Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Targets in Asian Cities

The impacts of climate change have been apparent worldwide, and Asian cities have experienced climate extremes never seen. Asia is most influenced by climate change, with intense heat waves and cyclones affecting millions. In particular, South Asia is expected to be the most affected region, but they also have the least infrastructure or plans implemented. Little is known about how cities in the region set climate mitigation targets and align with the global temperature goal of 1.5°C under the 2015 Paris climate treaty. This study explores the cities’ greenhouse gas reduction targets in Asia. In the end, we rely on the 2021 ICLEI-CDP data for cities’ emissions targets and carbon mitigation plans. Our major findings suggest that only a quarter of the cities have disclosed the temperature goal. Among them, 54% of the cities have a temperature goal of 1.5°C, 25% have a 2°C goal, and 15% of the cities answered their unawareness of the temperature goals. We also find that 46% of the cities in South Asia did not disclose their temperature goals, and in East Asia, most cities (76%) did not disclose their goals. In both regions, the 1.5 °C goal was chosen by most of the cities. Without mitigation, the climate crisis in the region is likely to exacerbate climate-induced impacts, limiting regional stability and sustainable growth.

For the report, click