Greening integration in Asia: how regional integration can benefit people and the environment
This book by the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) introduces the concept of Green Integration and makes the case that countries in Asia should make sustainability the main objective of their integration efforts.
Regional Integration is stepping up in Asia. The launch of the ASEAN community by the end of 2015 and the possible establishment of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) signal a new era of deepened regional integration. These and other regional initiatives will influence how Asia develops over the coming decades. The new IGES White Paper underscores that the benefits of regional integration need to be long-lasting and shared. It cautions that a narrow emphasis on short-term economic gains could undermine the region’s prospects for lasting prosperity by undermining the region’s natural resource base and deepen inequalities within and among countries. However, regional integration also offers opportunities for countries to collaborate and to jointly make development more inclusive, resilient and long-lasting.