Due to its unique geography, combined with underlying factors such as the presence of extreme poverty and high dependence on climate-sensitive sectors like agriculture and natural resources, Southeast Asia is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts. Member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have thus undertaken ambitious commitments and implemented several actions on climate change mitigation and adaptation at the national and regional levels.
This policy paper examines the various adaptation and mitigation efforts of ASEAN in prioritized sectors (agriculture, energy, and land-use, land-use change, and forestry). It discusses how international cooperation on trade and trade-related policies could complement or support these efforts and identifies priority areas for action and recommendations at the regional and multilateral level.
The publication is part of a series of policy papers commissioned by TESS with partners on Developing country perspectives on trade, climate change, and sustainable development, which includes papers on Africa, the Caribbean, South America, South Asia and Southeast Asia. Each paper has been prepared by experts and institutions from the region and seeks to highlight regional and developing country perspectives and priorities on the role of international trade cooperation in supporting climate mitigation and adaptation and climate-resilient sustainable development.
While many discussions are now taking place on trade and climate change at the WTO and in a range of other international settings, most are dominated by concerns, policies, and proposals from more advanced economies. In an effort to spur a more inclusive dialogue, the series supports the bottom-up identification and formulation of developing country perspectives and priorities on trade and climate change adaptation and mitigation including how to advance them at the regional and multilateral levels.
Given the growing recognition worldwide that trade not only contributes to climate change, but is also a vital part of the solution to ensure a just transition to a low-carbon economy and foster climate-resilient development, Southeast Asian countries should seize the opportunity to use trade and trade-related measures for these purposes more proactively.
Alice Pham
Recommended citation: Pham, A. (2023). A Southeast Asian perspective on trade and climate change mitigation and adaptation. Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs (TESS) and CUTS International.
Developing Country Perspectives at the WTO's 2022 Public Forum
You can view this video of a working session on regional perspectives on trade and climate change co-hosted by TESS and regional partners at the WTO's 2022 Public Forum.
This paper is co-published with
Developing Country Perspectives
This publication is part of a series of policy papers commissioned by TESS with partners on Developing country perspectives on trade, climate change, and sustainable development.
