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| NEWS |
ISAP2021 in Session!
There are two days remaining of the13th International Forum for Sustainable Asia and the Pacific (ISAP2021), which started on 24 November. Upcoming sessions include one on the relationship between climate change and biodiversity, which was a featured topic at COP26, and another on the role of cities in decarbonisation. You can also watch archives of previous sessions on the ISAP website.
 More details available here |
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Transitions Toward a Resilient and Net-zero ASEAN Community: Insights from the ASEAN State of Climate Change Report
The ASEAN region will become increasingly important for decarbonisation on a global scale, as reported in statements from ASEAN countries at COP26 in Glasgow, UK. Against this backdrop, the ASEAN Secretariat initiated and coordinated the ASEAN State of Climate Change Report (ASCCR), together with IGES and with support from the Government of Japan through the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF). The report is the first of its kind to provide a clear picture of the current situation in both mitigation and adaptation to climate change in ASEAN countries based on scientific knowledge, setting out a concrete roadmap for 2030 and 2050. A video released by IGES touches on the background and future prospects of the report, highlighting its importance as a major step towards decarbonisation and sustainable development in the ASEAN region. In addition, IGES researcher Dr. Yosuke ARINO, one of the authors, presents some key points highlighted in the report.
More details available here |
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COP26 Special Page
Visit IGES' special webpage related to COP26, which features new and previous publications addressing key topics covered at the conference.
COP26 Special Page here
In addition, video archives of some of the side events that IGES participated in or organised are now available, and can be found on the individual event pages collated below:
Side Events & Exhibits at COP26 here |
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The latest reports from the VLR Lab
IGES manages the VLR Lab, an online platform offering comprehensive information about local government actions on the SDGs. The Voluntary Local Review (VLR) is an international initiative in which local governments conduct their own evaluation of action on the SDGs and publish the results as a report comparable with other local governments. In 2021, the VLR Lab again received reports from cities around the world, including Taipei and Los Angeles.
More details available here |
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| UPCOMING EVENTS |
EV100 Webinar: "The Accelerating Global Shift to EVs: What Do Fleet-owning Businesses Need to Do Now?"
A shift to zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) was one of the key themes at COP26. Like renewable energy, the decarbonisation of road transport is accelerating worldwide, with countries and automotive suppliers setting ambitious ZEV targets to achieve the 1.5°C goal. The question is what should fleet-owning Japanese businesses do now? This webinar on 2 December will look at the ZEV transition scenarios required for decarbonisation, the accelerating global transition momentum, and the opportunities and challenges in Japan.
More details available here |
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LCS-RNet 12th Annual Meeting - Accelerating Actions for Leveraging a Climate-Neutral, Sustainable Society
On 15-16 December, the Leveraging a Climate-neutral Society - Strategic Research Network (LCS-RNet) will host its 12th Annual Meeting, inviting prominent researchers including Prof. Jim Skea, Co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) WGIII, and Prof. Derk Loorbach, who is renowned for research on transition management. This year's meeting sets "Accelerating Actions for Leveraging a Climate-Neutral, Sustainable Society" as an overarching theme, featuring sessions to discuss decarbonisation in industry, as well as employment, international cooperation and finance for leveraging climate-neutral societies.
More details available here |
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| PAST EVENTS |
Building Synergy and Collaboration on Plastics in the ASEAN Member States: Towards Integrated Solutions to Marine Plastic Pollution
On 19 November, IGES, along with the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) and the IGES Centre Collaborating with UNEP on Environmental Technologies (CCET), co-hosted a virtual event, initiated by the Regional Knowledge Centre for Marine Plastic Debris (RKCMPD), and focused on plastics and plastic pollution. During the session, participants introduced the newly established Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)’s Experts Working Group on Marine Plastic Debris and its workplan, activities and key priority areas, identified data collection capacity and data availability across the plastic value chain in ASEAN Member States, exchanged views on the increase of plastic pollution caused by production and consumption, and explored synergies and partnerships related to finding integrated solutions to plastic pollution.
More details available here |
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| PUBLICATIONS |
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Discussion Paper
"Elements Related to Carbon Credit Credibility"
Authors: Temuulen MURUN; Kentaro TAKAHASHI
Carbon credits are considered one of the tools for the private sector to offset their unavoidable GHG emissions across the whole supply chain. However, there are concerns about the quality of offset credits, which could undermine the ambition of corporate climate actions. This paper explains elements that are related to credit credibility and high-quality carbon credits to buyers (private companies) who are considering the use of offset credits. These elements could serve as a general guidance and should be considered when purchasing offset credits from voluntary carbon markets (VCMs). In addition, the paper highlights the risks related to those elements that would undermine the quality of carbon credits, and how independent crediting mechanisms can reduce those risks. |
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Report Chapter
"UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2021 Chap. 2 Trends in Global Emissions, New Pledges for 2030 and G20 Status and Outlook"
Authors: Takeshi KURAMOCHI; Michel DEN ELZEN; Taryn FRANSEN; Glen PETERS (IGES Contributing authors: Kentaro TAMURA; Hajime TAKIZAWA)
Technical Report
"Technical Analysis of the Third Biennial Update Report of Malaysia Submitted on 31 December 2020. Summary Report by the Team of Technical Experts"
Authors: Amr Osama ABDEL-AZIZ; Ana-Maria DANILA; Toghrul FEYZIYEV; Olia GLADE; Zammath KHALEEL; Mwangi James KINYANJUI; Juan Luis Martin ORTEGA; Naoki MATSUO; Anne Nyatichi OMAMBIA; Anand SOOKUN; Chisa UMEMIYA; Vicente Paolo YU
Discussion Paper
"Riverine Microplastic Pollution in ASEAN Countries - Current State of Knowledge"
Authors: Ngoc-Bao PHAM; Yukako INAMURA; Amila ABEYNAYAKA; Pankaj KUMAR; Bijon Kumer MITRA
"The Role of Municipalities in the Renovation Wave for Improving Energy Performance in Buildings"
Authors: Ryoko NAKANO; Junichi FUJINO; Yatsuka KATAOKA
"Making Hydrogen Society a Reality in Asia: A Feasibility Assessment"
Authors: Nanda Kumar JANARDHANAN; Kentaro TAMURA; Mustafa MOINUDDIN; Eric ZUSMAN; Zhen JIN; Hajime TAKIZAWA
Data/Tool
"Current Status, Issues and Recommendations on Impact Reporting -A Case Study of Green Bonds for Renewable Energy Sector in Japan- English Summary"
Authors: Noriko SHIMIZU; Maiko MORISHITA; Naoki MORI; Abdessalem RABHI
Database Update
"IGES NDC Database"
Peer Reviewed Articles
"Monitoring Metropolitan Growth Dynamics for Achieving Sustainable Urbanization (SDG 11.3) in Kolkata Metropolitan Area, India" (Remote Sensing)
Authors: Sk MITHUN; Mehebub SEHANA; Subrata CHATTOPADHYAY; Brian JOHNSON; Khaled KHEDER; Ram AVTAR
"Soil Moisture Retrieval Using Polarimetric SAR Data and Experimental Observations in an Arid Environmen" (ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information)
Authors: Saeid GHARECHELOU; Ryutaro TATEISHI; Josaphat SUMANTYO; Brian JOHNSON
"Strengthening External Emergency Assistance for Managing Extreme Events, Systemic, and Transboundary Risks in Asia" (Politics and Governance)
Authors: Prabhakar, SIVAPURAM VENTAKA RAMA KRISHNA; Kentaro TAMURA; Naoyuki OKANO; Mariko IKEDA
PR material
"Summary Report for a Side Event at the COP26 Japan Pavilion on Mutual Learning Program for Enhanced Transparency"
Authors: Chisa UMEMIYA; Toru TAGUCHI; Tomohiko HATTORI
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| MEDIA COVERAGE |
Opinion Article for Nikkei Asia
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"Why the world should applaud Narendra Modi's 2070 net-zero target" by Dr. Nanda Kumar JANARDHANAN
More details available here |
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| INFORMATION DISCLOSURE |
IGES Annual Report
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IGES published its FY2020 Annual Report.
More details available here |
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| RECRUITMENT / INTERNSHIP |
| The Research and Publications Unit of the Strategic Management Office (SMO-RP) Internship |
| More details available here |
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