Series Recap: No Time To Wait
Climate Change In The Indo-Pacific
"You see, governments may lie. Politicians may lie. Dare I say, some corporations may even lie. But guess what – the planet doesn't lie."
By that, Kevin Rudd, who joined us at the final event of our four-part series, meant the following: our planet produces its own data – and this data is expressed through temperature rises and extreme weather. This in turn influences food production, and water scarcity – and ultimately threatens our existence.
Our series No Time to Wait – Climate Change in the Indo-Pacific has now ended, as has the climate summit in Glasgow. The topic, however, remains as crucial as ever. Governments, institutions and individuals must continue to take action – there is no time to wait.
In case you missed one of the episodes, or if you would like to re-watch the episode(s) you enjoyed most, we have you covered: below, you can find the links to the videos, as well as to our key takeaways from each episode.
In this four-part series, Asia Society Switzerland and Swiss Re Institute explored the impact of climate change in the Indo-Pacific region and shed light on policy responses, health care effects, and nature-based solutions in China, the Indian Subcontinent, and Oceania. The final episode assessed the outcomes of COP26 and its implications for the Indo-Pacific region.
Videos and Key Takeaways
In the Series
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How China adapts to the net zero target is particularly significant because of the size of the economy and country. Whilst China is a giant emitter, its government has been putting forth efforts to reach the targets of the Paris agreement.
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Too few people in India can afford proper healthcare – 16 million people in India are at risk to fall into poverty because of the financial burden of needing to pay their medical bills. Therefore, a structural shift is urgently needed.
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Technological and nature-based solutions are becoming increasingly central tools in mitigating negative effects of climate change. However, there is no 'one size fits all' solution, and each region requires its own portfolio of responses.
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Was COP26 a success from an Indo-Pacific perspective? While some observers criticize that not enough commitments were made by participating countries, the summit did also yield a number of promising results.