The Second Asia Pacific Cleaner Production Roundtable was held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre in Brisbane, Australia last 21 - 24 April 1999. The Second Roundtable was hosted by the Queensland Cleaner Production Taskforce Association Incorporated and was supported by United States – Asia Environmental Partnership (US-AEP) through the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable. This initiative fosters information exchange and cooperation among practitioners of pollution prevention (P2) throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Dr. Luisa Ejercito Estrada, former first lady of the Philippines, and the Hon. Rod Welford, minister for environment and heritage of Australia, were among the 440 participants, representing 42 countries.

The theme of this event is: “Global Competitiveness Through Cleaner Production”, where Cleaner Production may be defined as the continual effort to prevent pollution, reduce the use of energy, water and material resources and minimize waste, all without reducing production capacity.

The Second Roundtable continued the momentum, bringing together a unique range of expertise from around the globe to stimulate debate and promote Cleaner Production. It was a gathering of all stakeholders sharing technical knowledge and innovative ideas about Cleaner Production, regulations, organizational change and environmentally efficient technologies.

The Second Roundtable is the most important Cleaner Production event in the Asia-Pacific Region in 1999 and is of great significance for industry, governments and future trading relationships.

It was held in conjunction with a Trade Expo and had an intense three-day program consisting of keynote addresses, supported by themed parallel sessions for accepted papers and workshop forums for active participation. Internationally distinguished practitioners of Cleaner Production chaired and lead the discussions and promoted debate, such as Professor Nay Htun (UN Assistant Secretary- General/UNDP and Assistant Administrator and Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific). Other invited speakers were Ms Jacqueline Aloisi de Larderel (Director Division of Technology, Industry and Economics, UNEP), Mr. Johathan Hobbs (Coordinator, Cleaner Production Program, UNEP), Professor Don Huisingh (Chair of the UNEP Working Group for Cleaner Production Education), Mr Masaaki Imai (Author of “KAIZEN: The Key To Japans Competitive Success” - Chairman of the Cambridge Corporation and President of the Kaizen Institutes in the US, Europe and Japan), Dr Jack Luskin (Associate Director, Lowell Centre for Sustainable Development), Mr David Morgan (President of Ford Australia and President of the

Australian Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries), Professor Michael Overcash (North Carolina State University), Dr Brian Robinson (Chairman of the Victorian Environment Protection Authority and Director of Environmental Services Australia), Ms Natalie Roy (Director US Pollution Prevention Roundtable), Professor Ernst Von Weizacker (Co-author of “Factor Four”), Mr. Yuji Yamada (Special Assistant General – Asia Productivity Organization), and Yuwaree In-Na (Director Thailand Pollution Control, Department Samut Prakarn Cleaner Production Project)

Among the “associated themes” at the Second Roundtable was Cleaner Production in Key Industry Sectors, Implementing Cleaner Production, Regulatory issues and Cleaner Production, Business opportunities and Cleaner Production. Also discussed were Collaboration in Introducing Cleaner Production, Profitability and Cleaner Production, Environmental Management and Cleaner Production, New Technologies and Cleaner Production. There was Pre and Post Roundtable courses offered in Best Practice Environmental Regulation, How to “do” Cleaner Production, Life Cycle Assessment, and Environmental Management Systems.

The Second Roundtable was endorsed by key international, national, and local agencies promoting Cleaner Production or Pollution Prevention, such as the United Nations Environment Program [UNEP], United States Environment Protection Agency [USEPA], Commonwealth Department of Environment, Australia - [Environment Australia], Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage [DEH], and Brisbane City Council [BCC], including sponsors from industry, government and commercial enterprises. The Second Roundtable was an interactive platform from which to learn from each other’s successes and failures.