Brick Kiln Craft Union members in Kandal province, Cambodia.. Photo: BWTUC.
From January 2026, none of the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) projects will be permitted to use asbestos-containing materials of any kind. This landmark decision follows a robust four-year campaign, led by trade unions in the region, including the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) and Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI), with the support of Union Aid Abroad–APHEDA.
The ADB’s governing body approved the Framework to Enhance Social and Environmental Protections for future bank-supported projects, which now includes a ban on asbestos-containing materials. This is a significant union victory, as ADB frameworks shape how billions of dollars are spent across Asia and the Pacific. In 2023 alone, the ADB provided more than USD 20 billion in loans, grants, and investments to governments and private sector partners in the region.
This decision marks a major step forward in the fight to save workers’ lives from asbestos-related diseases, including cancers. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), asbestos exposure causes 70% of all global occupational cancers. Alarmingly, Asia imports more than 80% of the world’s remaining asbestos.
‘We hope this ADB decision will encourage governments across Asia and the Pacific to move to safer alternative products and ban asbestos,’ said Kate Lee, Co-Executive Officer, Union Aid Abroad–APHEDA.