It was hard not to notice the presence of the Dutch last week, at Southeast Asia’s leading trade event for Greentech and Eco products, IGEM.
At their IGEM ‘Pavilion’, the 10 participating Dutch companies and research institutes showcased innovations and solutions for a transition to circularity. Leading the delegation was Holland Circular Hotspot (HCH), a foundation committed to a circular future, both in the Netherlands and abroad.
Having high ambitions to achieve a fully circular economy by 2050, the Dutch understand that they cannot achieve this by themselves. With value chains spreading the globe, success depends on finding international partners and working in close cooperation. Malaysia’s commitments to reduce greenhouse gases and improve recycling rates make it a valuable ally.
During their visit to Malaysia, the Dutch delegation took an in-depth look at common practices and shared their ideas for solutions in circularity and waste management, all the while trying to strengthen ties with Malaysia in the common journey towards a circular economy.
Interest in the Dutch solutions was highlighted by a visit to the Netherlands Pavilion by Dato’ Seri Zaini Ujang, Secretary General of the Ministry of Environment and Water of Malaysia. This was later followed by a visit by HRH The Regent of Pahang, Crown Prince Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah. Both received the latest publication presented by Holland Circular Hotspot, a brochure titled ‘Waste Management as a catalyst to a Circular Economy’.
The need to work together was also the central theme during the Netherlands Innovation Forum, which was attended by over 100 people. H.E. Jaap Werner, Ambassador-Designate at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Malaysia stressed the importance of the Forum and called the event “another groundbreaking moment showing that the world needs to move away from a linear economy to a circular one. The Netherlands has high ambitions, aiming to be fully circular by 2050. The 10 Dutch companies and knowledge institutes that participated in IGEM showcased innovative solutions for circularity and waste management while learning from international partners at the same time.”
Moderator of the Forum and CEO of Holland Circular Hotspot, Freek van Eijk reiterated that “climate change doesn’t stop at the border, and resource value chains span the globe. No single country faces these challenges alone. The Netherlands needs South East Asia to be successful.”
In a friendly meeting, the current and potential future cooperation between Malaysia and the Netherlands was further discussed when representatives of the Malaysian Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) and its agency, SWCorp met with the Dutch delegation. With the sharing of challenges and opportunities, both teams found that there is much to learn from each other. One thing is certain: the future is circular and Malaysia and the Netherlands are both taking steps to get there.
