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The document examines occupational air pollution in southeast Asia, highlighting that 87% of the workforce is in the informal sector, where workers face higher exposure and fewer protections. Case studies from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Viet Nam, and Thailand reveal that gender, age, and class create differentiated risks, with men often facing higher direct exposure in some roles while women face confining indoor pollution in others. The report finds a widespread lack of awareness regarding health impacts and a critical gap in government accountability due to fragmented agency collaboration. It recommends updating labour laws to include informal workers, improving occupational safety awareness, and establishing a single responsible agency for national air pollution monitoring and control.

The document examines the health risks associated with charcoal grilling in Vientiane, Lao PDR, finding that workers—particularly women—face high levels of PM2.5 exposure. It highlights a lack of social protections in the informal food economy and recommends multi-sectoral collaboration to improve ventilation, promote clean fuels, and formalize labor contracts.

The report confirms that the Lao PDR Emissions Reduction Programme, managed by GIZ, is classified as an Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) Category B project. It documents the public disclosure of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), the Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP), and other critical frameworks including the Indigenous Peoples Plan (IPP), Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF), and Resettlement Action Plan (RAP). These documents were made available in English and Lao on various websites and as hard copies at the Lao Women’s Union offices in Houaphan, Luang Prabang, and Sayabouri provinces, as well as the GIZ office in Vientiane.

The guide outlines five strategies for implementing 'green meetings' in Asia, focusing on overcoming cultural barriers where offering less can be seen as 'poor'. Key recommendations include engaging leadership early, reforming travel cultures to reduce flights, supporting local communities through sustainable tourism, eliminating single-use plastics and disposables, and using digital tools like event apps to reduce printing and encourage participation.

The document examines the current investment incentive mix in Lao PDR, highlighting a 'double subsidy' of tax holidays and low-cost land concessions. It argues that these incentives provide minimal returns in tax revenue, job creation, or technology transfer, and recommends replacing them with a uniform corporate tax rate and targeted incentives for green infrastructure, public services, and human capital development.

The document examines the biodiesel sector in Lao PDR, highlighting the government's goal to reduce dependence on imported fuel by designating approximately two million hectares for biofuel feedstock. It identifies jatropha, soybean, and coconut as high-potential crops, with jatropha specifically noted for its ability to grow on marginal land and prevent erosion. While biodiesel offers benefits such as reduced carbon dioxide emissions and energy security, the paper warns of risks including deforestation, loss of biodiversity, and threats to food security. It concludes that Lao PDR lacks a cohesive national biofuels policy and recommends integrating strategic environmental assessments into future policy development.

The Rapid Trade and Environment Assessment (RTEA) for Lao PDR examines the intersection of trade liberalization—driven by ASEAN, WTO accession, and GMS integration—and environmental sustainability. The report identifies that while resource-intensive sectors like hydropower, mining, and forestry drive GDP growth, they place significant pressure on forests, water, and biodiversity. Conversely, 'green' niche sectors such as organic agriculture, ecotourism, and silk handicrafts offer sustainable export potential. The assessment emphasizes that the net environmental outcome depends on the government's ability to implement and enforce regulatory frameworks, strengthen institutional capacity, and engage the private sector in corporate social responsibility (CSR).

This policy brief examines China's expanding economic role in the Mekong region, specifically its investments in natural resources, energy, and infrastructure in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. It highlights China's strategic shift toward securing foreign resources to fuel its domestic industrial growth and the resulting environmental and social challenges in host countries.

The Strategic Collaborative Fund (SCF), launched in 2018 by SEI Asia with support from Sida, aims to enhance the 2030 Agenda in Asia and the Pacific through capacity building, knowledge sharing, and regional collaboration. The programme focuses on transboundary environmental policy development using a rights-based approach that prioritizes gender and social equality. Its activities include inter-regional cooperation with China and Europe, regional cooperation within Asia involving the private sector, and the provision of grants for initiatives contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Recent featured events have addressed eco-city construction and marine ecosystems in China, sustainable consumption and production in Japan, climate change adaptation and indigenous knowledge in Indonesia, and sustainable agriculture in Laos.

The report examines the critical but marginalised role of informal waste workers (IWWs) in Asian cities, highlighting their contribution to resource recovery and the circular economy. Through a multi-stakeholder dialogue called the 'Waste Hero Alliance,' youth activists and IWWs identified systemic challenges—including poverty, health risks, and gender-based exclusion—and proposed five key policy visions: standardised waste disposal, official recognition of workers, access to education, affordable healthcare, and cross-sector collaboration. The document argues that a just transition to a circular economy requires integrating these workers into formal municipal systems to ensure decent work and poverty reduction.