The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) issued the first synthesis of “experiences from the Asia-Pacific region on translating synergies into practical, policy-relevant lessons for decision makers at multiple levels.” The report calls for synergies to be used “as a core organizing principle in policies and actions toward 2030 and beyond.”
Themed, ‘Advancing Synergistic Solutions to the Triple Planetary Crisis and the SDGs,’ the Asia-Pacific Synthesis Report highlights the region’s wide range of synergistic solutions to climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and other developmental challenges. It draws on 36 featured case studies and more than 140 case studies overall to show how synergistic approaches can tackle the triple planetary crisis while enhancing resilience, equity, and resource efficiency and accelerating progress towards the SDGs.
The report identifies four entry points for advancing synergies:
- Health-centered climate action;
- Nature-positive nexus approaches;
- Circular economy approaches; and
- Cities as delivery platforms for synergies.
It argues that synergies do not emerge in isolation and therefore need an enabling environment backed by aligned finance, robust data and analytical tools, and effective governance models. The report emphasizes the critical role of regional cooperation in developing, implementing, and scaling synergistic approaches and solutions from pilots to policy.
The report recommends that the Asia-Pacific region move beyond fragmented responses and embed synergies into policy, planning, and investment decisions, which can help turn interconnected crises into “a virtuous cycle of opportunities for transformation.”
The report was launched on 30 July 2026, during the Seventh Global Conference on Climate and SDG Synergies, which took place in Bangkok, Thailand, from 29-30 June. During the launch, speakers noted that its findings “will contribute to replicating and scaling best practices related to climate and development synergies throughout the region,” according to the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) summary report of the meeting.
The report was produced with support from the Ministry of the Environment, Japan (MOEJ). The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) served as the report’s Secretariat.
Following the report’s release, ministers gathered for the ninth session of the ESCAP Committee on Environment and Development adopted a new regional agenda to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution in a coordinated manner. [Publication: Asia-Pacific Synthesis Report: Advancing Synergistic Solutions to the Triple Planetary Crisis and the SDGs] [Publication Landing Page]