Climate & Economy
Across East Asia, societies are navigating a decisive moment in which climate and economic transformations are increasingly inseparable. Energy systems, industrial strategies, digital infrastructure, and land use are deeply intertwined, shaping not only emissions trajectories but also questions of equity, resilience, and political legitimacy. In this context, our Climate and Economy Programme advances a core premise: that ecological sustainability and economic decision making must be addressed together through integrated, justice oriented approaches.
The programme moves beyond a narrow environmental framing to strengthen a politically actionable understanding of the climate economy nexus. It supports civil society, researchers, and policy actors in engaging with complex transitions linking decarbonization with industrial policy, financial systems, and democratic participation. Through capacity building, strategic dialogue, and accessible knowledge production, we aim to equip diverse actors with the tools and narratives needed to influence both public debate and policy processes.
Our work focuses on three interconnected areas. In energy transition, we advocate for the phase out of coal and gas, challenge false solutions such as biomass and blue hydrogen, and support the rapid expansion of renewable energy, while fostering critical debate on nuclear pathways and inclusive energy governance. In spatial planning, we explore how cities, land, and oceans can be managed within ecological limits advancing low carbon transport and buildings, protecting biodiversity, and balancing competing uses from forests to offshore energy. In climate finance and fair sharing, we scrutinize financial flows and national commitments to ensure they align with principles of climate justice and accountability.
We believe that meaningful transformation depends on the active participation of a broad range of societal actors from activists and researchers to policymakers, artists, and local communities. By creating spaces for exchange, strengthening cross sector collaboration, and amplifying grounded, regionally relevant perspectives, the programme seeks to contribute to a just transition in East Asia, one that is not only fast and ambitious, but also fair, participatory, and ecologically sound.
