Low Carbon Green Growth Roadmap For Asia And The Pacific

The Asia-Pacific region has come to a historical crossroad: development goals are within reach and the region has the opportunity to lift its people out of poverty. But arriving at those goals and pulling millions more people out of poverty cannot be done through conventional growth strategies. Resource constraints, price volatility and the climate crisis have removed business as usual as an option for all economies. The situation now requires a serious re-examination of the resource- and carbon-intensive growth strategies. Every country in the Asia-Pacific region needs to drastically improve its resource efficiency. The region must embrace a new growth strategy that can turn the trade-off between economic development and environmental protection into a win-win synergy in which "going green" drives economic growth. The Low Carbon Green Growth Roadmap for Asia and the Pacific explores the opportunities that a low carbon green growth path offers to the region. It articulates five tracks on which to drive the economic system change necessary to pursue low carbon green growth as a new economic development path. In particular, the "visible structure" of the economy, comprising such physical infrastructure as transport, buildings and energy systems, together with the "invisible structure", which encompasses market prices, governance, regulations and lifestyles, have to be re-oriented towards resource efficiency. The Roadmap provides policymakers in the region with a comprehensive list of policy options and practical implementing strategies as well as examples of successful practices, woven through more than 100 fact sheets and case studies.

The conventional “grow first, clean up later” approaches to economic growth are increasingly placing the futures of regional economies and societies at risk. The forward-thinking policymaker is tasked to promote development based on eco-efficient economic growth and at the same time, record more inclusive gains in human welfare and socio-economic progress. In order to assist policymakers in responding to such challenges, ESCAP’s “Greening of economic growth” series provides quick access to easy-to-read guidance to specific policy tools.

This book aims to analyze the impact of green growth and low carbon development on the transformation of energy systems and international trade and to evaluate the environmental and economic consequences of such policies in Northeast Asia. Green Growth and Low Carbon Development in East Asia, thereby, uncovers the limitations and challenges of advancing sustainable development world-wide.

This book recognizes low-carbon green growth is imperative for developing Asia. It reviews low-carbon policy initiatives taken by Asian countries at the national, sectoral, and local levels, while assessing the achievements, identifying the gaps, and examining new opportunities. The volume notes that actions taken by several Asian countries so far have been impressive and replicable and the region's commitment to low-carbon green growth represents a move away from the old economic thinking of "grow first and clean later." However, emerging Asia's carbon emissions remain high and failure to act swiftly could increase mitigation costs by two to five times and lock in a high-carbon footprint for decades to come. Regional cooperation is needed to develop and disseminate cost-effective cleaner technologies, develop green industries, and create jobs. A decision to act together on ten key common issues would quickly make Asia the world's most important test-bed and a role model for the rest of the world in low carbon-green growth. Such actions can also support the proactive participation of Asian countries in global negotiations on climate change. --Publisher description.

Asia must be at the center of the global fight against climate change. It is the world’s most populous region, with high economic growth, a rising share of global greenhouse gas emissions, and the most vulnerability to climate risks. Its current resource- and emission-intensive growth pattern is not sustainable. This study recognizes low-carbon green growth as an imperative—not an option—for developing Asia. Asia has already started to move toward low-carbon green growth. Many emerging economies have started to use sustainable development to bring competitiveness to their industries and to serve growing green technology markets. The aim of this study is to share the experiences of emerging Asian economies and the lessons learned. The book assesses the low-carbon and green policies and practices taken by Asian countries, identifies gaps, and examines new opportunities for low-carbon green growth.

The book explains three basic principles of Greening growth: quality of economic growth, eco-efficiency of economic growth, and environmental sustainability vis-á-vis environmental performance; and four pillars of Green growth: eco-tax reform, sustainable infrastructure, the greening of business and sustainable consumption. It explores them as potential for policy options and approaches for sustainable development and improved welfare, and gives fresh and practical perspectives from regional governments and experts.

The book evaluates and analyses the level of green development in over 100 major cities in Asia Pacific. A quantitative analysis of the relationship with economic growth, income distribution, innovation capabilities, service sector, governance levels, and city clusters are accumulated and presented in the form of a new index; the Urban Green Development Index (UGDI). Amongst the cities discussed in the case studies are Penang (Malaysia), Singapore, Vladivostok (Russia), Portland (USA), Hamburg (Germany), and Stockholm (Sweden).

The Asian and Pacific region has undergone rapid economic growth and urbanisation, but these developments have also resulted in increasing demands for food, water, shelter, sanitation, energy, health services and economic and human security. The governments of the region are now committed to pursue the 'green growth' approach in order to achieve environmentally sustainable economic development in the region.