The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is the most inclusive intergovernmental platform in the Asia-Pacific region. The Commission promotes cooperation among its 53 member States and 9 associate members in pursuit of solutions to sustainable development challenges. ESCAP is one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations. The ESCAP secretariat supports inclusive, resilient and sustainable development in the region by generating action-oriented knowledge, and by providing technical assistance and capacity-building services in support of national development objectives, regional agreements and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Regional Cooperation for Sustainable Energy in Asia and the Pacific (2017)
Countries in the Asia-Pacific region face multiple energy-related challenges, which are driving them to transform their energy systems. First, there is a need to increase energy supply by some 60 per cent by 2035 to meet the growing demand associated with the rapid urbanization, industrialization and economic growth taking place. Second, achieving national energy security is required to protect economies from price fluctuations and market instability and to reduce dependence on imported energy. Third, energy access needs to be provided to over 420 million people who lack access to electricity and to an additional 2.1 billion people who rely on traditional biomass for cooking and heating. Finally, a shift to the use of low-carbon energy resources and diversification of the energy mix are required to enhance energy security, reduce environmental impacts, especially air pollution, and meet global commitments pertaining to climate change. Addressing these energy challenges is an integral part of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. Tackling these multiple energy-related challenges necessitates a transition in the way energy is generated, transmitted and consumed. Major components of this transition are enhanced energy efficiency, increased renewable energy in the energy mix, improved energy access and better connectivity across the region. While the energy sector in many countries is slowly being transformed, the pace of the change needs to be accelerated. The present publication analyses a number of considerable challenges in the Asia-Pacific region and its efforts to accelerate the energy transition to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7.
This is the Flagship Report of the 2017 Meeting of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.
Download the Report here.
Assessment Report of Energy Efficiency Institutional Arrangements in Asia (2010)
The technical and economic viability of energy efficiency has become more pronounced as concerns about energy security, climate change and low carbon development intensify. Although the promotion of energy efficiency has long been identified as an effective policy tool to manage energy demand, active pursuit of energy efficiency still lags behind in many ESCAP countries. This gap can not only be attributed to programmatic, informational and financial barriers, but especially to the weakened capacity of national and regional institutions mandated to promote energy efficiency. This Report presents a review of the existing energy efficiency institutional arrangements in Central, South, and South-East Asia and includes a presentation of good practices and case studies of some national and international energy efficiency institutions. The Report – produced as an output of an ESCAP- Korea Energy Management Corporation project titled “Strengthening Institutional Capacity to Support Energy Efficiency in Asian Countries” – is relevant to policymakers in understanding the institutional barriers and challenges that hinder the effective promotion and implementation of energy efficiency policy.
The Delina Research Group 