A Southeast Asian Perspective on Trade and Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation

The document analyzes the vulnerability of the ASEAN region to climate change and evaluates the current mitigation and adaptation strategies of its member states. It argues that while ASEAN countries have ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), there is a significant disconnect between climate goals and trade policy. The author recommends reducing tariffs and non-tariff barriers on environmental goods, reforming fossil fuel subsidies, and utilizing WTO flexibilities for technology transfer to bridge this gap.

• The ASEAN region is highly vulnerable to climate change due to its geography, high levels of extreme poverty, and economic dependence on climate-sensitive sectors like agriculture and natural resources.
• Current policies in the ASEAN region are insufficient to meet NDC targets; the International Energy Agency estimated that CO2 emissions in the region would increase seven times faster than the global average between 2018 and 2040.
• The energy sector is the primary source of emissions for almost all ASEAN member states, except Cambodia, where the transport sector is the largest emitter.
• Trade barriers on environmental goods remain a challenge in ASEAN; average applied tariffs in 2019 exceeded or were close to 6% in Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia, while Singapore maintained 0%.
• Non-tariff barriers (NTBs), particularly technical barriers to trade (TBT) related to energy-efficiency standards, are prevalent across the region and can hinder the diffusion of clean technologies.
• Fossil fuel subsidies in ASEAN totaled $35 billion in 2018, significantly outweighing the region's investment in renewable energy, which was just over $7 billion in the same year.
• In the LULUCF sector, the adoption of the ASEAN Standard for Legality of Timber in October 2020 aims to promote timber trade while combating deforestation.
• Agriculture is a universal priority for adaptation across all ASEAN member states, focusing on climate-smart practices, stress-tolerant crop varieties, and improved water management.
• There is a structural disconnect within ASEAN's regional blueprints; while the Economic Community Blueprint 2025 mentions sustainable development, it lacks a concrete action plan or sectoral body to oversee implementation.
• To improve technology access, ASEAN countries are encouraged to use flexibilities under the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, such as compulsory licensing.

APA

Pham, A. (2023). A Southeast Asian Perspective on Trade and Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation. Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs. https://lyrical-cormorant.files.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Publications/TESS-Policy-Paper-A-Southeast-Asian-Perspective-on-Trade-and-Climate-Change-Mitigation-and-Adaptation.pdf?dm=1678307768

Chicago

Pham, Alice. A Southeast Asian Perspective on Trade and Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation. Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs, 2023. https://lyrical-cormorant.files.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Publications/TESS-Policy-Paper-A-Southeast-Asian-Perspective-on-Trade-and-Climate-Change-Mitigation-and-Adaptation.pdf?dm=1678307768.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Pham |first1=Alice |title=A Southeast Asian Perspective on Trade and Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation |publisher=Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs |date=January 2023 |url=https://lyrical-cormorant.files.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Publications/TESS-Policy-Paper-A-Southeast-Asian-Perspective-on-Trade-and-Climate-Change-Mitigation-and-Adaptation.pdf?dm=1678307768 |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{pham2023southeast, author = {Pham, Alice}, title = {{A Southeast Asian Perspective on Trade and Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation}}, institution = {Forum on Trade, Environment, \& the SDGs}, year = {2023}, month = jan, url = {https://lyrical-cormorant.files.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Publications/TESS-Policy-Paper-A-Southeast-Asian-Perspective-on-Trade-and-Climate-Change-Mitigation-and-Adaptation.pdf?dm=1678307768}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }