The world faces a triple planetary crisis: climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution threaten to undermine the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Synergistic approaches could potentially help address these three crises in an integrated manner by working across the different dimensions of sustainable development.
In recent years, the international community has the need for robust planning and reporting frameworks that can help effectively implement synergies. Against this backdrop, Japan proposed a resolution “Promoting synergistic approaches to address the interlinked global crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution and support sustainable development” for UNEA-6. Focusing on ways countries in Asia-Pacific can accelerate their efforts on climate (SDG 13) and other relevant environmental SDGs through the promotion of synergistic actions, this side event enabled policymakers and other stakeholders an opportunity to offer inputs into the effective implementation of the resolution and bring synergies to life.
This side event examined the following key guiding questions:
- 1. What are some of the key opportunities and challenges for promoting synergies in Asia and the Pacific?
- 2. How can countries in the region develop robust planning and reporting frameworks for synergies?
- 3. What kind of good practices that generate synergies among SDGs do countries have and what are lessons learned from those?
The triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution continues to pose obstacles to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement, and the recently-agreed Global Biodiversity Framework. Overcoming these challenges in an effective manner requires the adoption of synergistic approaches. This side event engaged with representative governments and other stakeholders leading implementation across the region to focus on ways countries in Asia-Pacific can accelerate their efforts on climate and SDGs by promoting synergistic actions.
Event Details
Online
Presentation Materials
| Opening | |||
| 13:00-13:10 | Welcoming | Moderator: Eric Zusman, Research Leader (IGES) | |
| Opening Remarks | Tatsushi NISHIOKA, Deputy Chief of Mission, Minister and Permanent Representative of Japan to UNESCAP, Embassy of Japan in Thailand | ||
| Presentations | |||
| 13:10-14:00 | Overview of Global Synergies Report Heide Hackmann, Director of Future Africa, Strategic Advisor on Transdisciplinarity and Global Knowledge Networks at the University of Pretoria in South Africa | PDF (792KB) | |
| Importance of UNEA Resolution on Synergies for Fiji Amenatave Yauvoli, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Fiji to the Republic of Indonesia; High Commissioner to Singapore; High Commissioner to Malaysia; Permanent Representative to UNESCAP in Bangkok | PDF (1MB) | ||
| How Thailand is working on synergies between climate and air pollution Kessinee Unapumnuk, Head, Transboundary Air Pollution Sub-division, Air Quality and Noise Management Division, Pollution Control Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Thailand | PDF (2.6MB) | ||
| Promoting Co-benefits in the Blue Skies Programme Karma Yangzom, Principal Environment Specialist Asian Development Bank (ADB) | PDF (2.1MB) | ||
| The Synergies Between Green Space and Heat Stroke Mediation Kenji Tsurumi, Deputy Section Manager, Kawasaki Environmental Research Institute | PDF(953KB) | ||
| Interactive Discussions (Q&A) | |||
| 14:00-14:10 | Facilitator: Matthew Hengesbaugh, Policy Researcher (IGES) | ||
| Closing | |||
| 14:10-14:15 | Closing remarks | Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) | |