The Asia-Pacific Forum on Green and Low-carbon Development (APLC) hosted by the Government of Hunan Province and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is the fifth forum to be conducted after the signing of the MOU between the Government of Hunan Province and the ADB in 2015. The past four forums were successfully conducted and attended by various high-level officials, business managers, and experts from more than 40 countries and 10 UN agencies and international organizations, including Ban Ki-moon, the 8th UN Secretary-General, Xie Zhenhua, China's Special Representative for Climate Change Affairs, etc. Three large-scale business networking events and four exhibitions on low-carbon technologies were convened to enhance business cooperation amongst the participants. The Forum has become a flagship event for policy dialogue, business cooperation, and knowledge sharing.

Addressing climate change and promoting environmental sustainability is one of the seven priorities under ADB’s Strategy 20301 and its business operations. Strategy 2030 also reflects ADB’s commitment to aligning its international commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Agreement on climate change, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda.

The forum included two days of conference, one-day field visit, and an exhibition of low-carbon technologies to promote on-site business matching and cooperation on the site. The two-day conference consisted of an opening ceremony, two plenary sessions, six parallel sessions, a hotpot business session, and a closing ceremony.

The opening ceremony included high-level representatives from the Government of the People’s Republic of China, the Government of the United Kingdom, and the Asian Development Bank.

The two plenary sessions discussed scenarios, opportunities, innovations, and strategies in technology, science, finance, and other fields that could help developing countries in Asia and the Pacific find their way to green and low-carbon development and achieve carbon neutrality in the long term against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. The plenary sessions looked at the realistic and complex difficulties and contributions of local governments and enterprises in the green and low-carbon development transition.

The six parallel sessions included 3-hour sessions focusing on sector-wide solutions, opportunities, and international cases and best practices to advance low-carbon energy access, green recovery, and carbon peaking and neutrality and to be organized by Forum supporters, with inputs from the Government of Hunan Province and ADB. ADB TA 8953-REG: Promoting Sustainable Energy for All in Asia and the Pacific - Sustainable Energy for All Regional Hub for Asia and the Pacific (Subproject C).

OBJECTIVES:

The APLC Forum 2021 aimed to:

• Support the efforts of ADB’s DMCs and the Asia and the Pacific region in transitioning toward low carbon development.
• Align ADB efforts in green recovery, low carbon development, and climate mitigation and adaptation with its DMC’s efforts to fulfill and achieve their commitments to the NDCs of the Paris Agreement and other development and climate goals — particularly, SDG 7 and SDG 13.
• Discuss, exchange knowledge, expertise, and best practices on cross-sectoral innovative technologies, issues, and strategies on accelerating the low-carbon transition in Asia and the Pacific region.