The Philippines may have boosted its renewables capacity, won a seat on a global climate finance fund, and operationalised a law to curb plastic pollution. But are these measures enough to ramp up the archipelago's low-carbon ambitions?
As COP 28 approaches, Southeast Asia policymakers see the need for climate adaptation as well as mitigation. But there is an urgent need to encourage multiple sources of finance in this arena.
It is particularly important for emerging economies like Indonesia that has a large youth population to address the issue of eco-anxiety, often driven by a perceived lack of political will and action from those in power.
Notably absent from the Climate Ambition Summit in New York was US President Joe Biden, raising questions on the nation's climate commitments and delivery of its green finance obligations.