Asia-Pacific could lead low-carbon future

This summer has seen Asia and the Pacific rocked by intense and unstable weather, bringing into even greater focus the need to build resilience against climate change and extreme weather.

Temperatures in the western Indian state of Rajasthan reached record levels in May, peaking at a scorching 51 C. In vast parts of the Pacific, and South and Southeast Asia, rainfall came late, or not at all, and rivers ran dry, wells dried up and lakes turned into dusty plains. Then suddenly, this drought turned to floods, affecting large areas of Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal and Pakistan.

As one of the world's most climate vulnerable regions and a growing emitter of greenhouse gases in its own right, accounting for about 40 percent of the total, Asia and the Pacific has a leading role to play in tackling climate change. But to achieve this Asia and the Pacific must fulfill three essential considerations.