Minh was addressing the 2014 ASEAN Sustainable Development Symposium held in Bangkok by Thai conglomerate SCG, which has been named by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes as the world's top sustainable development model in the construction materials industry every year since 2011.
The secretary-general said the event is a key platform for sharing practical ideas and successful corporate practices to expand the opportunities for sustainable development of the region.
Fast growing populations and changing demographics and rapid economic growth combined with the existing bloc-wide social disparities have exerted daunting pressures and brought various common environmental issues such as air, water, and land pollution, urban environmental degradation, transboundary haze, and depletion of natural resources, particularly biological diversity, he said.
It has also led to increased consumption of resources and generation of waste, resulting in unsustainable development, and ASEAN, like others, is therefore facing an enormous challenge in keeping a delicate balance of environmental sustainability and economic development, he warned.
The globalising world, which is driven by rapid technological progress, intense economic competition, and the unsustainable consumption of natural resources is a reality that ASEAN has to face, he said.
Kan Trakulkoon, president and CEO of SCG, said the symposium aimed to create a network of sustainability which should lead to real ‘sustainable development' throughout the entire process of businesses.
The business sector is the real player that could create hope for change due to its flexibility, drivability, speed, and ability to extend throughout the supply chain.
