Objectives
This introductory workshop, “Decarbonizing the Waste Sector: A Circular Economy Opportunity,” is designed for professionals and businesses seeking to understand how sustainable waste management can play a vital role in reducing emissions and advancing circular economy goals. As waste continues to be a major source of methane and other greenhouse gases, this session will provide a practical foundation for exploring strategies that align waste-sector decarbonization with national and corporate climate targets.
Participants will gain insights into the sources of emissions from dumpsites, the realities of waste management in Thailand, and global developments in circular economy practices. The workshop will also highlight real-world examples such as plastic recycling to illustrate both the opportunities and challenges of transitioning toward low-carbon waste systems. Finally, it will connect these themes to broader Net-Zero pathways, helping participants understand how decarbonizing the waste sector can create business value, support sustainability commitments, and contribute to climate resilience
Highlight scope
The session will provide an in-depth exploration of how the waste sector can contribute to national and global decarbonization goals. The presentation begins by examining methane emissions from dumpsites, one of the most significant yet often overlooked sources of greenhouse gases, and outlines key strategies to reduce these emissions through improved waste management and circular practices. It then situates these issues within both Thailand’s and the global circular economy landscape, emphasizing how policy, innovation, and public awareness are driving systemic change. Using plastic recycling as a case study, the session highlights the complex technical, economic, and behavioural challenges that hinder effective recycling and resource recovery. Participants are also invited to reflect on the realities of waste management in Thailand, considering gaps between policy ambition and on-the-ground implementation. Finally, the discussion links waste-sector decarbonization to broader Net-Zero pathways and corporate climate action, illustrating how circular economy approaches can serve as powerful enablers of sustainable growth and carbon neutrality.
Objectives
- Understand waste management situation in Thailand
- Explain their importance for Thai businesses
- Provide insights into Thailand’s and global developments on the circular economy
- Introducing how waste management can play a vital role in circular economy goals
Benefit & Outcome
- Gain practical knowledge to participate in circular economy
- Understand opportunities for businesses
- Learn from real project examples and case studies
- Support strategy development in waste-sector decarbonization
Who is this for?
- Business executives and corporate strategy teams
- Sustainability / ESG / CSR departments
- Consultants, project developers, aggregators
Agenda
| Time | Topic | Speaker |
| 9.00 – 9.30 | Registration | |
| 9.30 – 9.35 | Welcome Remarks & Getting to Know inFUSE Thailand | Yathida Ti.
(inFUSE) |
| 9.35 – 9.40 | Introducing Speaker and session overview | |
| Workshop | ||
| 9.40-10.30 | Decarbonizing the Waste Sector, a circular economy opportunity – Part 1
|
Jerome Leborgne (Veolia)
|
| 10.30-10.40 | Short break | |
| 10.40-11.30 | Decarbonizing the Waste Sector, a circular economy opportunity – Part 2
|
|
| 11.30-11.50 | Discussion Session (Q&A) | |
| 11.50-12.00 | Group Photo & Networking Session | |
| Lunch (will be provided at the venue) | ||
About the speaker
Jerome Le Borgne
Business Development Director (SEA)
Thailand Representative
Veolia South East Asia
Armed with a Master’s degree in Engineering from ParisTech Arts et Metiers in France and a further qualification in Corporate Finance from Columbia University in the USA, Jerome Le Borgne has dedicated the past 12 years of his career to the development of sustainable projects for the benefit of Thailand and its communities. From bioenergy which provide additional income to rural communities, to waste management which help Thailand reduces its dependency on landfills and, more recently, the challenges of circular economy with plastic recycling. All of these successes have played an integral part in the development of a sustainable Thailand, helping the economy move toward BCG (Bio-Circular and Green). As the Country Representative in Thailand of Veolia – an international group with nearly 220,000 employees worldwide that aims to set new benchmarks in ecological transformation – Jerome has been engaged with several large Thai industrial groups and MNCs in developing projects that will continue to build a sustainable Thailand in various fields. These include water scarcity (water footprint and depollution),, or even difficult challenges such as sustainable hazardous waste treatment or decarbonization.