https://www.scmp.com/rss/276247/feed Vinod Thomas is currently Visiting Senior Fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, and was previously Visiting Professor at National University of Singapore. He is a Distinguished Fellow in Development Management at the Asian Institute of Management, Manila, and a member of the advisory panel on climate change at CSEP, New Delhi. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com In the run-up to the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) on climate change, Southeast Asia is in the spotlight not only as a hotspot for climate impacts but also for the urgency to take climate action. Policymakers in the region see the imperative for climate mitigation and adaptation but underscore the inadequacy of climate finance as an impediment. The region, according to an estimate by the Asian Development Bank, requires US$210 billion annually through 2030 for climate-infrastructure... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3237897/can-southeast-asia-prioritise-climate-over-politics-bridge-financing-gap?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3237897/can-southeast-asia-prioritise-climate-over-politics-bridge-financing-gap?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Oct 2023 02:30:19 +0000 In two decades of spectacular economic growth and poverty reduction, Asia has nonetheless seen income inequality rising by more than 20 per cent - a growth pattern that cannot be considered inclusive. A shift to more inclusive growth that taps the contribution of people at all income levels, not just the better-off, would not only be socially desirable but also help sustain growth itself. Overall growth has failed to translate into similar improvements in living standards. One indication that... https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/1473348/asias-exclusive-growth-leaving-too-many-behind?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/article/1473348/asias-exclusive-growth-leaving-too-many-behind?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Apr 2014 09:00:45 +0000 Environmental goals hardly attracted attention in national economic agendas during Asia's heady charge for growth 20 years ago. But, as the costs of environmental destruction and climate change mount, the economic plans of China, India, Malaysia and the Philippines, among others, all stress the urgency for green growth. The crucial question, however, is whether timely action will follow. For that, a major hurdle needs to be overcome: the still widespread but mistaken perception of a costly and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1303361/green-agenda-will-nurture-asias-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1303361/green-agenda-will-nurture-asias-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Sep 2013 16:00:00 +0000 The IMF-World Bank annual meetings in Tokyo provide the new World Bank chief, Jim Yong Kim, with an opportunity to signal the institution's goals. With 1.3 billion people worldwide still living on less than US$1.25 a day, the aim should be to end poverty - but with a difference. Economic growth remains the way to lift millions out of poverty, but high growth cannot last unless we confront environmental and social ills. Much of the credit for poverty reduction in the past decade goes to economic... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1057144/world-bank-must-lead-harder-strike-poverty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1057144/world-bank-must-lead-harder-strike-poverty?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Oct 2012 16:00:00 +0000