Asian countries declare sustainability as "emerging megatrend"

In a presentation entitled "Megatrends and Sustainable Development", given by the Chairman of the APF-Sustainable Development Committee (SDC), Mr Ahmad Khairuddin, the delegates were introduced to what constitutes a megatrend; how sustainability is emerging as a megatrend; and how plastics contributes towards sustainable development. Recognising the importance of caring for the environment, the APF had established the APF-SDC in 2007 and had signed a Declaration in 2008 with the primary objective of preserving the environment and implementing "Responsible Care" activities to protect the health and safety of the public and care for the environment. APF, and in particular, APF-SDC’s role is therefore to help its members contribute to sustainable development through a balance of protecting the natural systems of the planet, providing high quality of life for all people, and fostering global competition, economic freedom, and growing prosperity for all. Mr Callum Chen, Secretary-General of the APF said, "Sustainable development requires that we see the world as a system - a system that connects space; and a system that connects time. When you think of the world as a system over space, you grow to understand that what we do here may have an effect on someone somewhere else and vice-versa. And what we did in the past or in the present, would have an effect on our future."