Think20 (T20), the official think tank engagement group of the Group of Twenty (G20), was established in 2012 to provide research-based policy recommendations to help G20 countries and partners promote economic resilience and sustainable development.

More than at any time in the history, climate change is having an increasingly unprecedented effect on human lives. Economies are affected severely in terms of sovereign risk due to climate change variations influencing the macroeconomy. Asian countries are highly susceptible to economic downturn due to the consequences of climate change.

Far-reaching efforts are needed to reduce Asia's emissions and realize a 1.5°C temperature drop required to fight climate change and associated threats to sustainable development.

The agriculture sector in Asia and the Pacific region contributes massively to climate change, as the region has the largest share of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture. The region is the largest producer of rice, a major source of methane emissions.

Countries will need significant financial resources to face climate-induced events and transition to a low-carbon economy. There is a vital need for climate finance narratives to focus on the qualitative aspects of money flowing in, along with increasing the quantum of financial flows.

People in the urban informal sector have suffered disproportionately during the COVID-19 pandemic and face a highly uncertain future. While supporting the livelihoods of most of the developing world’s urban poor, the informal sector also deprives them of basic services and social protection.

Billions of people in Asia and the Pacific depend on healthy oceans for their livelihoods, food security, health, and recreation.

Unsustainable consumption, driven by the increasing extraction of raw materials, manufacturing, and production, is contributing to environmental degradation and the acceleration of climate change. In developing Asia, consumption trends will continue to rise as populations and economies grow.

In order to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Asian countries are trying to realize the potential of energy innovation. However, several structural issues might deter the expected impact of energy innovation on GHG emissions.

Urban India, particularly metros, is a major hotspot of air pollution with a PM2.5 concentration level ranging above the permissible limits defined by the WHO for most of the year. Unsurprisingly, special efforts have been made by the Government of India in recent years to improve air quality.