Taipei hosts Asia-Pacific Circular Economy summit, unveils roadmap to regional collaboration

Taipei hosted APCER & Hotspot 2025, spotlighting Taiwan’s leadership in circular economy innovation and sustainability transition.

Gathering over 500 participants from 50 countries, the Asia Pacific Circular Economy Roundtable & Hotspot 2025 (APCER & Hotspot 2025) in Taipei signaled Taiwan's ascent as a vital regional player of sustainable innovation and industrial transition.

Taipei's four-day APCER & Hotspot 2025 concluded in late October, taking place particularly from Oct. 20 to 23, highlighting how the circular economy has become an increasingly central theme in regional industrial and policy discussions across the Asia-Pacific as Taiwan unveiled its first-ever circular economy roadmap.

Circular roadmaps

The event, co-hosted by Taiwan’s ministries of Environment, Economic Affairs, and Agriculture along with the Circular Taiwan Network, gathered policymakers, industry leaders, and academics to discuss practical ways to turn circular economy goals into action.

At the pre-event press conference, the organizers told TCN and other media outlets that this highly venerated international event was held in Asia for the very first time.

Bas Pulles, the Director and Representative of the Netherlands Office Taipei, shared that he was delighted that multiple Dutch companies were taking part to deepen ties in the circular economy between Taiwan and the Netherlands.

In late October, as the event came to a close, over 500 participants from 50 economies convened in this summit, underscoring the expanding constituency for sustainability-driven growth. The summit adopted an interactive "co-creation" model, where sessions incorporated live feedback from experts and practitioners from different backgrounds.

A post-event press release provided by the summit noted that a central highlight of the four-day event was the unveiling of the draft "Taiwan Circular Economy Roadmap", presented publicly for the very first time.

The roadmap, a product of year-long interministerial collaboration, outlines Taiwan's path toward resource efficiency, regenerative design, and industrial transformation. Speaking about the roadmap, Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said Taiwan welcomes global cooperation in the circular economy and would work hand in hand with international partners to show the world that "Taiwan Can Lead."


Circular Economy: A growing economic engine

The press release stated that the green-technology industry generated NT$500 billion (approximately US$15 billion) in added value in 2024, accounting for about 2 percent of GDP. Among green-tech sectors, the circular economy ranked first in both value-added output and employment, expanding at an annual growth rate close to 10 percent.

The government-backed Green Collar Information Platform showed that over the past five years, the average annual growth rate of the added value of Taiwan's circular economy has reached 9.01%, and the average annual growth rate of circular economy exports has been even higher at 19.38%.

President Lai said, as an island nation with limited resources, Taiwan has harnessed its constraints to cultivate unique strengths in green technology. The scale of Taiwan's green technology industry has been steadily growing, he added.

Lai also said the value-added output of the circular economy sector now accounts for 30% of the entire green technology industry, underscoring its role as a key engine driving the development of Taiwan's green economy.

Lai said that Taiwan is willing to share its experience with the world. Taiwan's recycling system, with over 30 years of accumulated experience, boasts a recycling rate that ranks among the top five globally, positioning the island as an international model in waste management, he added.

Taiwan's electronics and traditional manufacturing industries play a crucial role in the global supply chain, demonstrating both innovation and a capacity for circular transformation, Lai explained. Taiwan's agricultural sector showcases similar strengths, utilizing technology and cross-disciplinary collaboration to convert agricultural by-products into usable materials, thus enhancing their value, he added.

The international context

In his opening remarks of the event, Minister Peng Chi-ming (彭啟明) of the Ministry of Environment called the forum "a new starting point, a platform for creating circular solutions together." He said that regional collaboration is indispensable, and that Taiwan is an important partner in Asia's broader sustainability agenda.

The event coincided with growing international attention on circular governance models. Delegates from Japan, India, the Philippines, Australia, and Europe discussed aligning standards and piloting cross-border "hotspots" or testbeds for circular practices in sectors such as electronics, agriculture, and construction materials.


Singaporean news outlet TTGmice said Taiwan demonstrated leadership in the circular economy at the event. Freek van Eijk, the director of Holland Circular Hotspot, remarked that while the Netherlands is widely regarded as a global leader in the circular economy, Taiwan is emerging as the vital pioneer and collaborative partner in the Asia-Pacific region, increasingly serving as a key gateway for connecting regional circular opportunities.

On Oct. 23, in another event, Matthijs van der Hoorn, Deputy Representative and Head of Economic Department of the Netherlands Office in Taiwan, expressed appreciation for Taiwan's efforts in advancing circular economy initiatives.

The closing ceremony of the 2025 event in Taiwan symbolized the continuity of this momentum in the circular economy, with a formal handover to Sydney, Australia, which will host the 2026 Asia Pacific Circular Economy Roundtable & Hotspot. The transition highlighted how the Asia-Pacific circular agenda is gaining institutional traction.