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Can Asia and the Pacific Get on Track to Net Zero? — Global Issues


  • Idea by Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana (Bangkok, Thailand)
  • Associated Press Service

But they are not enough to help us move towards a better future without what the United Nations Secretary-General calls “a leap forward in climate ambitions”. Carbon neutrality needs to be at the heart of national development strategies and reflected in public and private investment decisions. And it needs to be translated into sustainable roadmaps in each sector of the economy.

Speed ​​up energy conversion

At the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), we are working with regional and national stakeholders on these transformational pathways. Exiting the brown economy is urgent, not only because of rising emissions but also because reliance on fossil fuels has left economies struggling with price volatility and energy insecurity. .

A clear roadmap is the necessary springboard for an inclusive and equitable energy transition. We have worked with countries to develop scenarios for such change through the National Roadmap, demonstrating that a different energy future is possible and possible with political will and commitment. sincere action by the public and private sectors.

The transition to renewable energy also requires concurrent improvements in grid infrastructure, especially cross-border grids. The Regional roadmap on electrical system connection provide us with a platform to work with Member States towards an interconnected power grid, including through the development of the regulatory frameworks needed to integrate power systems and mobilize invest in grid infrastructure. The future of energy security will be defined by our ability to grow green grids and trade renewable electricity across borders.

Green your trips

The transition to net zero carbon would not be complete without greening the transport sector. In Asia and the Pacific, transportation is mainly powered by fossil fuels and as a result accounts for 24% of total carbon emissions in 2018.

Improving energy efficiency and using more electric vehicles are the most effective measures to reduce carbon emissions as much as possible. 60 percent in 2050 compared to 2005 levels Regional Action Program for Sustainable Transport Development enables us to work with countries to implement and collaborate on priorities for low-carbon transport, including electric mobility. Our work with the Framework Agreement on Facilitating Cross-Border Paperless Trade is also helping to make trade more efficient and climate-smart, a key element of the transition. in the energy and transportation sectors.

Adapting to a riskier future

Even with mitigation measures in place, our economy and people will not be safe without a comprehensive risk management system. And it needs to be something that keeps communities from being blinded by cascaded climate disasters.

We are working with partners to increase understanding of such cascading risks and help develop strategies to prepare for this new reality, such as the implementation of the ASEAN Regional Action Plan. on Adaptation to Drought.

Financing where it matters most

Finance and investment are uniquely positioned to drive the necessary transformation. The past five years have seen thematic relationships in our region increase tenfold. Private finance is gradually matching climate needs. The new Loss and Damage Fund and its work offer new hopes for funding the most vulnerable. However, climate finance is not happening at the speed and scale it should. It needs to be accessible to developing economies in times of need.

Innovative financial instruments need to be developed and scaled up, from debt-for-climate swaps to SDG bonds, some of which ESCAP is helping to grow in Pacific and in Cambodia. Growth in the business sector will need to be sustained. Asia Pacific Green deal for business by the ESCAP Sustainable Business Network (ESBN) is an important advance. We are also working with Senior Climate Champions to bring climate-appropriate investment opportunities closer to private financiers.

Lock higher ambition and accelerate execution

Climate actions in Asia and the Pacific are critical to global success and prosperity. The past two years have been a grim reminder that conflict on one continent creates hunger on another, and emissions somewhere push sea levels higher everywhere. Never before has our prosperity depended more on collective action and cooperation.

Our countries are taking note. Member States meeting at the seventh session of the Environment and Development Committee, which opens today (November 29), are seeking consensus on the necessary regional cooperation and priorities for action. climates such as oceans, ecosystems and air pollution. We hope that the momentum that started at COP27 and the Commission will continue at its seventy-ninth session as it will focus on accelerators for climate action.

In an age of heightened risk and shared prosperity, only regional solidarity, multilateralism and ambition that truly match the climate realities are happening all around us — along with climate action. bold posturing — is the only way to ensure a future where the nations of Asia and the Pacific can prosper.

Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)

IPS UN Office


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© Inter Press Service (2022) — All rights reservedOrigin: Inter Press Service

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