Jaipur host the 12th Regional Circular Economy Forum in Asia & Pacific

The three-day 12th Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific is being held at the Rajasthan International Center, Jaipur, from 3-5 March 2025. 

It is the second time that India is hosting the prestigious meeting. Indore, Madhya Pradesh, hosted the 8th edition of the Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific.

Who Inaugurated the 12th Forum Meeting 2025

Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar inaugurated the 12th Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific. 

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, and other distinguished dignateries were present on the occasion..

Theme of the 12th Forum 2025

The theme of the 12th Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific was “Realizing Circular Societies Towards Achieving SDGs and Carbon Neutrality in Asia-Pacific”.

Organiser of the 12th Forum Meeting 2025

The 12th Forum meeting was jointly organised by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the United Nations Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD), and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Japan.

The 2025 Forum meeting was also supported by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), Japan’s Ministry of Environment, and various other international and regional organisations.

About the  Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum

The  Regional 3R Forum in Asia was established in 2009 on the initiative of Japan to provide a platform for the countries of the region to promote cooperation in 3Rs – reduce, reuse, and recycle. 

The inaugural Forum meeting was held in Tokyo, Japan, in 2009.

At the fourth Forum meeting held in Vietnam in 2013, the name was changed to  Regional 3R Forum in Asia and the Pacific.

At the 10th Forum meeting held virtually in 2020, the term Circular economy was added, and it became the Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific

Aim of the Forum

• The Forum seeks to provide strategic policy advice to national government authorities in the region to promote resource efficiency, sustainable production and consumption, integrated solid waste management, sound material-cycle, and low-carbon and zero-waste society. 
• The Forum provides a platform for the participants to share their best practices and knowledge in 3R areas.

What is Circular Economy and 3R?

The circular economic model is in contrast to the linear model of economic production and consumption.

The linear model of production and consumption is based on production, consumption, and throw away. This model is based on the mass production of cheap goods. This model uses a large resource base and energy consumption.

It creates the problem of waste, overexploitation of resources and indirectly contributes to global warming.

The circular economy aims to avoid the problems of the linear model of economy.

The circular economy calls for redesigning products to be more durable, reusable, repairable, and recyclable, and therefore kept in circulation for as long as possible.

This will minimise the problem of waste.

3R- reuse, reduce, and recycle

3R- reuse, reduce and recycle- is central to the concept of circular economy.

It stands for Reducing waste, Reusing resources, and Recycling resources and products.

Reduce means to make smaller/less in amount to reduce waste.