The need for urgent climate action in Asia and the Pacific
Countries in Asia and the Pacific are experiencing the devastating impacts of climate change and extreme events, with dire implications for livelihoods, economies and nature. Climate change also undermines food security and nutrition due to the stress it places on food systems. The region is home to eight of the ten countries most vulnerable to disasters, and Asia is warming more quickly than the global average. In the Pacific islands, over half of countries’ built infrastructure is located in coastal areas prone to risk from rising seas. Rapid emissions reductions and a just transition to clean energy sources are paramount to securing a better future for communities throughout Asia and the Pacific.
What UNEP is doing
UNEP collaborates with Member States and a range of partners in the Asia-Pacific region to combat the climate crisis. This includes providing technical guidance to governments at the national and sub-national levels in the development of policies and strategies that aim to reduce emissions, while protecting people and economies. UNEP also supports countries in the preparation and implementation of their national climate mitigation and adaptation plans submitted under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement.
UNEP’s Regional Office in Bangkok hosts the secretariat of the Asia Pacific Adaptation Network, which equips stakeholders with information, knowledge and tools to bolster climate change adaptation capacity and policies in the region. Alongside the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), UNEP co-chairs the regional coalition on raising ambitions on climate actions. In the face of record-breaking temperatures and severe heatwaves, UNEP is working with governments in the Asia-Pacific region to advance the transition to sustainable, accessible and climate-friendly cooling. And through the UN-REDD Programme, UNEP and partners provide a knowledge and advisory platform on forest solutions to the climate crisis. UNEP is also supporting countries to enhance readiness for collaborative actions and reporting progress in achieving the goals of Paris Agreement.
Every year, UNEP, ESCAP and partners provide an analysis of climate ambition in the Asia-Pacific region, a unique knowledge product that informs stakeholders about region-specific emissions reduction pathways and opportunities.
