The impacts of climate change are likely to fall disproportionately on the emerging economies of Asia, and these countries have an essential role to play in promoting the global move towards sustainable development. Many countries of the region have adopted reduction targets, but achieving them will require broad-based policy responses, and overcoming technological barriers, financial deficiencies and lack of international cooperation, some of which are very specific to developing Asia. Some of the sectoral targets that have been set are too ambitious, but there is broad-based consensus on the need to reduce emissions and poverty as economic imperatives. The developmental preferences of the countries in the Asia and the Pacific region are also circumscribed by equity concerns and industrial competiveness. They remain critical agents in implementing measures which will mitigate global environmental challenges like climate change, as the global society increasingly expects Asian economies to behave in an environmentally responsible way.

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