Action on climate change in Asia’s self-interest. Asia 2050: realizing the Asian century

Abstract

This chapter examines the issue of whether low-carbon growth might be in the self-interest of key Asian countries.  Individually, the leading countries in Asia are very important to each other in different ways, not least in that emissions in one country have impacts on citizens in another. Combined, their growth and development trajectories over the next decade have important implications for both the long-term prosperity of their own people and those of others around the world. The chapter asks whether Asian countries could seize the climate policy agenda and open up these broader opportunities with a coordinated, self-interested announcement to exploit the fear of “losing the low-carbon race” in the West. Such a strategy would likely thwart resistance within Annex 1 countries to action on climate change which would also benefit countries in Asia.

Reference

Hepburn, C., and Ward, J. 2011. Action on climate change in Asia’s self-interest. Asia 2050: realizing the Asian century (Harinder Kohli, Ashok Sharma and Anil Sood [eds.]). Sage Publications.