About Acp

Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions can be accomplished through policies, programs or projects conceived specifically for that purpose. Or it can be achieved with policies, programs or projects designed to meet immediate development priorities such as improving urban air quality, water quality, and waste management while taking into account longer term climate concerns. Policies, programs, or projects considering both development and climate objectives can deliver co-benefits.

In recent years, a variety of stakeholders in Asia have demonstrated that integrating co-benefits into decision-making processes can reduce GHG mitigation costs or bring carbon finance to development needs. However, the absence of a mechanism to share information and coordinate stakeholders on these issues has hampered mainstreaming co-benefits into national development strategies and plans as well as sectoral policies, programs, or projects in Asia.

In June 2009 during the first International Forum for a Sustainable Asia and the Pacific (ISAP) in Hayama, Japan, policymakers and experts proposed creating an informal network to improve stakeholder cooperation and knowledge management on co-benefits in Asia. After ISAP 2009, representatives from leading international organisations and government agencies held follow-up meetings in Bangkok, Thailand to further define the goals, membership, functions and activities, and implementing arrangements for an "Asian Co-benefits Partnership." Based upon the support received at those meetings, the Asian Co-benefits Partnership (ACP) was formally launched at the Better Air Quality 2010 conference in Singapore with the support of 100 participants and the Ministry of the Environment, Japan. Find out more in the ACP work plan.

Goals

The ultimate goal of the ACP is to support the mainstreaming of co-benefits into sectoral development plans, policies and projects in Asia. The ACP will serve as an informal and interactive platform to improve information sharing and stakeholder coordination on co-benefits in Asia.

Major Functions

  • Information sharing and knowledge management, including knowledge generation and dissemination
  • Enhanced communication among ACP members
  • ・ Development of co-benefits policies and projects in Asia
  • ・ Strengthening of regional cooperation to promote co-benefits

Governance

How to Become a Partner

Since the Partnership is an informal platform, both individuals and institutions working on co-benefits, including government agencies, international organizations, academic institutions, civil society groups, and their representatives that is interested in or willing to work on co-benefits in Asia are welcomed to join the ACP and contribute to activities described in the work plan. Join the ACP