The report, titled "Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report 2011: Post-crisis Trade and Investment Opportunities," recommends that Asia-Pacific countries lead exports of climate-smart goods and technologies, and highlights the need for additional annual regional investments of US$600 billion, up to 2050, to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and provide business opportunities to develop and export new goods and services in the areas of water, energy and resource efficiency.
25 July 2011: The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) has released the “Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report 2011: Post-crisis Trade and Investment Opportunities,” which concludes that trade in the Asia-Pacific region has rebounded to pre-crisis levels and the potential of climate-smart goods remains untapped.
The report identifies areas of opportunity in trade and investment for regional economies, inlcuding trade and investment in climate-smart goods and technologies (CSGTs), and offers policy actions to turn those opportunities into reality. It highlights the need for additional annual regional investments of US$600 billion up to 2050, to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and provide business opportunities to develop and export new goods and services in the areas of water, energy and resource efficiency. The report notes that China, Japan and the Republic of Korea are currently leading the development and use of CSGTs, and recommends that other countries follow by integrating with regional climate-smart value chains.
According to ESCAP, with the EU, Japan and the US economies slowing, Asia-Pacific countries must rely more on intraregional trade, to build resilience to external shocks. The report also recommends increased trade facilitation and the consolidation of regional trade agreements. [ESCAP Press Release] [Publication: Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report 2011: Post-crisis Trade and Investment Opportunities]