Greening Integration in Asia: How Regional Integration Can Benefit People and the Environment

Regional Integration is stepping up in Asia. The launch of the ASEAN community by the end of 2015 and the possible establishment of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) signal a new era of deepened regional integration. These and other regional initiatives will influence how Asia develops over the coming decades.

The new IGES White Paper underscores that the benefits of regional integration need to be long-lasting and shared. It cautions that a narrow emphasis on short-term economic gains could undermine the region’s prospects for lasting prosperity by undermining the region’s natural resource base and deepen inequalities within and among countries. However, regional integration also offers opportunities for countries to collaborate and to jointly make development more inclusive, resilient and long-lasting.

The White Paper is hopeful that leaders in Asia will grasp the opportunities of regional integration to contribute to sustainable development and resist the pressures for a harmful race to the bottom.

Remarks:

Executive Summary
http://pub.iges.or.jp/modules/envirolib/view.php?docid=6047

Executive Summary (Japanese version)
http://pub.iges.or.jp/modules/envirolib/view.php?docid=6059

Chapter 1:
Greening Asia’s Integration: An Urgent Challenge
http://pub.iges.or.jp/modules/envirolib/view.php?docid=6048

Chapter 2:
Where is Asia Heading? Trends and Issues for Regional Integration and Sustainability
http://pub.iges.or.jp/modules/envirolib/view.php?docid=6049

Chapter 3:
Regional Integration and Sustainable Development: Experiences from Asia and Beyond
http://pub.iges.or.jp/modules/envirolib/view.php?docid=6050

Chapter 4:
ASEAN Community and the Sustainable Development Goals: Positioning Sustainability at the Heart of Regional Integration
http://pub.iges.or.jp/modules/envirolib/view.php?docid=6051

Chapter 5:
Sustainable Management of Natural Forests in the Asia-Pacific Region: Implications of Regional Economic Integration and Measures to Avoid Potential Environmental Harm
http://pub.iges.or.jp/modules/envirolib/view.php?docid=6052

Chapter 6:
Greening the Trade of Recyclable Materials: Recycling Certification for Improved E-waste Management in East Asia
http://pub.iges.or.jp/modules/envirolib/view.php?docid=6053

Chapter 7:
Air Pollution and Regional Economic Integration in East Asia: Implications and Recommendations
http://pub.iges.or.jp/modules/envirolib/view.php?docid=6054

Chapter 8:
Water-Food-Energy Nexus Approach: Towards Green Regional Cooperation in Southeast Asia
http://pub.iges.or.jp/modules/envirolib/view.php?docid=6055

Chapter 9:
Low Carbon Technology Transfer in the Context of Asian Regional Integration
http://pub.iges.or.jp/modules/envirolib/view.php?docid=6056

Chapter 10:
Building Capacity for Environmentally Sustainable Trade in Asia: Toward a Coherent Approach
http://pub.iges.or.jp/modules/envirolib/view.php?docid=6057

Chapter 11:
Conclusions: Steps to Greening Integration
http://pub.iges.or.jp/modules/envirolib/view.php?docid=6058