How can systems analysis help align climate change, air pollution, and sustainable development policies in Asia: Opportunities for collaboration

For many countries in Asia, rapid development has come at steep environmental costs. While the COVID-19 pandemic has caused tremendous suffering and loss, it has also opened opportunities for countries in Asia to lower those costs by transitioning onto the sustainable development paths. A key to moving down sustainable development paths is integrating climate change mitigation with broader development needs. In Asia, integrating climate change and air pollution can bring multiple benefits or co-benefits. One of the most powerful analytical tools for identifying interventions that can maximize the co-benefits from complex and interrelated issues of climate change and air pollution is systems analysis. This international webinar showcased collaborative research activities between the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), a world leader in the field of systems analysis, and countries in Asia, including Japan, that can help quantify, integrate and advance co-benefits. It aimed to deepen the discussion on how systems analysis and other cutting-edge research techniques could strengthen international cooperation on integrated policies for sustainable development (with a focus on linking climate change and air pollution strategies). This collaboration is also consistent with the letter and spirit of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
 

This webinar consists of three sessions as follows:

Session I Japan-IIASA Collaboration in Systems Analysis: This session presented ongoing collaborative research projects between IIASA, the Ministry of the Environment of Japan and Asian Co-benefits Partnership (ACP).

Session 2 Development of Co-benefits Approach: This session highlighted progress of co-benefits approach of air pollution control and other sustainability issues including climate mitigation.

Session 3 How to promote regional collaboration in aligning climate change, air pollution, and sustainable development policies in Asia?: This session featured panel discussion reflecting outcomes of the previous sessions and discussed how to further promote co-benefits.