The ASEAN region is noted for its economic vitality, and in recent years, some of the world’s fastest-growing digital industries have emerged in the region. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this trend, with an increase of 60 million more digital customers since the pandemic began. The internet economy is on track to account for 360 billion US dollars by 2025. According to a Google and Temasek report, ASEAN is the region with the fastest-growing internet economy. By 2020, the user base is anticipated to increase to 480 million from 260 million users in 2016. Parallel to this, digitalisation has impacted ASEAN societies and brought with it an expanding number of advantages and conveniences. These include the expansion of the digital economy, fresh avenues for learning and working, and closer bonds with loved ones.
Climate change is impacting the lives of people worldwide and stands out as one of the gravest challenges facing the international community. Respondents to the 2022 World Economic Forum Global Risks Perception Survey ranked “climate action failure” as the number one risk with potentially the most severe impact over the next decade. Extreme weather due to climate change is considered the second most serious short-term risk, with biodiversity loss coming in third. One-quarter of humanity lives in conflict-affected areas, and in 2022, there were 31.8 million new internal displacements due to weather-related events (IOM, 2023a).
Climate action is urgent since the ASEAN region is acutely vulnerable to the various impacts of climate change. Its long coastlines, heavily populated low-lying areas, and high dependence on agriculture expose it to the threat of rising sea levels, severe floods, and prolonged dry seasons. Germanwatch’s Global Climate Risk Index noted that five of the world’s 20 most at-risk countries are from ASEAN.
ASEAN’s economy has grown tremendously and is on track for continuing progress. With the total population reaching about 792 million people in 2050, the economy is expected to grow by 4.6 per cent annually (CAGR) from 2020 to 2050. To ensure this growth trajectory, the region’s energy demand needs to be met.
With the clock ticking and the world at a critical juncture, governments, businesses, and the scientific community continue to explore effective climate solutions. Below is a range of innovative ideas that have been proposed, are in progress, or are currently undergoing testing.
The COVID-19 pandemic offered a bitter lesson, disrupting the social and economic order globally. Nature-based solutions offer an opportunity to bring transformational change to Southeast Asia.
Given the triple planetary crisis that we face—pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss—can we really envision living a life in harmony with nature by 2050?