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SDG 7 localisation snapshot : Vigan City, Philippines
Get PDFSDG7 Localisation Snapshot provides a brief overview of the key areas related to implementation of the Sustainable Goal 7 (SDG7) to ‘Ensure access to affordable, reliable,
sustainable and modern energy for all’ at the local level based on the answers provided by the jurisdiction to the SDG7 Localisation questionnaire.
Questionnaire allowed to collect the assessments from the local officials regarding the situation on the implementation of SDG7 in their jurisdiction. SDG7 Localisation Snapshot
is a part of the collaborative project of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to
support city and sub-national governments in accelerating their efforts in the field of sustainable energy. SDG 7 Localisation Snapshots are short publications of the cities’ self-assessment regarding their capacity and availability of policies, actions and resources for supporting SDG 7 localisation. The Snapshots can download here
Enhancing shift towards sustainable freight transport in Asia and the Pacific : opportunities through railway decarbonization
Get PDFThis study was prepared by Mr. Alexander Burrows, Mr. Stuart Hillmansen and Mr. Marcelo Blumenfeld from the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education, under the supervision of Mr. Sandeep Raj Jain, Transport Connectivity and Logistics Section (TCLS), Transport Division, ESCAP. Overall guidance was provided by Ms. Azhar Jaimurzina Ducrest, Chief, TCLS, Transport Division.
The study has been carried out under the United Nations Development Account twelve tranche project on Enhancing shift towards Sustainable Freight Transport in Asia and the Pacific.The transport sector is responsible for around one third of global energy consumption and about a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions. Left unchecked the environmental burden from the transport sector could increase substantially by 2050. Decarbonizing transport has become one of the main strategic responses to reduce carbon emissions that cause climate change.
There are two ways rail can contribute to decarbonize the transport, first by modal shift, as railways can carry approximately 40 times more passengers per square metre and consume only a third of fuel to carry a tonne-km of freight as compared to road transport thereby reducing overall emissions. The second way, that is subject of this report, is to decarbonize the rail itself making it a practically zero emission transport mode.
Currently only one third of rail network in the ESCAP region is electrified -indicating substantial use of diesel for traction and non-traction purposes. And the diesel-powered trains emit at least twice as much CO2 in the atmosphere than electric ones.Railway decarbonize solutions entail (a) electrification of rail infrastructure (b) rolling stock that runs on alternative modes of traction such as hydrogen fuel cells, batteries and biodiesel.
The findings in the study highlight that some countries in the ESCAP region may not be able to afford or economically justify high investments required in electrification of rail infrastructure. Moreover, impact of rail electrification on carbon emissions is closely linked to energy source to generate electricity. Only use of renewable sources of energy can reduce emissions through rail electrification.
Electric battery and hybrid hydrogen fuel cell traction systems are gaining prominence as alternatives to the more costly traditional decarbonisation methods. There are still barriers and challenges to the implementation of these alternatives that may not be entirely addressed by market forces and may need policy interventions.
The railway in ESCAP countries operate distinct traffic volumes over various levels of infrastructure highlighting the challenges of addressing the region with a single solution to decarbonize.
The study recommends clustering of countries according to a set of acceptable geo-political, economic, and operational criteria to develop decarbonization pathways that identify specific solutions and appropriate supporting policies to transform low-carbon railway freight into a reality.
For specific railway, the study provides a maturity assessment matrix as a strategic tool for railways to map their maturity levels and capabilities for railway decarbonization along the four parameters, namely, sources of electric supply, supporting infrastructure, financing availability and management priorities.</p
Policy approaches to direct digital frontier technologies towards inclusive and sustainable development
No full textDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, digital frontier technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and big data analytics, amongst others, were mobilized to fight against the pandemic. To build back better from the pandemic and meet the ambitions of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, it is imperative to ensure that these technologies are also directed towards inclusive and sustainable development objectives.This report reviews the status of digital frontier technologies in the Asia-Pacific region. The report stresses that the impacts of a technologically driven future are far from pre-ordained. Therefore, digital frontier technological breakthroughs require us to think differently about how we have traditionally formulated policies in the use of technology. The policy framework for the next generation of technologies should focus on creating an enabling environment for digital frontier technologies to positively impact the economy, the society, and the environment, and to reduce inequalities. A few pre-requisites for the development and application of digital frontier technologies are:
Inclusive ICT infrastructure;
Developing a workforce fit for a Fourth Industrial Revolution future;
Developing innovative regulatory frameworks;
Incentivizing responsible frontier technology development in the private sector;
Catalysing the role of the government in the evolution of frontier technologies;
Creating a platform for multi-stakeholder and regional cooperation; and
Making digital frontier technologies serve the poor people and the least developed countries.
Cross-government cooperation, inter-governmental knowledge sharing and consensus building, and honest, open and regular discussions with the civil society and the private sector, specifically technology developers, will be critical to ensure that digital frontier technologies have a positive impact for inclusive and sustainable development
Using information and communication technologies to address the health-care needs of older persons managing chronic disease : a guidebook and good practices from Asia and the Pacific
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Many countries across the Asia-Pacific region are experiencing rapid population ageing and increased rates of chronic disease, leading to greater demand for high-quality, accessible and affordable health-care services for their growing numbers of older persons. The objective of this guidebook is to provide policymakers and other key stakeholders in the region with a resource for the formulation of innovative solutions to address these demographic shifts and related health-care challenges. The focus of the guidebook is on applying information and communication technologies (ICTs) to enable equitable access to high-quality health-care services for older persons facing chronic diseases. It also aims to see how ICTs, can benefit older persons, given demographic, social and economic changes and the future of work in Asia and the Pacific, especially in the health-care sector. Hence the current and expected impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution play a significant role in shaping how policies are planned and implemented.
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SDG 7 localisation snapshot : Quezon City, Philippines
Get PDFSDG7 Localisation Snapshot provides a brief overview of the key areas related to implementation of the Sustainable Goal 7 (SDG7) to ‘Ensure access to affordable, reliable,
sustainable and modern energy for all’ at the local level based on the answers provided by the jurisdiction to the SDG7 Localisation questionnaire.
Questionnaire allowed to collect the assessments from the local officials regarding the situation on the implementation of SDG7 in their jurisdiction. SDG7 Localisation Snapshot
is a part of the collaborative project of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to
support city and sub-national governments in accelerating their efforts in the field of sustainable energy. SDG 7 Localisation Snapshots are short publications of the cities’ self-assessment regarding their capacity and availability of policies, actions and resources for supporting SDG 7 localisation. The Snapshots can download here
East Asia's paths to industrialization and prosperity : lessons for India and other late comers in South Asia
Get PDFTransformation of Asia from its status as the most impoverished region to the growth locomotive of the world economy within past five decades is unprecedented and dramatic. Led by East Asian countries, the industrial transformation and socio-economic progress may have lessons for the late comers in the continent and beyond such as India. The transformative potential of industrialization has also been recognized by the Agenda 2030 on Sustainable Development. The compulsions of rebuilding the Indian economy in the aftermath of COVID-19 shock makes such focus on manufacturing-based industrialization even more critical, as emphasized in the recent policy pronouncements by the government. An analysis of the East Asian experience would be extremely timely for policy formulation for India and other late comers in South Asia. This article presents a selective overview of the analysis and lessons coming out from the three recent studies and other supportive evidence that could be useful for countries like India, seeking to emulate the footsteps of the East Asia countries
Asia-Pacific tech monitor. Vol. 23, No. 5, Sep - Oct 2006
No full textConvergence for innovation : Opportunities and challenges / Jarunee Wonglimpiyarat
Elements of converging technologies : Japan's NISTEP reports look to the past and the future of CTs / Kumi Okuwada
Mobile convergence in South Korea : A paradigm shift calling for new strategies / Tae Jeong Ha
From electronic to mobile commerce : Opportunities through technology convergence for business services / Rajnish Tiwari, Stephan Buse and Cornelius Herstatt
Uncertainties in regulations : An empirical study of the portable mobile broadcasting service in Korea / Yeong-Wha Sawng and Jeong-Su Le
Sustainability bond for the Pacific feasibility study
No full textSmall Island Developing States (SIDS) are vulnerable to the effects of climate change, environmental damage, and other social challenges. However, their public finances unlikely cover necessary expense for sustainable development and the gap tends to increase given the aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic.
This report highlights a potential for sustainability bonds in Pacific SIDS (PSIDS) to fill in the financing gap, by leveraging private sector participation to finance climate resilient investment in the PSIDS. Aside from the bonds issuance itself, the paper provides three general recommendations as follows:
(1) a blended finance structure is beneficial given the underdeveloped capital market and small pool of public and private funding;
(2) to achieve a desirable target in bond issuance, a private placement could be pursued by direct negotiation with targeted financial institutions, while public offering can be issued through underwritten offerings, best effort offerings, and auctions;
(3) country that are willing to issue the sustainability bonds should details their bond framework, in addition to the terms sheet and conditions to binding the bond in financing sustainable projects.
The paper concludes that both sovereign and corporate issuance of sustainability bonds are feasible in PSIDS, which is well supported by two case: Fiji Sovereign Green Bond and Seychelles Blue Bond
Presentation. Ready4Trade Central Asia Presentation title facilitating trade for women. 2021 SPECA Economic Forum
No full textTheme: Sustainable Transport, Trade and Connectivity in the SPECA Region for a Greener, Circular and Inclusive Post-Pandemic Recover