Strengthening Regional Collaboration for Sustainable Development

The Strategic Collaborative Fund Phase 2 (SCF2), implemented by SEI Asia and funded by Sida, operated from 2018 to 2023 to advance the 2030 Agenda in Asia. The programme focused on four components: inter-regional cooperation (ASEAN, China, and Europe), regional cooperation in Asia on transboundary issues, learning and capacity development via MOOCs, and programme management. Key achievements include the support of the China-ASEAN Environment Cooperation Forum and the Asia-Europe Environment Forum, the development of courses on human rights and gender equality, and the promotion of inclusive climate finance and nature-based solutions in South and Southeast Asian cities.

• The SCF2 programme facilitated inter-regional cooperation through the China-ASEAN Environment Cooperation Forum (CAECF) and the Asia-Europe Environment Forum (ENV Forum), focusing on green growth, sustainable consumption, and production.
• To bridge the gap between environmental practice and human rights, SCF2 developed two Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) specifically focused on gender equality and rights-based approaches to environmental sustainability.
• The programme highlighted the critical need for inclusive sustainable finance to support vulnerable communities in Asia, noting that while green bonds and loans reached $64 billion in 2019, barriers persist for poor and marginalized groups.
• Equity financing is identified as a viable alternative for smallholder farmers in the Philippines, Vietnam, and India to avoid debt traps and build climate resilience through shared risk and knowledge transfer.
• In South Asian cities, nature-based solutions (NbS) can enhance urban resilience if they incorporate community engagement, holistic socio-ecological approaches, and gender-sensitive design.
• The programme documented significant non-economic loss and damage in small island communities, such as Tubigon in the Philippines, where climate impacts include mental distress, loss of culture, and trauma.
• SCF2 advocated for the inclusion of informal waste workers in circular economy transitions in Asia to ensure social equity and provide these workers with visibility, recognition, and social security.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (n.d.). Strengthening Regional Collaboration for Sustainable Development. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/scf-highlights-2018-2023-compressed.pdf

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Strengthening Regional Collaboration for Sustainable Development. n.d. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/scf-highlights-2018-2023-compressed.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Strengthening Regional Collaboration for Sustainable Development |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/scf-highlights-2018-2023-compressed.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitutendstrengthening, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Strengthening Regional Collaboration for Sustainable Development}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/scf-highlights-2018-2023-compressed.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }