Norway has reaffirmed its commitment to tackling plastic pollution in Southeast Asia through its support of the Ending Plastic Pollution Innovation Challenge (EPPIC), a regional initiative that concluded this week in Vietnam. Mr Erlend Skutlaberg, representing the Norwegian Embassy in Hanoi, underlined the importance of the project: “We are so happy to see the Ending Plastic Pollution Innovation Challenge (EPPIC) initiative was successfully concluded. According to the Norwegian Embassy, the initiative is part of Norway’s global responsibility to protect the oceans, which remain central to both its economy and way of life. Plastic pollution is a major environmental challenge in Vietnam, threatening ecosystems, human health, and livelihoods. The Vietnamese government has adopted a national action plan on marine plastic waste management and is advancing its “Blue Economy” strategy to address these issues.