Since its inception, ASEF has initiated several dialogue platforms on sustainable development and climate change issues in Asia and Europe. Reflecting priorities of the ASEM Process and needs from stakeholders at international, regional, and national levels, ASEF’s programmes in this field focus on contributing to the global debate on the post-2015 development agenda and climate change policy.
The Asia-Europe Environment Forum (ENVforum), whose members are Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF), Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), ASEM SMEs Eco-Innovation Center (ASEIC) and the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), was established in 2003. ENVforum’s current focus is on the post-2015 development agenda, specifically the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which replaced the outgoing Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). At the 10th Asia-Europe Meeting Summit (ASEM10), which took place in October 2014 in Milan, Italy, Asian and European leaders reaffirmed their joint commitment to work together with other UN members to agree on an ambitious, universal and transformative post-2015 development agenda. In response to this call from the ASEM leaders, the ENVforum undertook a consultative project on SDGs, contributing to the global debate on the post-2015 development agenda.
This project is co-funded by the European Union.
This workshop was dedicated to explore strategies for implementation of SDGs in Cambodia. It gathered Cambodian high level officials from ministries that are directly involved in the implementation of the post-2015 agenda, and those who were involved in the Cambodian Millennium Development Goals (CMDG) process. The workshop focused on indicators and financing.
Plenary session to discuss national SDGs implementation challenges.
The workshop was designed to provide a platform for dialogue among policy-makers and experts in Myanmar to discuss the challenges related to the implementation of the upcoming Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Besides gathering officials from the host country, Myanmar, the workshop also invited officials from Cambodia, the Lao PDR and Viet Nam to encourage regional cooperation and preparedness for the negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda.
The workshop used participatory methods to ensure knowledge exchange between officials from the aforementioned 4 countries as well as experts from both Asia and Europe. Participants worked on SDGs indicators and means of implementation through effective governance and financing mechanisms.
Group works on mainstreaming SDGs into national policy-making.
The ENVforum contributed to knowledge exchange on the implementation of SDGs by organising a briefing at the seat of the United Nations in New York.
This event was co-hosted by the Hungarian and Vietnamese Permanent Missions to the United Nations, and was organised as a side-event to the 2nd round of post-2015 intergovernmental negotiations on the outcome document of the UN Summit for the Adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda. Participants discussed implementation in Poland and Viet Nam and the challenges faced by statistical offices.
The ENVforum has been an active contributor to the Sustainable Development Transition Forum (SDTF) since its inception in 2014. This year, the ENVforum was in charge of the session “International Workshop on Guidance for Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. Participants of this workshop discussed guidance for mainstreaming the 2030 agenda into national development plans and tailoring SDGs to national contexts, including guidance on financing and governance issues related to SDG implementation. The workshop programme featured the United Nations Development Group’s (UNDG) new MAPS strategy for Mainstreaming, Acceleration and Policy Support.
Participants in the Sustainable Development Transition Forum.
The ENVforum co-organised a consultation on the “Post-2015 Development Agenda: Sustainable Development Goals and the Means of Implementation”, as a special event leading up to the 15th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit. The consultation focused on means of implementation and Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) as an important case in SDG implementation.
Speakers at Delhi Sustainable Development Summit Special Event.
Mr Zainal Arif MANTAHA, Director-General (Europe) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore, giving a speech during the launch.
Following the first launch of the “ASEF Outlook Report 2014/2015 — Facts and Perspectives” at the ASEM Senior Officials’ Meeting prior to ASEM10 in October 2014 in Milan, Italy, ASEF organised an Asia Launch of this publication on sustainable development in Singapore with the support of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. HE Mr Tormod C. ENDRESEN, Ambassador of Norway to Singapore and ASEF Governor for Norway, Mr Zainal Arif MANTAHA, ASEM Alternate Senior Official for Singapore, and Ambassador ZHANG Yan, ASEF Executive Director, spoke at the opening ceremony. The launch featured a panel discussion on “Divergences in Asia, Disunion in Europe: Cross-Perception Views” led by Prof HUANG Jing, Director of the Centre on Asia and Globalisation, National University of Singapore and Mr Jean-François DI MEGLIO, President of the Asia Centre. The panel discussion was moderated by Dr YEO Lay Hwee, Director of the EU Centre in Singapore.
VIPs at the ASEF Outlook Report Launch.
This project is co-funded by the European Union.
At the 10th ASEM Summit (ASEM10) in 2014 in Milan, Italy, leaders recognised the key role of science, technology and innovation (ST&I) in promoting inclusive socio-economic growth and job creation. Undertaken by China, co-sponsored by Greece and Singapore, and supported by ASEF, the seminar achieved its objectives by providing an avenue for open discussions about the critical role of ST&I in ensuring sustainable development. It was also a platform to exchange experiences between research centres, public institutions and businesses involved in technology transfers and/or joint technology development
Participants in conversation at the seminar.
This project is co-funded by the European Union.
ASEF, in partnership with the Paris-based think-thank, Asia Centre, launched a joint series focusing on the critical role of energy issues in Asia and Europe. Organised ahead of the 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, which took place from 30 November to 11 December 2015 in Paris, France, the primary objective of the project was to gain a deeper understanding of the global energy trends and developments in Asia and Europe that affect regional policy-making and cooperation efforts.
The seminar titled “Central Asia: Hydrocarbon development and the challenge of Climate Change” highlighted the role of oil and gas production in Central Asia. In this context, Kazakhstan’s position as both an energy supplier to Asian and European countries and as an economy in the process of transitioning to a lower carbon type of development was specifically discussed.
The panel on Climate Change was featured at the Asia Institute of Technology (AIT) Regional Forum on Climate Change in Bangkok, Thailand. 4 experts from Asia and Europe with experience in climate finance, carbon trading and the climate change negotiation processes provided a focused discussion on the critical issue of climate finance.
During a presentation at the conference.
The Paris Conference gathered representatives from academia, science, business, politics and the media from both Asia and Europe. Participants explored issues related to energy and climate that were at the core of the 2015 UN Conference on Climate Change (COP21) held in Paris in the same year.
Speakers of the conference at the French Senate.
The ENVforum organised a workshop hosted by the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) on climate change to promote Asia-Europe dialogue on climate change issues in preparation for the upcoming COP21. The programme addressed regional understanding of challenges on climate change, specifically focusing on negotiation processes and avenues of climate financing. This included up-to-date information on ASEAN climate change challenges and policies based on the Handbook for “ASEAN Member States’ Government Officials on Climate Change and the UN Sustainable Development Goals” prepared by the ENVforum earlier in 2015.
Participants of the workshop on Climate Change Negotiation.
This project is co-funded by the European Union.
ASEF organised a media project for Asian and European journalists under the broad theme of sustainable development.
Mr Sebastien FALLETTI, journalist from Le Figaro, France.
The 10th ASEF Journalists’ Colloquium on “Crisis Reporting: The Role of Asian and European Media” brought together 38 journalists and media experts from over 33 countries. ASEF in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Asia Media Programme, organised this event in conjunction with the 12th ASEM Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (ASEM FMM12). Tageblatt, Luxembourg’s leading daily, was the media partner for this event, which was also supported by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism and BBC Media Action.
The colloquium was designed to help Asian and European journalists learn from each other by exchanging regional experiences and knowledge about covering crises. Some of the discussion highlights of the event were based on journalists’ experiences from the field during disasters such as the Himalayan Quake in Nepal, the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan or the refugee crisis in Europe. Other sessions of the colloquium focussed on important aspects that create huge impact in reporting a crisis, such as the role of social media, reporting for people directly affected by disasters, and long-term reporting of events.
Conclusions from the colloquium were presented to HE Jean ASSELBORN, Luxembourg’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, after ASEM FMM12 on 6 November 2015 in Luxembourg.
One of the key outcomes of this colloquium is the ASEF Media Handbook on Crisis Reporting. This handbook will have practical suggestions for journalists covering catastrophes. It will be available for free download on ASEF website in 2016.
Participants of the 10th ASEF Journalists’ Colloquium with HE Jean ASSELBORN, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Luxembourg.
