Accelerating Net-Zero: Critical Opportunities in Asia Pacific's Climate Policy
Policy levers to accelerate the transition
The next decade will define Asia Pacific’s climate transition. Asia Pacific has the most to gain from reaching net-zero, and the most to lose from delayed action and pace.
Achieving net-zero ambitions has the potential to grow the Asia Pacific economy by ~US$50 trillion by 2070 but at the same time requires us to scale up emerging technologies, build new industries and unlock US$80 – US$90 trillion in investment by 2050.
How Asia Pacific responds will shape the world’s net-zero outcome.
The region accounts for 60% of the world’s population, nearly 40% of global GDP and around 60% of carbon emissions. Its scale and trajectory of change is pivotal.
Asia Pacific can lead a zero-carbon industrial revolution as transformative as its recent decades of economic growth. What needs to come next however is likely much more difficult and requires deep changes in industrial policy, energy systems and technology adoption.
The pathways for accelerated change are critical and complex:
Future fuels are essential for decarbonising transport, heavy industry, and power – but remain costly and in limited supply.
Critical minerals are rising in demand, but supply is geographically concentrated, and growth faces environmental constraints.
Battery production must scale up rapidly to meet EV demand and support renewable grids but faces resource bottlenecks and margin pressures.
Industrial transformation – core to economic growth – must shift away from emissions intensive processes and fuels, but lacks viable, commercially scalable alternatives.
So, how can Asia Pacific policy tackle these critical, complex challenges and enter the next era of decarbonisation-led growth?
This paper focuses on the next wave of decarbonisation, and the critical pathways required to get there: future fuels, critical minerals, batteries, and industrial transformation.
Each chapter delves into specific opportunities and key actions for policymakers that are needed to address bottlenecks in each pathway to unlock public and private capital and accelerate change.
Will Symons
Aloysius Teh
