Translating long-term strategies and NDCs into action for energy and a just transition in the Asia-Pacific region  

Track 1 Session 1 was jointly organized by UNESCAP and UNEP, UNFCCC with support from RCC Asia-Pacific, UNDP, NDC Partnership and the World Bank.  This session addressed how the second NDC update cycle (2024-2025) needs to align with LT-LEDs and net-zero pledges and align with the IPCC recommended 1.5°C trajectories. It also took stock of how enabling policies support implementation of current NDCs and are impacting historical GHG emission reductions and discussed how to develop supportive just transition frameworks and stakeholder engagement processes.     

Delivering the Paris Agreement in the Asia-Pacific region: Integrating just transition pathways in the NDCs and LT-LEDS  

This UNFCCC mandated event was delivered with support of the RCC Asia Pacific. The participants discussed the possible trade-offs between climate objectives and sustainable development, and other policies that need to be put in place to achieve both. It fostered information-sharing with a view to developing energy transition policies that will support the implementation of NDCs and LT-LEDS and allowed peer-to-peer learning to facilitate planning and implementation of effective policies on just transition of the workforce and creation of decent work and quality jobs, and on economic diversification and transformation.  

Just Transition towards regional net-zero climate resilient development  

The 2023 Review of Climate Ambition in Asia and the Pacific: Just Transition towards regional net-zero climate resilient development, was launched at the APCW 2023. Across events and sessions, policy makers, development partners, youth voices and other stakeholders presented key highlights of the analysis of the trends in ecosystems changes in the Asia-Pacific region, seeking to identify new and innovative approaches to both mitigation and adaptation. Interventions also highlighted the need to create just transition frameworks to accelerate transition to clean and low carbon development and increase investments in the restoration and enhancement of terrestrial, coastal, and marine ecosystems to leverage nature-based solutions.  

This report was developed jointly by ESCAP, UNEP, UNFCCC/RCC Asia-Pacific, ILO, UNIDO, and the members of the Issues-Based Coalition for Raising Climate Ambition of the Regional Collaboration Platform for Asia and the Pacific members 

Effective policies and finance as catalysts to accelerate and facilitate just transition in the ASEAN  

Organized by RCC Asia-Pacific and Stockholm Environment Institute in collaboration with UNESCAP and UNGCMYB, this event showcased opportunities of low-carbon transitions in the ASEAN region and how good policies and adequate finance could help to accelerate and facilitate the transition. Discussions focused on the different forms of existing platforms and finance including blended finance that can act as catalyst to facilitate the transition.  

How state and local government can catalyze the drive towards energy transition  

RCC Asia-Pacific supported the organisation of this event which was led by Permodalan Darul Ta'zim (PDT), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Johor State Government. This event highlighted that economic diversification, transformation and enhancing the acceptance capacity of households, small businesses to be able to transition in a way that is just for the society, enhancing access to the opportunities that emerge from the low carbon transition and attract investment will mitigate the potential socioeconomic impacts of response measures.  

Leveraging Carbon Markets for Energy Transition in Emerging Economies  

This side-event was jointly organized by RCC Asia-Pacific, WRI India, WRI Indonesia, Article 6 Implementation Partnership and Race to Zero. The panel discussion focused on how carbon market mechanisms can offer flexibility and mobilize finance for meeting emission reduction targets, thereby encouraging more ambitious decarbonization goals and cost-effective clean energy transitions in emerging economies.   

 07 Inclusive Pathways: Catalyzing the Just Energy Transition with Community-Centric Approaches  

This moderated panel session organised by UN Women, UNEP and UNFCCC with support from RCC Asia-Pacific, highlighted the significant role that decentralized renewable energy (DRE) can play in helping countries reach their goals under the Paris Agreement. In the context of just energy transition, this session underlined how collaboration and investing in projects that prioritize social equity and inclusivity in the renewable energy sector does not only make good social sense but is also economically viable in the long run.   

Reshaping Tomorrow: Asian Private Sector Leadership in Climate Action and Resilience  

Organized by UNGCMYB, UNFCCC through RCC Asia-Pacific, this event included a C-Suite and a Panel discussion of the Executive Directors of UN Global Compact Regional Networks, a gender and a youth voice from the region. The Roundtable focused on journeys of Asian private sector leaders who have embarked on successful decarbonization paths which has translated to broader societal benefits. The event also focused on a holistic conversation about climate action and supporting transition to decent quality jobs and building inclusive societies  

Youth4Capacity Initiative Sessions at APCW 2023  

 Understanding the significance of equipping young individuals with the necessary skills and tools to bridge existing gaps and meaningfully participate in co-creating climate change solutions with the policy makers, a series of sessions centered on enhancing the abilities of young people on global policy frameworks and what they aim to achieve at the local level. YECAP, RCC Asia-Pacific through its engagement not only with the Youth networks from the region but also regional bodies and policy makers contributed to the organization of these sessions. >> More information

Implementing NDCs through Subnational Climate Finance  

The side event, jointly organized by RCC Asia-Pacific, WRI India, and UN Climate Change High-Level Champions focused on one of the main barriers to stronger subnational action - the challenges faced in accessing timely, predictable, and quality climate finance. It shared best practices and success stories in building subnational capacity to access climate finance. It also presented initiatives targeted at mobilizing finance for the subnational scale.  

LT-LEDS Capacity Building Workshop for Asia Pacific  

The workshop ‘Heading towards net-zero in the Asia Pacific’ was co-organized by RCC Asia-Pacific, NDC Partnership and UNDP as a LT-LEDS capacity building workshop for the region. This regional workshop addressed the specific capacity needs of Asia and the Pacific countries in LT-LEDS development and implementation. It focused on sharing with participants the necessary knowledge, skills, and networks to effectively develop, implement, and monitor LT-LEDS.   

Implementation Pathways for Low Carbon Transport: Policy Frameworks and Financing Mechanisms  

This was organized as a two-part side event by UNESCAP, UNEP, GiZ, WRI India, the NDC Transport Initiative for Asia and RCC Asia-Pacific. The panel discussion took stock of low carbon transport frameworks and pathways among countries of the Asia Pacific region, which is seeing the fastest growing transport sector emissions across the globe that will increase in the coming decades. Discussion outputs will contribute to the Global Stocktake (GST) at COP28 and other regional and global transport policy dialogues.  

Developing and Strengthening National Systems of Innovation (NSIs) to Drive Climate Action  

At this session, organized by UNFCCC with support from RCC Asia-Pacific, discussions were focused on the summary for policymakers and the compilation of good practices and lessons learned on the setup and implementation of NSIs, at regional level. It also showcased concrete lessons learned and good practices from case studies in Asia-Pacific on the measures taken to develop or strengthen national systems of innovation from diverse innovation system perspectives (national/sector/technology-focused) to assist developing countries that are seeking to strengthen their NSIs in the context of climate action.  

Redicap/ Art.6 Training  

The RCC Asia-Pacific, together with the Art.6 team and experts from Dubai and Panama (RCC MENA and SA, RCC LACC) organized the last of the four Art.6 and carbon pricing trainings at the Asia-Pacific Climate Week in Johor Bahru, Malaysia from 13-17 November 2023. The training was attended by representatives of countries from the region to receive introductions on these topics, as part of the capacity building initiative on Art.6 delivered by the secretariat through the RCCs.