COP27 a turning point as Asia and the Pacific highlights climate justice focus, increased ambitions and innovative solutions

The Asia-Pacific region is home to many countries, economies and people most affected by climate change. Thus, the region has a major responsibility to reduce its increasing vulnerability to climate change by rapidly moving towards low- or zero-carbon pathways and increasing investment in resilience.

Under this context, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) will hold a series of COP27 side events and other activities in collaboration with member States and various partners, which will showcase the outcomes of regional deliberations and innovative initiatives at the global platform.

ESCAP’s engagements during COP27 will also draw attention to several key recommendations for countries in the region, including:

• The need to focus on climate justice from multiple angles such as access to concessional finance and debt relief measures which acknowledge the link between rising debt levels and consequences of climate change;
• A revisit to measuring society’s well-being with full reflection of environmental considerations and their interplay with the economic and social aspects of development;
• Investing in disaster risk reduction and resilience will be vital to protecting development gains and countries from cascading crises;
• The region needs to align development strategies and policies with climate neutrality commitments by 2050 to 2060; and
• Regional cooperation to mutually support the implementation of updated NDC and carbon neutrality commitments should be strengthened.