Asia and the Pacific

This book chapter from the Global Environment Outlook 5 (GEO-5) analyzes the environmental challenges and policy needs of the Asia and Pacific region, emphasizing its role as a global engine of economic growth and its critical impact on global climate goals.

• The Asia and the Pacific region is the world's fastest growing region and has the most rapidly increasing greenhouse gas emissions. If current business-as-usual trends continue, the region is projected to account for roughly 45 per cent of global energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by the year 2030.
• The region exhibits significant diversity in emissions, with China being the largest emitter globally, while most Pacific island nations are among the smallest. Because many of the countries most vulnerable to climate change are located here, the document advocates for integrating disaster risk reduction, climate proofing infrastructure, and ecosystem-based adaptation into development plans.
• Water management in the region is challenged by extreme variations, ranging from arid zones and water-stressed small island states to the tropics and Himalayan snowfields. Achieving freshwater goals requires an adaptive and integrated management framework that includes multi-stakeholder participation and appropriate pricing.
• Increasing wealth in the region has led to a rapid rise in consumption and waste. The document identifies the '3Rs' approach—reduce, reuse, recycle—as a key goal, noting that changing consumption patterns and behavior is central to an effective policy mix.
• Governance improvements are deemed critical for sustainable development. Recommended actions include integrating sustainability across all policy areas, greening fiscal policy, improving data collection and monitoring, and ensuring access to information and legal redress.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2012). Asia and the Pacific. https://www.sei.org/publications/geo-5-chapter-10-asia-and-the-pacific/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Asia and the Pacific. 2012. https://www.sei.org/publications/geo-5-chapter-10-asia-and-the-pacific/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Asia and the Pacific |date=6 June 2012 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/geo-5-chapter-10-asia-and-the-pacific/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2012asia, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Asia and the Pacific}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2012}, month = jun, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/geo-5-chapter-10-asia-and-the-pacific/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }