From Johor Bahru to COP28: Why Asia Pacific Climate Week matters

JOHOR BAHRU, Malaysia — Government leaders, businesses, and civil society organizations gather in the southern Malaysian city of Johor Bahru to enhance cooperation and discuss climate solutions in Asia and the Pacific, one of the regions most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

The Asia Pacific region—home to 4.3 billion people—is already grappling with various climate-related challenges, including rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and threats to its rich biodiversity and water resources. 

“These challenges are not only limited to one nation but ripple across borders, thus emphasizing the need for regional collaboration and global solidarity,” Nik Nazmi Nik Ahman, Malaysia’s minister of natural resources, environment and climate change, said during the opening ceremony of the Asia Pacific Climate Week 2023 Monday.

Participants at APCW 2023 will explore innovative approaches and sustainable solutions to the climate crisis. The outcomes of the week-long talks will feed into the crucial COP28 climate talks in Dubai, building momentum for progress on issues such as energy transition, climate finance, and loss and damage from extreme events.

APCW 2023 will also contribute to the “global stocktake” of the world’s progress in achieving the goal of the 2015 Paris Agreement of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

A technical report released in September concluded that the world was off track on its pledge to curb global warming and that “much more is needed now on all fronts.” 

“The urgency of addressing climate change cannot be overstated. We are already experiencing the consequences, and the window of opportunity to mitigate its effects is closing rapidly,” Nik Nazmi said.

The climate week serves as an opportunity for countries in the Asia Pacific region to refine and align positions ahead of COP28. 

Debates over the phasing out of planet-warming fossil fuels as well as the fundamentals of the loss and damage fund, which was set up to help vulnerable countries cope with the consequences of the climate crisis, are expected to take center stage in the climate negotiations later this month. 

This year is “virtually certain” to be the warmest