The Future of Earth and Biodiversity Week
Plastic planet: Innovating solutions for cleaner tomorrow
European Union
Each year, over 400 million tons of plastic are produced worldwide, much of it from packaging, consumer goods, and industrial use. With less than 10% recycled, most ends up incinerated, landfilled, or polluting the environment, particularly oceans. This seminar will highlight innovative ways to reduce plastic use and waste—focusing on prevention in line with the Global Plastics Agreement—while also exploring alternatives to incineration, consumer engagement, and emerging solutions such as bioremediation.
Two panel discussions will frame the event: the first will examine single-use plastics, overpackaging, microplastics, and global production trends; the second will showcase cutting-edge plastic alternatives, featuring insights from EU and Japanese experts, businesses, NGOs, and academics. Join thought leaders shaping a cleaner, plastic-free future.
Discussion
- Circular economy
- Nature Positive
| Transmission of simultaneous interpretation | To be determined |
|---|---|
| Language of interpretation | Japanese and English |
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Track Programme
- * Programme times and content are subject to change. Any changes will be announced on this website and via the ticket booking system.
- * The schedule is subject to change depending on the organiser's circumstances.
- Time and
Date of
the event -
-
2025.09.23[Tue]
10:30 ～ 12:00
(Venue Open 10:15)
-
- Venue
- Pavilion
- EU Pavilion
Programme details
The event will feature two dynamic panel discussions.
The first panel will dive deep into the complexities of single-use plastics, overpackaging, microplastics and the waste management of plastics. Experts from the EU and Japan will dissect these issues and discuss the strides being made to tackle the issue internationally and develop a circular economy for plastics.
The second panel will showcase cutting-edge solutions to replace plastics that are already making waves in the market. This panel will highlight the innovative spirit driving change, with insights from business leaders, NGOs and academics from both Asia and Europe.
Don't miss this opportunity to engage with thought leaders and innovators working towards a cleaner, plastic-waste free future.
Cast
Moderator
Maria Vera Duran
Senior Technical Manager, EuRIC
Maria VERA DURAN joined EuRIC in July 2021. With a background in Chemical Engineering and an MBA from the University of Malaga (Spain), she previously worked as a project coordinator at the University of Malaga for nearly five years, contributing to projects on managerial excellence and internationalisation.
At EuRIC, Maria is responsible for the European Plastics Recycling Branch (EPRB), as well as for managing all technical and regulatory issues for the recycling industry, including the new Circular Economy Act.
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Speakers
Maria Nikolopoulou
Member of Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform and EESC, European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
Maria Nikolopoulou is a member of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) from the Workers' Group, representing the Spanish trade union Comisiones Obreras. She is currently one of the Vice Presidents of the NAT Bureau and member of the Steering Group of the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform.
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Takahiro Katsuragawa
Mayor, Kameoka City
Graduated from Tokyo University of Agriculture, (Faculty of Regional Environment Science) Department of Landscape Architecture
1987 Employed as a municipal officer in the city of Kameoka
1988 Transferred to the Incorporated Foundation Kameoka Ryokka* Association
1993 Assumed the Chief of Secretariat Position at the Incorporated Foundation Kameoka Ryokka* Association
2003 Elected as a council member of Kameoka City Council
2007 Elected as a council member of Kyoto Prefectural Assembly
2011 Re-elected as a council member of Kyoto Prefectural Assembly
2015 Inaugurated as the 7th Mayor of the city of Kameoka
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Sheila Aggarwal-Khan
UNEP Director, Industry and Economy Division
Sheila Aggarwal-Khan has served as the Senior Advisor on Programme in the Strategic Implementation Team during the the reform process in the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Her work has focused on facilitating the processes by which UNEP plans its programme of work. The main goal is to make UNEP more responsive to country priorities, to show measurable results in countries while still fulfilling the mandate, catalytic and coordination role of the organization.
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Dr Yasuhiko Hotta
Sustainable Consumption and Production Unit, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
Dr. Yasuhiko Hotta is the Program Director and Principal Policy Analyst for the Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) Unit at the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES). He holds a DPhil in International Relations from the University of Sussex and specializes in sustainable resource circulation, the circular economy, waste management, and marine plastic pollution. Dr. Hotta leads initiatives on SCP and coordinates the IGES Plastic Taskforce.
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Monty Simus
Global Director of Public Affairs, Policy, and Blue Finance, The Ocean Cleanup
Monty Simus is the Global Director of Public Affairs, Policy, and Blue Finance at The Ocean Cleanup, where he leads efforts to address plastic pollution through policy and finance initiatives. A Yale and Harvard graduate, Simus focuses on impact investing, social finance, and global water accessibility, drawing on his experience in city projects, politics, and his affiliation with Harvard's Advanced Leadership Initiative (ALI). He plays a key role in securing policy support and financial commitment for initiatives like the Global Plastics Treaty and The Ocean Cleanup's river and high-seas cleanup technologies.
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Momona Otsuka
Chief Environmental Officer, BIG EYE COMPANY
After studying fashion abroad in the U.K. under the "Tobitate! Study Abroad Japan" program, she began to question the social issues surrounding clothing and began to rethink the meaning of long-lasting clothing production. After graduating from International Christian University, she moved to Kamikatsu Town, Tokushima Prefecture, and started working at the Kamikatsu Zero-Waste Center, WHY, which opened in May 2020. Living in a small town with a population of 1,500 in the mountains, she works daily with the aim of realizing a recycling-oriented society, using garbage as a starting point.
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The Future of Earth and Biodiversity Week
Plastic planet: Innovating solutions for cleaner tomorrow
Each year, over 400 million tons of plastic are produced worldwide, much of it from packaging, consumer goods, and industrial use. With less than 10% recycled, most ends up incinerated, landfilled, or polluting the environment, particularly oceans. This seminar will highlight innovative ways to reduce plastic use and waste—focusing on prevention in line with the Global Plastics Agreement—while also exploring alternatives to incineration, consumer engagement, and emerging solutions such as bioremediation.
Two panel discussions will frame the event: the first will examine single-use plastics, overpackaging, microplastics, and global production trends; the second will showcase cutting-edge plastic alternatives, featuring insights from EU and Japanese experts, businesses, NGOs, and academics. Join thought leaders shaping a cleaner, plastic-free future.
-
2025.09.23[Tue]
10:30～12:00
(Venue Open 10:15)
- Pavilion
- * Programme times and content are subject to change. Any changes will be announced on this website and via the ticket booking system.
- * The schedule is subject to change depending on the organiser's circumstances.
OTHER PROGRAM
The Future of Earth and Biodiversity Week
