Asian countries confront a diversity of needs for economic and human development, climate mitigation, and adaption. Per capita emissions in most countries are still very low. These countries bear limited historical responsibility for the accumulation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Today, however, demand for cheap energy from fossil fuels in major Asian economies is one of the leading causes of global GHG emission growth. China is now the largest GHG emitter in the world.

However, the manufacturing and technological innovations that have driven economic growth may well prove essential to realising the cost reductions and advances that render widespread deployment of low carbon technologies feasible. Curbing deforestation and degradation in the region, especially in Indonesia, is also crucial to reducing global emissions. In addition, Asian countries are home to some of the largest populations of poor people in the world, many of whom are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including glacier melts, extreme weather events, droughts and floods.

This briefing explores what climate finance has been provided to countries in Asia, and to what extent this meets countries' needs.