Welcome Remarks: 2nd International Forum on Low Carbon Development for Cities (EN and CN)

This presentation discussed the challenges to making cities livable and climate resilient, and emphasized the role of cities in climate actions. It also outlined the objectives of the Forum, and underscored ADB's commitment to find and strengthen its support to ensure low-carbon, livable, and prosperous cities.

Silvia Cardascia

Silvia is a water resources specialist at ADB, where she supports the design of projects in the People’s Republic of China and Mongolia. She also works on knowledge management and is one of the authors of the Asian Water Development Outlook 2020. Prior to joining ADB in 2018, she was a research assistant at the University of Oxford, a United Nations Fellow and a Programme Officer for the Italian Agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Addis Ababa.

Liability Risks to Clean Energy Projects

Liability risk is a key climate risk affecting financial stability. Litigation trends reveal that liability risk arises in three broad ways: (i) rights-based action, (ii) compensation claims, and (iii) increased regulatory action. Within Asia, litigants use their legal rights to object to environmental permits issued to energy projects. Clean energy projects are not immune. Litigants have objected to project location for wind and waste-to-energy plants on the grounds of impacts to environment and livelihood.

Strengthening Co-Benefits of Health, Climate Change and Air Quality Improvement in Energy Investments in Asian Cities

Asia and the Pacific have the highest number of air pollution deaths in the world. The health effects were estimated to cost US$ 1.7 trillion in 2016, equivalent to 10% of the regions. Air pollution creates a massive economic burden for governments causing a loss of productive labor, thereby reducing output and incomes, and increased health care and welfare costs. The energy sector is a major source of pollution and therefore a target for efforts to improve air quality.

2nd International Forum on Low Carbon Development for Cities: Acting Together for Low Carbon, Livable, and Prosperous Cities

More than half of the world’s population today live in cities, and 80 percent of the world’s energy is consumed here. As part of its Strategy 2030 commitments, ADB aims to support cities in their journey to become low-carbon and more livable by supporting the development of a system that cities can use to implement climate actions customized to their needs.

The Intersection of Climate, Energy, Health for the Hope of Lasting Peace

In 2017, the Marawi City Siege in Mindanao, Philippines led to months of military combat displacing many people and disrupting the city’s electricity and water supply. With national and international organizations offering support for the area’s rehabilitation, post-conflict, what kind of collaborative opportunities are there to rebuild the city and make considerable gains in Health and Well-being, Climate Action, Clean Energy, and Peace?

Renewable Energy Implementation Toolkit Development and Demonstration in South Asia: Sri Lanka

The Global Environmental Institute (GEI) has developed a Renewable Energy Implementation (REI) toolkit that evaluates, implements and scales-up renewable energy (RE) projects at national and regional levels. The toolkit includes GIS analysis, technology application MCA screening and financial analysis, and has been used to design industrial rooftop solar PV installation projects in China’s Guangdong Province. In 2018, the REI toolkit was used for deploring solar power potential of Gampola Town, Sri Lanka – about 1.8MW rooftop solar PV.

Yunsoung Kim

Yunsoung Kim is a Research Fellow at Green Energy Strategy Institute which mainly concerns renewable energy, district heating and cooling, and electricity market reform policies for the energy transition. Ever since she received her PhD in Urban Planning from Seoul National University in 2007, she has been working in climate change and renewable energy sector.