Across Borders, Building Circular Futures: Reflections from the SSE-Series PAGE Indonesia
On 27 November 2025, as daylight broke across Jakarta, New Delhi, and Beijing, dozens of participants from the Global South logged into a virtual room. The occasion was the latest session of the SSE-Series, led by UNEP under PAGE Indonesia’s postgraduate programme. But rather than a routine online meeting, what unfolded felt like the beginning of something far greater — a subtle shift in how nations connect, learn, and co-create a future grounded in sustainability, circularity, and shared responsibility.
The session opened with a warm welcome from Maria Dian Nurani, whose calm yet passionate tone set the atmosphere: this would not be a dry policy seminar. Her introduction invited participants to imagine the possibilities — not only for their own countries, but for a broader Southern cooperation that could reimagine economic growth through green transformation.
Soon, voices from various countries began to weave a tapestry of experiences, hopes, and ambitions. From the offices of Bappenas, Dr. Leonardo A.A. Teguh Sambodo shared Indonesia’s journey: a path shaped not by quick fixes, but by persistent commitment, incremental learning, and the steady embedding of circular-economy thinking into national development plans. His words carried the weight of responsibility, but also the lightness of hope — especially when he announced Indonesia’s official entry into PAGE Phase II.
Across the screens, participants responded: congratulations flowed in a chat that felt more like applause in a room than text on a monitor. It was a moment that affirmed — even virtually — that Indonesia’s commitment resonates beyond its borders.
Then came voices from partners abroad. From China, Hu Dongwen recounted a recent exchange visit to Jakarta. She spoke about the country’s Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) facilities, the promise and challenges of waste-to-energy systems, and the urgent need to close biodiversity funding gaps. Her tone was sober but hopeful: global challenges demand global solidarity, and experiences shared across countries could spark new solutions.
From India, Rohit Kansal brought to life a transformation underway in the textile sector — a $176 billion ecosystem being rewoven into something more sustainable, more circular. He painted vivid scenes: farmers adopting green raw materials, factories embracing water-conservation systems, designers redefining waste as resource, and supply chains reconsidered from root to retail. It was not abstract sustainability; it was concrete change, carried by individuals, communities, and industries alike.
By the time the session approached its close, what remained was not a list of policies or technical jargon. Instead, what lingered was a sense of shared purpose across countries — a common direction guided by determination, mutual learning, and respect for local contexts. From Indonesia’s national roadmap to cross-country demonstration projects, from China’s waste-to-energy models to India’s circular textile ambitions — the SSE-Series brought into focus how the Global South can lead a more inclusive, sustainable future.
One participant wrote in the chat: “We may come from different countries, but we are walking the same road.” It was a simple sentence, but it carried weight. Because today, more than ever, that road matters. And together, step by step, those walks — across screens and across borders — are building the future of circular economies, with shared learning, solidarity, and hope.