ICLEI Southeast Asia (ICLEI SEA) called for stronger recognition of urbanization and the role of local governments in sustainable development during the Stakeholder Consultation on the Development of the Post-2025 ASEAN Strategic Plan on the Environment (ASPEN) 2026–2035, held on 11 March 2026 in Manila, Philippines.
Representing ICLEI SEA, Regional Program Manager Mae Valdez-Irong participated in the consultation which brought together representatives from ASEAN member states, regional centers, civil society organizations, academia, the private sector, and development partners to provide inputs for the region’s next environmental strategy.
Specifically, the consultation sought recommendations to strengthen the clarity, inclusivity, and implementation of the Post-2025 ASPEN and align it with ASEAN’s long-term vision.
During the discussions, Valdez-Irong emphasized the need for the framework to be firmly grounded in the realities of rapid urbanization across Southeast Asia and the critical role of local and regional governments in delivering environmental and climate action.
“In the coming decades, ASEAN will see an unprecedented increase in urbanization which will present compounding challenges for cities. But with it comes an opportunity to work on these issues together and generate ideas that contribute to our shared aspirations as a region,” she said. “The Post-2025 ASEAN Strategic Plan on the Environment will provide the blueprint for the entire ASEAN region. This is why ICLEI SEA advocates for a strong urbanization grounding for this very important plan. The environment can either be natural or built, and the plan should strike a balance between the two while strengthening local and decentralized climate governance that will deliver these regional goals.”
Valdez-Irong also presented the recommendations of her breakout group, which called for mainstreaming youth engagement across all strategic priorities, strengthening inclusive governance, expanding collaboration with social enterprises and the private sector, promoting green jobs, reinforcing environmental law enforcement, addressing transboundary environmental issues, developing robust and integrated monitoring systems, enhancing regional and global collaboration, and providing more specific implementation strategies.
ICLEI SEA remains committed to supporting ASEAN and its member states in advancing sustainable, resilient, and inclusive urban development through stronger local climate and environmental governance.
