SEA ASEAN Climate Conference

On 25 January the online conference of the SEA ASEAN Center of the RUG on climate and sustainable development will be held. This  conference is held on the occasion of the Climate Adaptation Summit 2021, organized by the Netherlands government and the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA), to focus on bridging science and policy perspectives on climate and sustainable development in Southeast Asia.

Scientists, policymakers and diverse publics have begun to earnestly discuss the need to identify synergies in the implementation of the climate change agenda with the sustainable development and Global Goals 2030 agenda. The implementation of these broad agendas requires the integration of the natural and social sciences with perspectives from politics, policymakers, and citizens. Challenges of implementation take place on multiple-levels, from the household, neighborhood and local city levels, up to provincial and national governments, and beyond to regional and international organizations.

The challenges found in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of particular interest during this conference include SDG 13 Climate Action, SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, with broad attention to the social goals SDGs 1 through 4 on No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health, and Quality Education, while assuring SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities and attention to the most vulnerable. The need to find synergies in implementation extends above the level of the nation state, to key regional organizations like ASEAN, and to international organizations such as the UN and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP).

Core Themes

• Science Perspectives: Synergies between the Climate Change and Sustainable Development Agendas

• Science and Policy Implementation: Climate Adaptation, Flood Risk, and Strategic Responses by Cities

• Political and Policy Perspectives: International Engagement for Climate Change, Mitigation and Adaptation, and Sustainable Development

The conference will be live streamed on 25 January.