Thammasat University students interested in environmental studies, economics, law, sociology, political science, biology, ASEAN studies, and related subjects may find it interesting to participate in a free 6 July Zoom webinar on Implementing a Green Recovery in Southeast Asia.
The event is organized by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute (ISEAS) and will present many distinguished experts on economic and sociocultural developments in Southeast Asia.
The TU Library collection includes several books about different aspects of green economics.
In May, the ADB published a report on Implementing a Green Recovery in Southeast Asia that is available for free download at this link:
https://www.adb.org/publications/implementing-green-recovery-southeast-asia
The event will be held on Wednesday, 6 July 2022 at 8am Bangkok time.
To register, students are invited to go to this link:
https://adb-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2gFxldi8SHiHZhNvWSnntQ
For further information or with any questions, please click on this link.
The ADB publication explains:
As countries around the world begin to recover from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, policy makers must decide what type of economic recovery they want to promote. Will they choose measures that reinforce existing economic structures, particularly those that have a negative impact on the environment? Or will they see the COVID-19 crisis as an opportunity to rebuild in a way that significantly improves environmental outcomes? As this report argues, a green recovery from the pandemic is crucial—especially in Southeast Asia—to ensure an economically and environmentally resilient future. Moreover, well-designed policy measures can simultaneously achieve socioeconomic and environmental goals. In fact, without concerted action to address the environmental crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, the region’s long-term growth prospects could be constrained, and extreme weather events and other environmental challenges associated with climate change and biodiversity will continue to impact lives and livelihoods. While recent policy measures in the focus countries of this study are environmentally positive elements (such as investments in green infrastructure), there are also areas of concern (such as fossil fuel subsidies and environmental de-regulation). A green recovery approach from the COVID-19 pandemic is crucial for Southeast Asia, in particular in the five focus countries of the study: Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Thailand. A green recovery (i) will be important for safeguarding against future pandemics due to the growing link between environmental and human health, (ii) will be important for addressing the severe and worsening impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss in the region, (iii) has strong potential to achieve significant economic stimulus, and (iv) is crucial for strengthening the region’s long-term competitiveness. Support for a green recovery approach is evident in regional strategies such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Comprehensive Recovery Framework (ASEAN Secretariat 2020), which emphasizes environmental sustainability as a key component of the region’s post-pandemic economic recovery process; and the Greater Mekong Subregion’s COVID-19 Response and Recovery Plan 2021–2023, which includes a focus on developing healthy cities. However, there are varying levels of “greenness” observed in recent policy measures at the country level. Green policies implemented so far include green infrastructure finance, a moratorium on new coal-fired power plants, private sector incentives for large-scale renewable energy projects, import duties on crude oil and refined petroleum products, a carbon emissions trading scheme, and investments in solar panels for rural households and utility-scale battery storage for renewable energy. Conversely, policies in Southeast Asia that are likely to have a negative impact on the environment include subsidies that lower the cost of electricity generated from fossil fuels, substantial budget cuts for renewable energy projects, financial support for polluting state-owned enterprises, rollback of some environmental regulations, and expansion of land available for mining activities. To help governments in Southeast Asia find opportunities for green growth that are most relevant for the region, this report identifies five priority opportunities based on economic potential and number of jobs that can be created, and the extent of environmental damage that can be reversed or addressed by each opportunity. These opportunities include: (i) productive and regenerative agriculture (transforming agricultural landscapes and farming practices to improve yields while enhancing the health of surrounding natural ecosystems); (ii) sustainable urban development and transport models (promoting denser and better-planned urban x Executive Summary developments and public transport systems); (iii) clean energy transition (including the development of renewable energy projects and enhancing the efficiency of energy use across various sectors); (iv) circular economy models (converting by-products and waste-streams across various sectors into valuable end products, while minimizing waste); and (v) healthy and productive oceans (supporting the sustainable management of wild fisheries through ensuring biologically viable fishing levels). If leveraged fully, the five green growth opportunities would require approximately $172 billion in capital investment and can create 30 million jobs in Southeast Asia by 2030. These growth opportunities also align with almost 60% of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal targets. Some general policy recommendations would include introducing carbon pricing, intensifying research on green technologies, encouraging women entrepreneurs to participate in green business opportunities, and managing biodiversity better through open-data systems. Implementing a green recovery in Southeast Asia requires taking three key steps:
- Step 1: Build mechanisms that can produce a lasting shift toward ecosystem resilience. This will involve the development of a more integrated approach toward green growth, working across government agencies to assess trade-offs or possible shared benefits of green policies pursued by different agencies. It will also require a rigorous approach to data collection and target setting; having a consolidated database of information on environmental performance and potential impacts can help policy makers evaluate specific policies and programs and set targets. Government agencies may also require capacity building to have the right skills to execute a green growth agenda.
- Step 2: Implement targeted policy interventions focused on the five green growth opportunities. There are policy interventions that governments can implement to achieve each green opportunity. • Under “Productive and regenerative agriculture,” policy interventions include helping farmers adopt more efficient micro-irrigation techniques to save water and improve yields, such as sprinkler and drip irrigation systems instead of flood irrigation, especially for high-value crops…
- Step 3: Identify sustainable sources of financing for green growth opportunities. Governments must determine at the outset how they will finance these opportunities. Options include collecting green taxation revenue (e.g., carbon taxes); removing “brown” subsidies (e.g., fossil fuel subsidies); mobilizing private sector finance (e.g., green finance facilities and sustainable impact bonds); and leveraging international finance sources (ADB 2020a, 2020b). In particular, Southeast Asian countries can use the ASEAN Catalytic Green Finance Facility to acquire loans and technical assistance for sovereign green infrastructure projects on sustainable transport, clean energy, and resilient water systems.
(All images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)