The Asia Pacific is a rich and dynamic region containing diverse cultures and rapidly modernizing countries.  However, pollution and environmental degradation caused by industrialization and urbanization has emerged as one of the region’s most pressing issues.  In recent years, countries in the Asia Pacific have embraced the principles of cleaner production to reverse this trend.  Cleaner production is an integrated, preventive and proactive strategy that yields significant improvements in productivity and product quality as well as permanent, low-cost reductions in waste and pollution at their source of generation.  Countries throughout the region are implementing innovative cleaner production policies and programs to find solutions to these pressing environmental challenges.

In 1997, the first regional conference of Asia Pacific Roundtable for Cleaner Production (APRCP) was held in Bangkok, Thailand.  This widely acclaimed event brought together leaders from throughout the region.  Participants in the conference agreed that the future actions were needed to ensure regular and ongoing mechanisms to share information on cleaner production strategies and techniques.

In 1998, the informal network that resulted from this landmark event evolved into a new organization – the Asia Pacific Roundtable for Cleaner Production (APRCP) – which was created to improve information and technology exchange, and sponsor regional events and training programs.  Today, this network of leading public and private organizations that share a goal of accelerating cleaner production approaches within countries and throughout the region is growing rapidly.

In the spirit of the Bangkok conference, APRCP’s approach is to promote technology and information exchange, and to encourage cooperation and partnerships among government, industry, academic institutions and non-governmental organizations.  APRCP’s mission is to provide leadership and support that will enhance information flow and human resource development, and will strengthen public-private partnership to stimulate the promotion and implementation of cleaner production strategies and technologies in the region.

As a new international non-governmental and non-profit membership organization, APRCP is refining the mix of tools and activities it will utilize.  An organizational charter now exists to guide APRCP’s direction and future activities.  APRCP publishes a quarterly newsletter that highlights regional cleaner production initiatives and provides up-to-date news and information.  APRCP is also actively encouraging the use of Asia Pacific Cleaner Production Network (APRP-net), a promising new e-mail discussion group administered by the Thailand Environment Institute.  This tool allows organizations from across the region to share cleaner production-related information quickly and easily.

Since its inception, the APRCP has held four (5) successful Roundtables. First was the aforementioned 1997 Roundtable (November 12-14, 1997) in Bangkok, Thailand; the Second in Brisbane, Australia last April 21-24, 1999; the Third in Manila, Philippines last February 28-March 2, 2001; the Fourth was inChiang Mai, Thailand last 20-22 January 2003;and the Fifth in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last March 15-17, 2004.After its name change from APRCP to APRSCP (or Asia Pacific Roundtable for Sustainable Consumption and Production) a few years back, the APRSCP has held one successful Roundtable Conference. The 1st APRSCP (or 6th APRCP) Conference was recently staged in Melbourne, Australia last 10-12 October 2005. In all six Roundtables, participants--numbering around 300 or more from various countries from  around the region--were immersed in an intensive three-day program consisting of themed parallel sessions, presentation of submitted papers, concurrent panel discussions, plant visits and other activities designed to stimulate debate and meet head-on the challenges posed by the threats to our environment.