Painting The Town Green: The Potential of Environmental Diplomacy to Strengthen ASEAN-EU Relations in the Post-Pandemic World

Journal of Asia and Europe Relations 2021

29 Pages Posted: 14 Mar 2022

See all articles by Leonardo M. Jaminola

Leonardo M. Jaminola

The University of the Philippines Diliman

Date Written: October 20, 2021

Abstract

The European Union (EU) is one of the oldest dialogue partners of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Relations between the two blocs began in 1972 and were initially focused on trade and investments. Over the years, ASEAN-EU relations expanded and developed to include economic, cultural, and political matters. In 2020, relations between the two have been upgraded into a strategic partnership solidifying the commitment of both parties to cooperate on various key areas. Recently, environmental and climate issues have also been emphasised by the two groups, leading to the establishment of the High-Level Dialogue on Environment and Climate Change in 2019. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused unprecedented social, economic, and political disruptions, is widely regarded as having a zoonotic origin. As such, the pandemic has extensively been framed as an environmental issue and has concretised the transnational effects of environmental degradation. Using the theoretical framework of neoliberal institutionalism, the article posits that the pandemic will reinvigorate environmental diplomacy between states in the post-pandemic world, particularly between ASEAN and the EU. The article furthermore analyses the concept of environmental diplomacy and historicises the relationship between these two intergovernmental organisations.

Keywords: ASEAN, European Union, environmental cooperation, COVID-19, diplomacy

Suggested Citation

Jaminola, Leonardo, Painting The Town Green: The Potential of Environmental Diplomacy to Strengthen ASEAN-EU Relations in the Post-Pandemic World (October 20, 2021). Journal of Asia and Europe Relations 2021, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4053710 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4053710

Leonardo Jaminola (Contact Author)

The University of the Philippines Diliman ( email )

Philippines

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