The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report warns that the region is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, driving more extreme weather and posing serious threats to lives, ecosystems, and economies. In 2024, Asia experienced its warmest or second warmest year on …
Setting up a fund for loss and damage is one of the achievements of COP28, the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference. However, ambiguity remains regarding its functions and set-up. This briefing paper emphasizes the importance of understanding the gendered dimensions of both economic and non-economic losses and damages in …
The Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report (APTIR) is a biennial publication prepared by the Trade, Investment and Innovation Division of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific to provide insights into the impact of recent emerging developments in trade and foreign direct investment on countries’ …
Disability-inclusive business opens a new horizon to accelerate the effective implementation of disability-inclusive development. Disability-inclusive development ensures the meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in all their diversity and the promotion and practice of mainstreaming their rights into all areas of development. Business has a pivotal role to play in …
Social protection plays an important role in supporting climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts, particularly in the Asia Pacific region where many remain without adequate coverage. Sustainably expanding social protection is essential, with a focus on vulnerable groups, including informal workers, migrants, people with disabilities, and marginalized communities. To be …
This Regional Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction 2023: Europe and Central Asia proposes that three broad, interconnected risk drivers characterize the complexity of managing risk in the region: climate change and environmental degradation; interconnected and complex economies, societies and infrastructure; and changing demographics. These themes are not isolated. Instead, …
Small-scale farmers and related supply chain actors contribute a significant share of global food production, particularly in East Asia and the Pacific, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. Small-scale producers and the agri-MSMEs serving them are expected to face the most severe impacts of climate change and have limited capacity to …
This 2023 Review of Climate Ambition in Asia and the Pacific: Just transition towards regional net-zero climate resilient development, developed jointly by ESCAP, UNEP, UNFCCC/RCC Asia-Pacific, ILO, UN Women and UNIDO, and the members of the Issues-Based Coalition for Raising Climate Ambition of the Regional Collaboration Platform for Asia and …
The Population Data Sheet, published annually by ESCAP, features a range of key indicators on population and development. The focus is on population size, structure and growth rates, as well as fertility, mortality and migration, at country, subregional and regional levels. The Data Sheet is a useful reference tool for …
This report shows why encouraging young people to discover and drive solutions for Asia and the Pacific’s water sector can help unlock innovative fresh approaches, promote ownership, and ensure water security is inclusive and resilient. One quarter of the region's population is under twenty-five years old. This report presents case …
The Future of Asian & Pacific Cities Report 2023 entitled, Crisis Resilient Urban Futures, is a comprehensive analysis and assessment of sustainable urban development in the Asia and Pacific region at a time of great disruption and uncertainty resulting from multiple interlinked global crises in a post-pandemic era. This report …
Gender inequality, coupled with current climate and environment crises, is one of the greatest sustainable development challenges of our time. While the effects of climate change threaten everybody, the most affected are women and children, particularly older women, girls, persons with disabilities, ethnic and gender minorities and those living in …
The objective of this report is to examine the progress made by Asia-Pacific countries towards achieving SDG 7 in the decade of action on the SDGs. In it, key energy trends are examined, immediate challenges are reviewed and the preparation of more ambitious agendas towards net-zero emissions are assessed to …
Drawing on relevant international trends and best practices, the current report lays out an analytical framework to assess a variety of factors that can enable a building to become energy efficient and grid-interactive. The framework is used to analyse the current situation in countries of the ASEAN region. The report …
In this biennial report, the fifth within ESCAP’s Financing for Development series, examine the trends, challenges, and opportunities for policymakers, regulators, and private finance (banks, issuers, and investors) in Asia and the Pacific to mobilize and deploy sustainable finance, particularly for climate action. Then put forward ten principles for action …
Asia is home to 60% of the world's population, 52% of global agricultural production, and 43% of agriculture-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. While a large portion of the Asian population depends on agriculture for their livelihood and food security, the agriculture sector is one of the main sources of GHG …
The economic outlook for Asia and the Pacific remains upbeat, with the region’s developing economies expected to grow 4.7% in 2023, and 4.8% in 2024, but risks remain elevated. According to the latest edition of the Asian Development Outlook, growth will remain resilient, supported by domestic demand, recovering tourism, and …
Analyzing the role companies can play in tackling climate change, this book shows how corporate values, responsibilities, and governance can affect their behaviors and investment decisions within effective environmental, social, and governance (ESG) frameworks. It assesses the issue of climate justice, considers the impact of “greenwashing”, and looks at ways …
The paper is proposing a new model to enhance capacities to predict, prevent, and manage climate-induced displacement. This approach emphasizes proactive measures based on early warnings, offering an alternative to conventional disaster management practices. This approach emphasizes proactive measures based on early warnings, offering an alternative to conventional disaster management …
This brief sets out the rationale for strengthening regional resilience to cascading climate risks in the HKH, illustrating the benefits that cooperation and collaboration can achieve. It also explores what a regional cooperation mechanism could consider and advance in policy and practice, proposing a set of potential areas for collaboration …
This synthesis report presents an updated analysis of the social protection landscape in Asia and the Pacific and identifies priorities for enhancing both food security and nutrition and improving responses to risks and shocks. It draws on scoping studies commissioned by WFP exploring social protection in eight countries (Cambodia, Lao …
