Asia-Pacific States

With COP 29 approaching and climate concerns escalating, Asia and the Pacific have outlined and sharpened their goals and ambitions for the negotiations. Asia

is warming faster than the global average, a trend which demands firmer environmental policies. Asia and the Pacific are commited to several key goals to address rising concerns. First, to increase ambition and commitments by member states to COP agreements such as NDCs. Second, to boost Climate Finance and introducing new finance mechanisms for climate innovation. Moreover, they mean to reduce funding gaps to strenghten risk management and enhance systems such as Early Warnings for All (UNESCAP, 2024). For example, they aim to set new finance targets and boost Climate FDI. Third, they want to advance decarbonization in key sectors by accelerating energy transitions and further reducing emissions from heavy industries. Furthermore, they are dedicated to scaling up support for transformative climate actions and climate justice. (UNESCAP, n.d.)

Climate change poses serious threats to international security. Asia and the Pacific recognize these risks and emphasize international security implications tied to climate change, such as displacement due to rising sea levels and extreme weather events. They aim to integrate these concerns into global security dialogues.

 

Did you know that the Asia-Pacific region is home to the Coral Triangle. An area covering almost 4 million square miles of ocean, which is officially recognized as the the worldwide center of marine biological diversity and is home to 363 million people as well as 76% of the world’s coral species. The area is divided into economic zones where different countries have exclusive rights to its marine resources. These resources directly sustain the lives of more than 120 million local people, and provide for millions more worldwide (Coral Triangle Atlas).