Regional implications of the AGF recommendations: Asia

This briefing, published by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network in November 2010, analyzes the regional implications for Asia of the recommendations made by the Advisory Group on Climate Finance (AGF). It examines Asia's climate exposure, emissions profile, and the financial requirements for mitigation and adaptation, while evaluating the opportunities and risks posed by proposed global climate finance mechanisms.

• Asia's annual investment requirements for climate change mitigation by 2030 are estimated to be between US$90 billion and US$180 billion, with the energy sector offering the greatest potential for emission reductions.
• Annual adaptation costs for Asia may reach US$40–45 billion by 2030, representing approximately 0.5% of the region's current GDP. India and China are expected to require the bulk of this, totaling US$20–24 billion annually, while Asia's least developed countries (LDCs) may need US$5–6 billion per year.
• The Copenhagen Accord's target of US$100 billion per year in climate finance is considered insufficient for Asia's needs, as the region's own requirements are projected to be 1.5 to 2.25 times that target.
• Private finance is expected to provide most of the mitigation investment in China, India, and much of South-East Asia, whereas other parts of the region will require concessional public resources to improve business environments and leverage investment.
• The AGF's proposed public funding instruments—including auctioning emission allowances, redirecting fossil fuel subsidies, and carbon pricing for international transport—are viewed as attractive for Asia, particularly for countries with high adaptation needs like Bangladesh, Nepal, and Vietnam.
• Certain AGF recommendations present economic risks to Asia, specifically transport levies that could threaten export-oriented growth and a financial transaction tax that could reduce activity in major foreign-exchange hubs like Singapore and Hong Kong.
• Asia's emissions profile is dominated by the energy sector, though there is significant regional diversity: agriculture is a major source in South Asia, and land-use change dominates in South-East Asia.

APA

Fankhauser, S., & Ward, J. (2010). Regional implications of the AGF recommendations: Asia. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/AGF-Implications-Asia-CDKN-Special-Briefing-small.pdf

Chicago

Fankhauser, Sam, and John Ward. Regional implications of the AGF recommendations: Asia. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2010. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/AGF-Implications-Asia-CDKN-Special-Briefing-small.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Fankhauser |first1=Sam |last2=Ward |first2=John |title=Regional implications of the AGF recommendations: Asia |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=November 2010 |url=http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/AGF-Implications-Asia-CDKN-Special-Briefing-small.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{fankhauser2010regional, author = {Fankhauser, Sam and Ward, John}, title = {{Regional implications of the AGF recommendations: Asia}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2010}, month = nov, url = {http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/AGF-Implications-Asia-CDKN-Special-Briefing-small.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }