Climate finance in the Asia-Pacific region: Trends and innovative approaches

Abstract

Asia and the Pacific is one of the most disaster-prone regions and the possibility that climate change may exacerbate the frequency and severity of extreme weather events is a real threat to progress made towards achieving sustainable development. To secure sustainable development gains and build resilience in the region, there is an urgent need to undertake climate mitigation and adaptation action. Despite an estimated $391 billion in climate finance flows internationally in 2014, the gap between available climate finance and the financing required to limit global warming to two degrees Celsius and adapt to unavoidable impacts of climate change is growing. The present paper offers an overview of the climate finance landscape with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region, and of finance flows from international climate funds, multilateral development banks and subregional and national climate finance initiatives. The ultimate goal of the discussion is to provide policymakers in the region with an understanding of the state of climate finance and recommendations on approaches for mobilizing climate finance in the light of global efforts, regional trends and successful initiatives.