Technical Sessions
Technical Sessions
Technical session 1: Government
Government plays a pivotal role in creating the framework that industry and community manage their business and the environment. Government Policy on environmental management requirements, and any associated compliance activities provide strong rules and requirements for the management of public health and the environment.
The role of Policy to protect environment and provide industry confidence to operate is a fundamental element of the Cleaner Pacific 2025.
We will learn about the outcome of recent assessment of waste management legislation from around the region, and specifically from several governments about their processes for legislative review, and the implementation of new waste management legislation designed to improve waste management outcomes, encourage industry innovation, and protect the environment and human health from pollution.
Technical Session 3: Tertiary and Vocational Institutions
Partnerships are at the core of successful, sustainable waste management outcomes. The role of tertiary and vocational institutions in building Pacific Island capacity to help address Pacific Island waste management challenges is a significant one. Also of importance is the support tertiary and vocational institutions have in developing new innovative waste advances to be applied for better waste management across our planet.
In this Technical Session we will focus on collaboration with tertiary institutions for meaningful impact. The first half of this session will highlight the benefits of partnering with academic institutions for enhanced capacity development, including upskilling and diversification. Whilst the second will explore provides case studies that highlight the benefits of partnering with academic institutions for research innovation and impact.
This technical session will showcase undergraduate and post-graduate courses and capacity development initiatives focused on promoting waste management for the Pacific by the Pacific.
Technical Session 2: Private Sector and Industry
Industry plays a vital role in waste management because they offer solutions that governments on their own or other waste management stakeholders cannot provide. Industry supports waste management by offering services for waste storage, collection, transportation, treatment, and final disposal.
The waste management industry in the Pacific can be best described as developing. It is evolving into an important sector that is helping to protect our precious environment and improve the use and recovery of products that would normally find their way into the environment or fill our landfills.
This technical session is dedicated to the waste and the many initiatives they take to address waste management.
We will learn about various solutions from selected waste businesses and the difference they are making to a clean and healthy environment. At the end of this session, participants will have insights into how industry is sharing responsibility with governments and individuals to addresses the health and environmental impacts of waste in the region.
Technical Session 4: Civil Society
While waste management policies across the Pacific support partnerships between governments and industry, civil society remains, in many countries, on the periphery of policy development and implementation. Despite this marginalisation, civil society continues to employ tactics that make them stand as key actors in promoting environmentally sustainable behavior.
From community groups to faith-based organisations, to youth association; civil society is leading advocacy for waste management in the Pacific. Some of these groups are even involved in the provision of vital waste management services like sorting and recycling.
In this Technical Session, we hear what some of these civil society groups are doing to influence waste management outcomes. Community groups are often the most affected by wastes so we will find out how they respond to and cope with the impacts of waste.
This session will help us appreciate that despite their limited recognition, civil society can provide real solutions through voluntary community actions which find acceptance as important policy tools.