Finance for Climate Action in Asia and the Pacific: A Regional Action Agenda to Access Debt Capital Markets

Developing countries in Asia and the Pacific are historically the least responsible for greenhouse gas emissions that result in climate change, but are most vulnerable to its environmental, economic and social impacts. Priority responses to the challenge of global warming include strategies to reduce vulnerability; climate-proofing infrastructure to protect lives and assets; investing in adaptation strategies; strengthening resilience; and reducing emissions. This will require significant investments by both public and private sectors. Global estimates of the cumulative investment needed to stay within a 2ºC temperature increase by 2030-35 range between $55 and $93 trillion. Developing Asia alone needs an estimated US$3.6 billion per annum up to 2030 to transition toward net zero emissions and increased resilience as required by the Paris Agreement. This economic transition also presents a unique opportunity for private finance. Estimates suggest that the Paris Agreement has opened up nearly $23 trillion in opportunities for climate-smart investments in emerging markets up to 2030.