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Eye on Asia | Asia’s net-zero countdown: manufacturers must make emissions cuts part of the growth story
- Piecemeal, short-term actions won’t work because effective decarbonisation goals require a customised whole-system company approach, including a different way to assess long-term investments
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The Asia-Pacific has become a global hub for manufacturing, accounting for some 48 per cent of the world’s output. But with the growth of manufacturing comes its share of climate-harming emissions.
The sector, which requires an immense amount of thermal energy, power and water, has been a major contributor of waste and carbon emissions. In the Asia-Pacific, this sector accounts for an estimated 40 per cent of greenhouse gases.
To keep within the carbon budget to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels, the sector’s emissions have to fall by 4-6 per cent annually by 2030 – reversing the 1.8 per cent annual increase from 2010-2019.
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In light of renewed pledges from eight of 10 Southeast Asian governments to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, high emissions from the sector are no longer just a growing concern but a direct obstacle to the Asia-Pacific’s net-zero goals and ability to fulfil international commitments.
Given the Asia-Pacific’s ambitions to grow and diversify its manufacturing sector, manufacturers must correct the course of their operations and establish a more sustainable growth trajectory.
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From ensuring raw materials are sourced responsibly, to maintaining reduced levels of energy and water consumption, manufacturers face increasing pressure to adapt processes and resources to align with sustainability goals and mandates.
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