Asia-Pacific Climate Week Supports NDC, SDG Implementation in Region

14 July 2018: Asia-Pacific Climate Week 2018 (APCW2018) convened under the theme, ‘Climate Action for Sustainable Development: Driving Change in Asia-Pacific.’ Featuring a range of events aimed at showcasing and galvanizing climate action in the region, APCW2018 aimed to support regional implementation of countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement on climate change and efforts to achieve the SDGs.

APCW2018 took place in Singapore from 10-13 July. Events held during the Week included:

the Asia-Pacific Carbon Forum (APCF);
a meeting of the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action, which aims to support implementation of the Paris Agreement by enhancing collaboration between governments, cities, regions, businesses and investors;
a High-level session with Champions of the Marrakech Partnership that focused on, inter alia, enhancing engagement of regional actors in the intergovernmental process;
a low emission development strategy (LEDS) workshop;
a regional technology meeting on industrial energy efficiency; and
an Asia-Pacific Talanoa Dialogue focused on green financing, and urging financial institutions to make sustainability central to their strategic planning to spur green investments and align financial and climate markets.

Addressing delegates at the opening ceremony, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa called for achieving the US$100 billion annual target in climate finance as quickly as possible. She urged developed countries to publicly state their plans for mobilizing international funding. [UNFCCC Press Release on US$100 Billion Target]

The APCF, which met from 11-13 July, considered, inter alia: the need for strong leadership on carbon markets; measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) and transparency; carbon market updates; and development, by the UNFCCC, of a local carbon market to accelerate progress towards a global carbon price with comparable baselines, using Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) standards. [Asia-Pacific Carbon Forum]

Regional climate weeks aim to support implementation of countries’ NDCs and overall climate action to deliver on the SDGs.

A regional technical expert meeting, organized by the UNFCCC, Technology Executive Committee (TEC) and UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), focused on enabling waste-to-energy, industrial waste reuse and prevention solutions to achieve a circular economy and boost climate action. The circular economy contributes to various SDGs, including SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy), SDG 13 (climate action), SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth), SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure) and SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production), through the creation of job opportunities, closed loops in industries and industrial symbiosis, and recovery energy from waste. Participants addressed: available technological solutions and innovative approaches for the region; policy environment and best practices to foster partnerships; and financial, technical and capacity building requirements for the replication and upscaling of technological solutions. [Regional Technical Expert Meeting on Waste-to-Energy]

A workshop, convened by the TEC and UN Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), underscored the importance of South-South and technological cooperation in helping developing countries achieve their NDCs and the SDGs. It sought to engage relevant stakeholders to: enhance understanding and awareness of the potential and complementary role of South-South and triangular cooperation in the region; and encourage development or scaling up of South-South cooperation initiatives. [Workshop on South-South Cooperation]

A number of announcements were also made during the Week. For example, 60 businesses, responsible for nearly 50% of New Zealand’s emissions, established the Climate Leaders Coalition to support compliance with the goals of the Paris Agreement. The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Smart Cities Network signed five agreements, highlighting South-South cooperation, including the establishment of a smart energy management system. The World Bank reaffirmed that 51 carbon pricing initiatives have been or are scheduled to be implemented. Prior to the conference, the Government of Singapore announced a Climate Action Package to ASEAN countries, which includes mitigation and adaptation training programmes.

APCW2018 was organized by the UNFCCC Secretariat under the Nairobi Framework Partnership (NFP), with support from the Government of Singapore and others. The NFP supports developing countries in NDC preparation and implementation.

APCW2018 follows Africa Climate Week (ACW2018), and precedes Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) Climate Week 2018 and Middle East and North Africa Climate Week (MENACW2018). Regional climate weeks aim to support implementation of countries’ NDCs under the Paris Agreement and overall climate action to deliver on the SDGs. [APCW 2018 Website] [UNFCCC Press Release at Conclusion of APCW 2018] [UNFCCC Press Release in Advance of APCW 2018] [NFP Website]