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.

Developing long-term low emissions development strategies (LT-LEDS) provides an opportunity for Asia-Pacific countries highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change to simultaneously achieve other development objectives, including energy and food security, economic resilience and resilience to natural disasters. By undertaking mid-century planning across policy areas of mitigation, adaptation, resilience and sustainable development, countries can design and implement a pathway that considers the interactions, synergies, and trade-offs of all their national priorities.