Mapping the Participation of ASEAN Actors in International Climate Initiatives

Abstract

To make progress on decarbonisation, a large number and variety of stakeholders need to be engaged. In this Policy Forum, we assess the participation of different types of ASEAN actors in major international initiatives for climate action. We build a database of 335 international climate initiatives and find that ASEAN is underrepresented. Especially ASEAN municipalities are absent, whereas ASEAN national governments and companies are well represented. We also find that ASEAN actors participate more frequently in initiatives that facilitate political dialogue and less in those that fulfil concrete purposes. Only three out of 335 climate initiatives are headquartered in ASEAN countries, suggesting a paucity of international climate leadership by ASEAN actors. Finally, we find that actors from the different ASEAN countries often do not participate in the same initiatives, reducing the possibility of acting as a unified bloc.