With today’s rapid economic and population growth, many countries in Asia have entered the most carbonand energy-intensive stages of their development. The resulting carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have become the major contributor to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and global climate change. By 2030, Asia is projected to contribute 45 % of global GHG emissions, even though the industrial per capita production and energy consumption in developing countries (e.g., China, India) are relatively low. The impacts of climate change have caused immense damage to many parts of Asia in the forms of increased frequency and intensity of extreme climate events, including hurricanes, floods, and droughts. Therefore, the transition of Asian economies from a ‘‘carbon intensive and climate sensitive’’ paradigm to ‘‘low carbon climate and resilient economies (LCEs)’’ in both developed and developing countries will be essential to realizing future reductions in GHG emissions and thereby the stabilization of global climate. However, research on LCE is still in its infancy throughout the world and even more so in Asia. Peer-reviewed syntheses of the literature on issues associated with LCE have been limited— including the means of financing, governance, and technological capacity for reducing emissions. The recent book, ‘‘Climate Smart Development in Asia: Transition to Low Carbon and Climate Resilient Economies’’ edited by Ancha Srinivasan, Frank Ling, and Hideyuki Mori and published by Routledge in 2012, attempts to produce a practical and forwardlooking source of information on LCEs in Asia for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. The book, comprising four sections, highlights the technical, economic, financial, and institutional challenges and opportunities for transitioning to LCE in Asia. Section I (Chapter 1) covers the broad context of climate-smart development and enabling transition to LCE. Section II includes five chapters (2–6) that cover national-level LCE endeavors and mitigation and adaption strategies. Section III includes five chapters (7–11) that discuss enabling conditions to climate-smart development in Asian cities. Section IV comprises a single chapter (12) that summarizes the way forward. As the most developed country in Asia, Japan leads technological innovation and provides a regional and global role in finding solutions to LCE. Chapter 2 discusses the potential transition to LCE and the progress made in Japan by focusing on mitigation and adaptation strategies for improving energy efficiency, developing renewables, urban renewal, and sustainable transportation. Although much attention has been paid to mitigating climate risk, the authors argue that W. J. Wang H. S. He (&) School of Natural Resources, University of Missouri, 203 ABNR Bldg, Columbia, MO 65211, USA e-mail: heh@missouri.edu