Southeast Asia is a significant stakeholder in the global action against climate change, given its growing population, rising greenhouse gas emissions, and vulnerability to climate change impacts. Public policy makers in this region are faced with the challenge of transitioning to cleaner energy sources to enable the attainment of Paris Agreement goals, while also expanding access to affordable and reliable energy supplies. Southeast Asia has one of the fastest growing rates of greenhouse gas emissions in the world. As such, it is imperative to decouple its energy consumption from emissions growth. Furthermore air pollution, largely caused by the use of fossil fuels, is an important health risk: it is the second most common cause of death after malaria in South and Southeast Asia and is rising in prevalence ever more quickly. The committee should focus on implementing best practices for energy transition in binding policies for the nations in this region.
