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Adopting electronic bills of lading : successes, challenges and critical questions
No full textThis paper proposes a framework for analyzing the slow adoption of electronic bills of lading (eBL), grounded in two core arguments. First, eBL adoption is a collective business decision that depends on the coordinated participation of all market players; progress is hindered if even one key actor opts out. Second, in the absence of a global authority to govern the process, efforts from major shipping companies are crucial to initiate momentum. However, broader uptake—particularly by shippers—will only occur when eBL becomes a more cost-effective alternative to paper BL
Building Bankable Green Project Pipelines in the non-Infrastructure sectors of Thailand
No full textThis report assesses the potential for building bankable green project pipelines in Thailand’s non-infrastructure sectors, drawing on a nationwide survey of financial stakeholders—including banks, institutional investors, and fund managers—as well as interviews with government agencies, regulators, and development banks. It highlights the challenges in accelerating flows of finance to climate investments in Thailand, with a particular focus on innovation and the financing gaps that climate tech startups face, noting the growing role of these startups in working towards Thailand’s climate goals. The study calls for stronger policy coordination, timely passage of the Climate Change Act, enhanced disclosure standards, and improved access to transition and other forms of innovative finance for SMEs and startups. By fostering an enabling investment environment and aligning financial tools with national strategies, Thailand can advance its low-carbon transition and long-term resilience.Contents
About this report ii
Acknowledgements iii
Explanatory notes iv
List of boxes, figures and tables vi
Abbreviations and acronyms vii
Executive Summary ix
Introduction x
Section 1 Overview of the climate finance policy and regulatory frameworks of Thailand 1
1.1 Overview of the economy of Thailand and the impacts of climate change 1
1.2 Climate policy and targets 2
1.3 Supporting climate finance initiatives 9
Section 2 Analysis of climate finance investments in Thailand 12
2.1 Government of Thailand expenditure in climate projects 13
2.2 Development partner funding 13
2.3 In focus: development partner programmes 14
2.4 Climate investment deals 15
Section 3 Investor analysis 20
Section 4 Domestic banking sector analysis 24
4.1 Area 1: Commercial banks feedback on climate finance 26
4.2 Area 2: Risk management framework 27
4.3 Area 3: Green lending products 28
4.4 Area 4: Sustainability disclosures 29
4.5 Area 5: Assessing projects and pipeline 29
Section 5 Key successes, challenges and opportunities 31
5.1 Key success factors observed to date 31
5.2 Challenges 32
5.3 Opportunity sectors 34
Section 6 Recommendations 35
Annex A: List of stakeholders 38
Annex B: Summary of the stakeholder interviews 39
Annex C: Summary of the workshop 41
References 4
Circular approaches to solid waste management : reducing methane emission for low-carbon and climate-resilient cities
No full textRegional project partners include the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, the United
Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the United Cities and Local
Governments Asia-Pacific (UCLG ASPAC), the TU Dortmund and the University of Stuttgart, as well as
national partners in each of the five partner countries.Asia and the Pacific faces escalating challenges in solid waste management due to continued urbanization, with waste generation projected to reach 1.9 billion tons by 2050 – a 56% increase since 2016. Methane emissions from municipal solid waste are a key driver of climate change and currently account for 13% of all global anthropogenic methane. This brief highlights the urgent need to transition from linear disposal to circular systems that prioritize waste prevention, material circularity, and regenerative resource use to curb methane emissions. Drawing on successful initiatives from across the Asia-Pacific region, it underscores the role of policy innovation, infrastructure investment, and community engagement in transforming waste into resources. To accelerate progress, the brief calls for robust regulatory frameworks, financial incentives for organic waste diversion, regional knowledge sharing, and alignment with global climate goals. By integrating circularity principles into solid waste management, cities can mitigate methane emissions and foster low-carbon and climate-resilient urban development across the region./p>N/ASupported by Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and the International Climate Initiative (IKI)I.
Introduction..........................................................................................................................1
Waste generation trends in Asia and the Pacific...............................................................1
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from solid waste........................................................3
II.
The challenge: methane emissions from the urban solid waste management value
chain……………………............................................................................................................…..6
Methane emissions from solid waste................................................................................8
III.
Strategies for improving solid waste management and reducing methane
emissions..........................................................................................................................12
IV. Opportunities and recommendations
...............................................................................17
Regulatory and financial incentives..................................................................................17
Infrastructure and technology investment.......................................................................18
Regional collaboration and knowledge-sharing...............................................................18
Alignment with international agreements........................................................................19
Measuring, reporting and verification (MRV)...................................................................19
Capacity building and awareness generation..................................................................20
V. References..........................................................................................................................2
Transport and communications bulletin for Asia and the Pacific, No. 95
No full textThe articles in this year's Bulletin cover elements of Regional Action Programme for Sustainable Transport Development in Asia and the Pacific (2022-2026), adopted at the Fourth Ministerial Conference on Transport in December 2021.The ‘2025 Transport and Communications Bulletin for Asia and the Pacific’ presents a range of sustainable transport development challenges and opportunities in the region. This edition, which covers elements contained in the ESCAP Regional Action Programme for Sustainable Transport Development (2022-2026), is organized into four strategic focus areas: data and technology-driven transformation, decarbonization and emission reduction, climate resilience and infrastructure planning, and equity and inclusion.
The publication explores critical regional challenges, with Asia-Pacific accounting for around 40% of global domestic transport carbon dioxide emissions and experiencing a 150% increase in freight activity since 2000. The region requires approximately USD 8.4 trillion through 2030 for low-carbon transport transition, while facing unique challenges including extreme heat events that threaten active transport viability, with 45% of the global urban population expected to face regular extreme heat exposure by the 2050s.
The Bulletin further examines artificial intelligence's transformative potential in transport through autonomous vehicles and traffic management systems, while highlighting concerns about environmental footprint and algorithmic bias.
Financial mechanisms for sustainable transport are explored, noting that private financing surged 200% between 2019-2022 to account for 63% of total climate finance. The publication presents frameworks for developing green multimodal freight corridors as zero-emission trade routes, addresses unique decarbonization challenges in small island developing States with their ambitious carbon neutrality goals, and provides strategic approaches for electric vehicle adoption in challenging environments.
Infrastructure resilience is addressed through data-driven methodologies to prevent overcapitalization in rural road investments, and through climate shelter innovations that can reduce surrounding temperatures to maintain active transport viability in Asia-Pacific cities. Social inclusion is emphasized through comprehensive guidelines focusing on disaggregated data collection, mainstreaming inclusivity in transport planning, integrating innovations for accessibility, capacity building, and multi-stakeholder engagement.
The 2025 Bulletin underscores the need for regional cooperation, evidence-based policymaking, innovative financing mechanisms, and inclusive and innovative design principles to achieve low carbon, resilient, equitable and connected transport systems that support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals across Asia and the Pacific.EDITORIAL STATEMENT
Chapter 01: Data and Technology Driven Transformation
- Tracking the Transition: Decarbonization of Transport in Asia-Pacific
- Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Transport
Chapter 02: Decarbonization & Emission Reduction
- Climate Finance for Low Carbon Transport: Developing Effective Transport Financing Mechanisms for Asia and the Pacific
- Achieving Low Carbon Freight Transport through Green Corridor Development in Asia and the Pacific
- Transport Decarbonization Policies for small island developing States in Asia and the Pacific
- Electric Vehicle Policy Adoption in Mongolia: Transitioning to Electric Mobility in Public Transport
Chapter 03: Climate Resilience & Infrastructure Planning
- Sustaining Active Transport In a Warming Asia-Pacific: The Case For Climate Shelters
- Sustainable Road Asset Management: Preventing Over Capitalization In Rural Road Upgrading Investments
Chapter 04: Equity & Inclusion
- Guidelines to Enhance Social Inclusion in Urban Transport across Asia-Pacific Citie
Regional Digital Trade Integration Index (RDTII) 2.1 : a guide
No full textESCAP-ECA-ECLAC Initiative on Digital Trade Regulatory IntegrationThe Regional Digital Trade Integration Index (RDTII) Guide 2.1 edition, prepared by ESCAP, serves as a handbook designed to assist policymakers and policy researchers in analysing digital trade regulations. The Guide provides essential explanations of the structure of the RDTII 2.1 framework, a multidimensional cross-economy index of digital trade regulatory integration utilized by ESCAP for digital trade regulatory analysis. It introduces new indicators of digital trade policy environment used in the updated framework, discusses policy implications, and suggests related sources of information.
The 2.1 edition benefits from the previous version (RDTII 2.0 Guide ), jointly prepared by ESCAP, ECA, and ECLAC, with partnership from the European University Institute (EUI).
For more information, please visit Initiative on Digital Trade Regulatory Integration
Evaluation of the project on ‘Navigating policy in Asia-Pacific with data to leave no one behind’ (2021 – 2024)
No full textThe ‘Navigating policy in Asia-Pacific with data to leave no one behind’ project (May 2021 – June 2024) provided support to participating countries in implementing the ‘Declaration on Navigating Policy with Data to Leave No One Behind’, as made by member States during the sixth session of the ESCAP Committee on Statistics, held in Bangkok in 2018. The Declaration recognized the importance of reliable and timely data for policy making as well as for government transparency and accountability, while highlighting the importance of transforming national statistical systems in the region in support of sustainable development, particularly in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and within a ‘whole-of-government’ approach to the generation and use of data. As such, the objective of the project was to enable participating countries to develop and deliver timely statistical products and services, supporting country responses to both the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The aims of this project evaluation were:
• To assess the project performance against the evaluation criteria of results, effectiveness, relevance, efficiency, sustainability, and cross-cutting issues, including gender equality, and disability inclusion
• To formulate lessons learned and action-oriented recommendations to inform management decision-making and improve future project design
The evaluation, which covered the entire duration of the project (May 2021 – June 2024), was conducted between late November 2024 and March 2025 and included participation from stakeholders in the partner countries of the project, namely, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Kyrgyzstan, the Maldives, Mongolia, and Nepal.Table of contents
Acknowledgments................................................................................................................................... ii
List of acronyms..................................................................................................................................... iii
Executive summary................................................................................................................................ iv
1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 6
2. Description of the Project............................................................................................................... 7
2.1 Background ............................................................................................................................... 7
2.2 Project theory of change........................................................................................................... 8
2.3 Project strategies...................................................................................................................... 9
2.4 Innovative elements ............................................................................................................... 11
2.5 Beneficiaries, target countries and key partners....................................................................11
2.6 Resources................................................................................................................................ 13
3. Evaluation Scope and Methodology .............................................................................................14
3.1 Evaluation scope ..................................................................................................................... 14
3.2 Evaluation approach ............................................................................................................... 14
3.3 Data collection and analysis.................................................................................................... 15
3.4 Stakeholder analysis ............................................................................................................... 16
3.5 Sampling.................................................................................................................................. 17
3.6 Risks and limitations ............................................................................................................... 17
4. Evaluation Findings....................................................................................................................... 19
4.1 Effectiveness........................................................................................................................... 19
4.2 Relevance................................................................................................................................ 23
4.3 Efficiency................................................................................................................................. 29
4.4 Sustainability........................................................................................................................... 31
4.5 Cross-cutting Issues ................................................................................................................ 33
5. Conclusions................................................................................................................................... 38
6. Recommendations........................................................................................................................ 40
ANNEXES ............................................................................................................................................... 43
Annex 1: Evaluation TORs......................................................................................................43
Annex 2: Project’s theory of change ......................................................................................45
Annex 3: Evaluation matrix ...................................................................................................48
Annex 4: Project inception status (by country) ......................................................................51
Annex 5: Indicator data availability by country and SDG........................................................53
Annex 6: Project outputs by country .....................................................................................54
Annex 7: Potential outcomes by country ...............................................................................57
Annex 8: Data collection instruments....................................................................................5
Strengthening local-level SDG follow-up and review
No full textThis policy brief explores the critical role of local-level follow-up and review (FUR) in accelerating SDG implementation. While the 2030 Agenda establishes a three-tiered FUR architecture, the brief argues for expanding this framework to meaningfully incorporate subnational and local levels. It highlights how VLRs and VSRs have become key tools for local and regional governments to measure progress, enhance accountability, strengthen policy coherence, and engage communities.
Drawing on lessons from the Asia-Pacific region, the brief outlines persistent challenges—such as data gaps and weak integration between national and local processes—and presents actionable recommendations. These include institutionalizing local FUR, strengthening alignment between VLRs and national development plans/VNRs, enhancing local data ecosystems, and creating peer exchange platforms for local governments. Ultimately, the goal is to embed local FUR into broader governance, planning, and financing systems to drive tangible SDG outcomes on the ground.</p
Leaving no one behind : child labour in Asia and the Pacific
Get PDFThis technical paper explores the SDG indicator 8.7.1 on the proportion of children aged 5-17 engaged in child labour. Applying the Classification and Regression Trees (CART) and the Dissimilarity Index (D-Index) methodologies to Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) data, the paper comprehensively analyzes child labour in five selected countries in Asia and the Pacific, namely Bangladesh, Fiji, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and Viet Nam. The analysis examines child labour both as a composite indicator and its individual components including economic activities and household chores. The results unpack the disparity in child labour prevalence by age, location, wealth, education, and administrative divisions in each country. This paper contributes to the LNOB agenda by presenting evidence from household survey data and a machine-learning model and informs evidence-based strategies to reduce child labour
Asia and the Pacific SDG Progress Report 2025 : engaging communities to close the evidence gap
Get PDFThe SDG progress report 2025 presents the latest data and insights on progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Asia-Pacific region. While celebrating regional achievements, it also highlights persistent challenges—such as climate change, natural disasters, and critical data gaps—that risk leaving marginalized communities behind. By showcasing innovative community-level partnerships, the report explores how local efforts can help bridge the evidence gap, ensuring that progress toward the SDGs is inclusive and leaves no one behind.
Download full report: English |JapaneseForeword
Executive Summary
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations and Acronyms
Contents
Chapter 1: Regional progress
Chapter 2: Empowering lives through data
Chapter 3: Strengthening national statistical systems
Annex 1: Technical notes - methodology to measure progress
Annex 2: Indicators used for progress assessment
Annex 3: Subregional graphs
Annex 4: Countries and country groups in the Asia-Pacific regio