The Association of Southeast Asian Nations Climate Resilience Network (ASEAN CRN), in collaboration with key partners, including the European Union (EU) through the EU-ASEAN Enhanced Regional Dialogue Instrument (E-READI), has successfully validated seven priority actions derived from the ASEAN carbon neutrality guidelines . The guidelines and priority actions will drive ASEAN’s path to net-zero emissions by 2050.
The seven priority areas include: adopting low-carbon practices and technologies; promoting dietary changes; implementing carbon pricing, trading and taxation systems; enhancing carbon capture; reducing damage and waste; supporting higher climate ambitions; and finally, boosting sectoral livelihoods and resilience.
Priority actions were identified during a regional knowledge-sharing event on “Climate Resilient Approaches in Regional Commodity Value Chains” held on 19-20 June 2024 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. More than 100 delegates, including representatives of the governments of ASEAN Member States, agricultural experts, commodity producers, agricultural cooperatives, key farmers’ organizations, the private sector and international development partners, met to review the newly launched ASEAN Carbon Neutrality guidelines and validate its priority actions, leading the region’s path towards reducing carbon emissions and combating climate change.
In his opening speech, HE Kop Roly, Undersecretary of State at the Cambodian Ministry of Environment, highlighted the need to adopt sustainable approaches in the agricultural sector. “Agriculture remains the cornerstone of our economies and provides livelihoods for millions of people across Southeast Asia. However, this vital sector is increasingly vulnerable to climate change. “Exploring innovative strategies and validating critical frameworks such as the ASEAN Carbon Neutrality Guidelines for Agriculture will be critical in shaping policies and practices that enhance the resilience of our agricultural sectors.”
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All Southeast Asian countries have signed the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. Since September 2022, the EU, through E-READI, has supported the development of the ASEAN Guidelines for Carbon Neutrality in Agriculture. This recognizes that agriculture contributes to climate change, but also offers solutions to achieve net zero goals.
A comprehensive sector study supported by the ASEAN Secretariat and the EU through E-READI facilitated the design of the guidelines, where priority actions were identified.
This sectoral study is integrated into ASEAN’s global carbon neutrality strategy, which encompasses the energy, transport and agriculture sectors. The event also focused on improving participants’ understanding of low-emission agriculture and land use, the Enhanced Transparency Framework and carbon market opportunities, especially in the rice and forestry sectors.
All Southeast Asian countries have signed the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels.
Additionally, stakeholders collaborated on climate-resilient practices and showcased innovative approaches to producing and marketing climate-smart commodities. The event facilitated exercises to ensure that the guidelines on carbon neutrality in agriculture were practical and feasible, focusing on the implementation of validated priority actions. The exercises included the identification of responsible actors, necessary support, mapping of relevant initiatives and scaling up needs, resulting in the identification of priority actions for 2030, 2050 and beyond.
The validation workshop was part of the ASEAN NRC regional knowledge sharing event, organized by GIZ Cambodia. The event as a whole was a collaboration between E-READI, the GIZ project Strengthening Climate Resilience in Agricultural Systems (CRAS), the ASEAN Secretariat, the ASEAN CRN, the Dutch Volunteer Foundation / Stichting Nederlandse Vrijwilligers (SNV Vietnam ), FAO and other partners.
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