Developing countries around the world are projected to account for around 87 per cent of the world’s primary energy demand growth by 2030. Much of this growth in energy demand will occur in Asia which is witnessing rising population, high economic growth and rapid urbanization. Many countries are averse to the notion of energy conservation and efficiency and consider it their priority to first ensure economic growth and deal with energy saving later. A well-conceived energy efficiency strategy will not only allow them to achieve their goal with much lower energy consumption but also enable them to improve the living standard and quality of life, while making human and financial resources available for other aspects of societal development such as education and healthcare.
Green growth is becoming an attractive opportunity for countries around the world to achieve poverty reduction, environmental protection, resource efficiency and economic growth in an integrated way.
This report reviews the economic and environmental consequences of resource inefficiency in Asia and the Pacific and some of its underlying causes.
This report examines how green growth and sustainable development policies can be incorporated into structural reform agendas.
As the financial and environmental costs of resource depletion and negative ecological impacts begin to affect economic growth, countries around the world need to find ways to manage finite resources while meeting the needs of a growing and increasingly urban world population.