ALP Forum 2021’s Closing Session Calls for Countries to Become More Ambitious with NDCs

The theme of the closing session of the ALP Forum 2021, held on September 9, 2021, was “Asia-Pacific’s long-term climate ambition: ALP’s role and future action”. In a panel discussion on the key challenges for South-east Asian countries in achieving their NDCs, moderated by Ron Benioff, Executive Director, LEDS GP, Dr.Nguyen Thi Dieu Trinh, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Planning and Investment, Vietnam, said that her government was trying to prepare a legal framework to implement the updated NDC targets and to prepare economic and financial packages for the business sector. She added that it was challenging get resources for climate change targets and for supporting businesses and mentioned other challenges such as technology transfer, cash flows and transport logistics.  The government has to work with both big companies and small and medium enterprises, as both have different needs and that digital transformation and production lines needed to be improved and reviewed. She spoke of the need for financial initiatives such as green bonds, and that of information such as what the low hanging fruit in financial services were. She spoke of the importance of technology transfers for vaccines, and pointed out vaccination and healthcare as key issues in regional initiatives. Dr. Pem Narayan Kandel, Secretary, Ministry of Forests and Environment, Nepal, said the key challenges in achieving the NDCs were the need to reform governance to align policies with the NDCs; lack of adequate resources and data; need for efficient technology for climate change mitigation and adaptation; clean mobility; the cost of ensuring quality production; financial mechanism at the regional level; and south-south sharing of technology Merlin Lao, Senior Program Manager, ICLEI East Asia Secretariat, identified the challenges to include a big gap in energy mix and the difficulties in the transition process. He said that in China, the challenge was to upgrade small industries. He added that in East Asia, the need was to understand the target audience and their needs and the financial considerations. The Steering committee/ LEDS GP working group members made presentations on the different working groups. Caroline Uriarte, Senior Program Manager, NREL, spoke about the Energy Working Group and how it was involved in accelerating the clean energy transition by focusing on energy storage, barriers, transmission and distribution costs, and in raising awareness about renewable energy. Angela Enriquez, Director of Analysis, Planning and Performance, SLOCAT, spoke about the Transport Working Group, and its efforts to hold trainings and webinars, and about the Asia Clean Mobility High Ambition Leadership Group, a new initiative of 10 countries, in which high-level leaders will discuss priorities. Marlon Apanada, Southeast Asia Engagement Lead for Energy & Climate, World Resources Institute and FWG Co-Chair, presented on the Finance Working Group. He said that while much of the finance that is needed is available, transformative change would come from leadership that is unprecedented, has imagination for deploying low-carbon solutions, and sees opportunity in investments. Felipe Gomez, Technical Coordinator, LEDS GP  (GIZ), said the Asia Clean Mobility High Ambition Leadership Group would provide tools and training, technical assistance and an opportunity to connect policy makers and established partnerships. Aneta Nikolova, Climate Action Theme Lead, UN ESCAP, said that ESCAP was looking forward to working with LEDS, adding that there was a need to help countries become more courageous with their NDCs. She added that many countries would end up with more emissions in 2030, as compared to 2019 levels. LT-LEDS is needed to revise the current NDCs. She said that funds needed to be channeled to the local level, and carbon pricing applied to stimulate the low-carbon economy. The ALP Forum 2021 concluded with the announcement of ALP’s new 22-member Steering Committee for the period from the 1st of September 2021 to the 31st of August 2023.

The theme of the closing session of the ALP Forum 2021, held on September 9, 2021, was “Asia-Pacific’s long-term climate ambition: ALP’s role and future action”.

In a panel discussion on the key challenges for South-east Asian countries in achieving their NDCs, moderated by Ron Benioff, Executive Director, LEDS GP, Dr.Nguyen Thi Dieu Trinh, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Planning and Investment, Vietnam, said that her government was trying to prepare a legal framework to implement the updated NDC targets and to prepare economic and financial packages for the business sector. She added that it was challenging get resources for climate change targets and for supporting businesses and mentioned other challenges such as technology transfer, cash flows and transport logistics.  The government has to work with both big companies and small and medium enterprises, as both have different needs and that digital transformation and production lines needed to be improved and reviewed.

She spoke of the need for financial initiatives such as green bonds, and that of information such as what the low hanging fruit in financial services were. She spoke of the importance of technology transfers for vaccines, and pointed out vaccination and healthcare as key issues in regional initiatives.

Dr. Pem Narayan Kandel, Secretary, Ministry of Forests and Environment, Nepal, said the key challenges in achieving the NDCs were the need to reform governance to align policies with the NDCs; lack of adequate resources and data; need for efficient technology for climate change mitigation and adaptation; clean mobility; the cost of ensuring quality production; financial mechanism at the regional level; and south-south sharing of technology

Merlin Lao, Senior Program Manager, ICLEI East Asia Secretariat, identified the challenges to include a big gap in energy mix and the difficulties in the transition process. He said that in China, the challenge was to upgrade small industries. He added that in East Asia, the need was to understand the target audience and their needs and the financial considerations.

The Steering committee/ LEDS GP working group members made presentations on the different working groups. Caroline Uriarte, Senior Program Manager, NREL, spoke about the Energy Working Group and how it was involved in accelerating the clean energy transition by focusing on energy storage, barriers, transmission and distribution costs, and in raising awareness about renewable energy.

Angela Enriquez, Director of Analysis, Planning and Performance, SLOCAT, spoke about the Transport Working Group, and its efforts to hold trainings and webinars, and about the Asia Clean Mobility High Ambition Leadership Group, a new initiative of 10 countries, in which high-level leaders will discuss priorities.

Marlon Apanada, Southeast Asia Engagement Lead for Energy & Climate, World Resources Institute and FWG Co-Chair, presented on the Finance Working Group. He said that while much of the finance that is needed is available, transformative change would come from leadership that is unprecedented, has imagination for deploying low-carbon solutions, and sees opportunity in investments.

Felipe Gomez, Technical Coordinator, LEDS GP  (GIZ), said the Asia Clean Mobility High Ambition Leadership Group would provide tools and training, technical assistance and an opportunity to connect policy makers and established partnerships.

Aneta Nikolova, Climate Action Theme Lead, UN ESCAP, said that ESCAP was looking forward to working with LEDS, adding that there was a need to help countries become more courageous with their NDCs. She added that many countries would end up with more emissions in 2030, as compared to 2019 levels. LT-LEDS is needed to revise the current NDCs. She said that funds needed to be channeled to the local level, and carbon pricing applied to stimulate the low-carbon economy.

The ALP Forum 2021 concluded with the announcement of ALP’s new 22-member Steering Committee for the period from the 1st of September 2021 to the 31st of August 2023.

ICLEI WORLD SECRETARIAT
Kaiser-Friedrich-Str. 7
53113 Bonn
Germany
T: +49-228/97 62 99-00
F.+49-228/97 62 99-01 Email: iclei.org
EUROPE
European Secretariat
Leopoldring 3
79098 Freiburg, Germany
www.iclei-europe.org
Brussels Office
Av. de Tervuren 35
1040 Bruxelles
Belgium
Berlin Office
St. Oberholz ROS Team Room 4.02 Rosenthaler Str. 72a 10119 Berlin, Germany
AFRICA SECRETARIAT
Physical address:
3 Knowledge Park
Century City
Cape Town
8001
South Africa
Postal address:
PO Box 5319
Tygervalley
7536
South Africa
www.iclei.org/africa
NORTH AMERICA
Canada Office
401 Richmond St. W
Studio 204
Toronto, Ontario
M5V 3A8, Canada
www.iclei.org/canada
USA Office
536 Wynkoop St.
Suite 901
Denver, Colorado
USA 80202
www.icleiusa.org
MEXICO, CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
Mexico, Central American and Caribbean Secretariat
Eje Central Lazaro Cardenas 13 Building Miguel Abed, Floor 5 Office 506 and 507, Col. Centro, CP 06050 Del. Cuauhtemoc, Mexico City, Mexico
www.iclei.org.mx
Colombia Office
Área Metropolitana del Valle de Aburrá Carrera 53 N° 40A - 31 Medellín, Antioquia – Colombia
ICLEI Argentina
Boulevard Gálvez, 1150 Planta Alta. Santa Fe, Argentina
SOUTH AMERICA
South America Secretariat Brazil Project Office
Rua Ibiraçu, 226, Vila Madalena
São Paulo / SP - Brazil
CEP 05451-040
www.iclei.org.mx
SOUTH ASIA
South Asia Secretariat
Ground Floor, NSIC-STP Complex NSIC Bhawan, Okhla Industrial Estate New Delhi – 110020, India
southasia.iclei.org
EAST ASIA
East Asia Secretariat
14/F, Seoul Global Center Building, 38 Jongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea (110-110)
eastasia.iclei.org
SOUTHEAST ASIA
Southeast Asia Secretariat
c/o The Manila Observatory Ateneo de Manila University Campus Loyola Heights, Quezon City 1101 Manila, Philippines
seas.iclei.org
ICLEI Indonesia Project Office
Rasuna Office Park III WO. 06-09 Komplek Rasuna Epicentrum Jl. Taman Rasuna Selatan, Kuningan DKI Jakarta, 12960, Indonesia
OCEANIA
Oceania Secretariat
Level 1, 200 Little Collins Street Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
icleioceania.org
Advocacy
Training
Consultancy
Research
Associate Partnership
Associate Partnership
Associate Partnership
Associate Partnership
Associate Partnership
ICLEI membership application
ICLEI membership application
ICLEI membership application
ICLEI membership application
ICLEI membership application
Want to be a model?
Want to be a model?
Want to be a model?
Want to be a model?
Want to be a model?
ICLEI membership online application form
ICLEI membership online application form
ICLEI membership online application form
ICLEI membership online application form
ICLEI membership online application form