation
• Facilitate vision building and the development of concrete proposals for more sustainable collaboration
Project Context and Objectives:
The SUSTAIN EU-ASEAN project has achieved these goals that enhance collaboration between researchers in the EU and ASEAN region. It has identified EU funded projects in ASEAN countries (both bilateral and multilateral funded projects) and clustered them into themes - Cities and climate action, and Natural resources and into geographic focus. The analysis on ongoing project activities and national needs identified the gaps in national and regional coverage, and the scope of support undertaken. In order to identify the funding opportunities, the project has assessed international and national environment funding sources with their funding focus, scope, geographic interest and thematic focus. An interactive online platform in the project website was formed that offer information about the project and its services and access to its output, and also funding overview. With the informative toolkits, the platform provides opportunities for partnering and networking with the information on latest events, finding right experts and institution.
Project Results:
The SUSTAIN project is successful in taking pilot actions to enhance uptake and implementation. After the call for interest for the project twinning 20 applications were received, out of which 7 projects were positively evaluated. The twinned projects expanded their networks, developed and submitted joint research or implementation proposals, developed high-level policy reports, scientific papers, working papers, concept notes, presented at international conferences, exchanged best practices, developed concepts on collaboration in capacity building activities, explored opportunities for collaboration within Horizon2020, participated in expert groups, international conferences, and UN-meetings. In order to advance joint research and development projects in EU and ASEAN countries with good bi-regional cooperation and/or implementation prospects, call was launched. From the 20 applications received, 2 proposals were positively evaluated to receive specific support for implementing their research results.
To showcase the project’s research result and to reach target stakeholders, various key opportunities – such as events or fora in Europe and Southeast Asia were selected. Some of the events were STI Days Paris and Habitat III conference etc. 2 successful media trainings were carried out within project periods. The first media training session was carried out during the first cluster meeting in Bogor, Indonesia and second was carried out as a webinar. The participants improved their competences, resources and awareness of media players in Southeast Asia and developed their capacity to inform and influence policy makers and media representatives of their research results.
From the assessment of a range of high level policy documents and studies and the scenarios developed in the SUSTAIN foresight workshops, various policy measures and roadmaps to stipulate future research cooperation on four thematic areas (climate and energy, water, resources and bio-diversity) in Southeast Asia were developed. Using the participatory process during foresight workshops, recommendation for future research within the Horizon 2020 framework programme were developed in the selected thematic area. These recommendations are helpful for EU ASEAN cooperation in advancing science to support societal challenges. In addition, specific areas of cooperation are recommended specifying ASEAN countries to be involved and potential funders. The project also carries out mapping for synergies between two programs – EuropeAid and Horizon 2020 with the recommendation to maximise these synergies.
For the successful project communication and dissemination activities, a three-paged leaflet was designed that provide an overview of the project’s objectives and the opportunities and assistance for further collaboration it offers. Likewise, a presentation was created to show the project’s objectives and concepts, key steps, and finally its focus on transferability and co-benefits. A project fact-sheet has also been produced, in which basic facts about the project are presented in very concise form. Timely press releases can be seen in the project website on the current findings.
Alignment between ASEAN country needs and bi-lateral EU climate finance via OECD DAC (on the process to submit in ‘Sustainability’ Journal): This paper adopts a ‘meso-scale’ framing, exploring the distribution and focus of EU-ASEAN bilateral ODA (drawn from the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) repository) and its sectoral and activity alignment with country-stated development needs (drawn from formal UNFCCC National Communications Documents (NCDs)). The EU-to-ASEAN focus was chosen in preference to a comprehensive (i.e. total ODA funding landscape) study as a proof of concept to understand the challenges and barriers associated with conducting such an analysis (which brings together two distinct information sources), and to elicit key gaps in alignment relevant to this important bilateral relationship. The conclusions thus detail examples of the insights on alignments and misalignments drawn from this bounded case study, as well as highlighting the challenges associated with broadening and deepening future related analyses.
Gap analysis and funding opportunities on climate action in ASEAN countries: The paper carry out detail study on the scope (across several facets of climate mitigation and adaptation) and type (in terms of the nature activities undertaken) of collaboration and support that is available and undertaken via EU-supported funding and collaboration activities within the ASEAN region. These activities are then cross-references against stated, and inferred, needs within the ASEAN region to identify the gaps in national and regional coverage, and the scope of support undertaken. Gap analysis compares actual performance and desired performance (i.e. on-going activities and national plans).
Twinning projects benefitted from various linking and funding opportunities by the SUSTAIN EU-ASEAN project. Five projects were supported by mobility funds in order strengthen collaboration between the R&D projects in EU and ASEAN countries through, e.g. development of follow-up applied research, dissemination of research results at events, or facilitating the commercial application of R&D results and solutions. Two projects to received specific support for implementing their research results by a consultant.
Each twinned project consisted of two or multiple EU-funded projects. We invited projects with different levels of maturity, both in terms of content and level of cooperation with partners from the ASEAN region in order to add value to SUSTAIN EU-ASEAN project by capturing a wide diversity of projects. Besides projects that were identified by WP1.
The following table provides an overview on the title and the partners of the twinned projects. Mentioned here are only the lead partners. However, each project included a number of partners from the respective EU project consortium
Title of Twinned Projects
Lead Partner
Waste prevention as strategic approach for resource efficiency – mutual learnings from experiences in Vietnam and Germany
Wuppertal Institute, Germany
Center for Creativity & Sustainability Study, Vietnam
Spin-off research project in Singapore and the ASEAN region based upon the FASUDIR project and also to foster cooperation and knowledge transfer between the EU and ASEAN
Munich University of Applied Sciences represented by the Faculty of Architecture, Germany
National University of Singapore (NUS) represented by CiBEST (Centre for Integrated Building Energy and Sustainability in the Tropics), Singapore
POCACITO and the ASEAN project on Long-term Action Planning for Low Emission Development Collaboration project
Ecologic Institute’s Post-Carbon Cities of Tomorrow (POCACITO) project, Germany
Clean Air Asia’s Long-term Action Planning for Low Emission Development project, Philippines
Expand the Sustainable Wetlands Adaptation & Mitigation Program (SWAMP) network on peatland and wetland research to Europe
Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Indonesia
Thünen Institute of Climate-Smart Agriculture, Germany
Boosting the Value of Weather Radar Technology for Flood Early Warning in the Philippines
University of Potsdam, Germany
Philippines Atmospheric, Geophysical & Astronomical Services Administration, Philippines
Policy action in the ASEAN on resource efficiency and raw material management through transfer of knowledge and experiences from the European Union
University of Novi Sad, Serbia
United Nations Economic and Social Committee for Asia and Pacific (UNESCAP), Thailand
University of Split, Croatia
Policy dialogues and dissemination of research results on the implementation of incentive based policy instruments (PIs) for the sustainable provision of (carbon) ecosystem services
Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Germany
Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Indonesia
The twinned projects expanded their networks, developed and submitted joint research or implementation proposals, developed high-level policy reports, scientific papers, working papers, concept notes, presented at international conferences, exchanged best practices, developed concepts on collaboration in capacity building activities, explored opportunities for collaboration within Horizon2020, participated in expert groups, international conferences, and UN-meetings.
Toolkit for more strategic and more sustainable environmental research cooperation between EU and ASEAN countries
In order to assist researchers from the EU and ASEAN to initiate, enhance and sustain cooperation, toolkit was developed. This toolkit complements the other activities of the project and brings together the main deliverables and findings. It is aimed to act as a gateway for researchers and practitioners in the EU and ASEAN regions to initiate cooperation in the areas of climate action, environment, resources efficiency and raw materials. The web-based toolkit is build to endure well beyond the lifetime of the SUSTAIN EU-ASEAN project.
The SUSTAIN website [http://www.sustain-eu-asean.eu/] has been adapted particularly taking into account SUSTAIN’s role as facilitator of thematic project clusters and related research communities. To this end, the toolkit provides information on:
(1) funding opportunities
(2) relevant policy news and research results
(3) partnering and networking (information on institutes, individual researchers, networks, events such as conferences, workshops etc.)
Vision building and road-mapping
Roadmap papers on four thematic areas (climate and energy, water, resources and bio-diversity) in Southeast Asia were developed in an participatory process involving experts and stakeholders from Europe and Southeast Asia. These papers identify trends and drivers in each theme in Southeast Asia, and carry out it’s environmental analysis and linkages between EU and Southeast Asia. Policy measures were derived from the assessment of a range of high level policy documents and studies and validated in two workshops.
Potential Impact:
Using the participatory process during foresight workshops, recommendation for future research within the Horizon 2020 framework programme were developed in the selected thematic area. These recommendations are helpful for EU ASEAN cooperation in advancing science to support societal challenges. In addition, specific areas of cooperation are recommended specifying ASEAN countries to be involved and potential funders.
The following recommendations were communicated to relevant stakeholders:
1. Participatory, integrated urban planning that include citizens, industry and NGOs, researchers and policy maker from different levels in order to analyse already existing good practice and jointly design model of new governance approaches of ASEAN cities on energy sector.
2. Integrated water management plans in ASEAN countries that contribute to the accessibility of drinking water and wastewater treatment, to the avoidance of negative impacts of human activities on water quality, on preserving or restoring the health of aquatic ecosystems, and to positively contribute to food security and the livelihood of rural populations.
3. Governance of global value chains: Industry 4.0 as an enabler of efficient supply chains
4. Halting biodiversity loss by protecting biodiversity and promoting sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems through participatory approaches
Translating these recommendations into policy action will lead to reduced greenhouse gas emissions, energy and resources use and improved environmental well-being. The project twinning and pilot actions will also make a direct contribution to this.
List of Websites:
Mr. Oliver Lah, FREIE UNIVERSITAET BERLIN
Tel: +49 (0)30 288745816
E-mail: oliver.lah@wupperinst.org /oliver.lah@fu-berlin.de
Project website address: http://sustain-eu-asean.eu/
