Our Work

Southeast Asia is a crucial geography for meeting global climate and nature goals; as a region hyper-vulnerable to climate impacts; as a major driver of global economic and emissions growth; a region with vast potential for renewable energy sources, and home to some of the world's most diverse ecosystems with whose protection is vital for carbon storage and for climate resilience. It is also a region rich with cultural heritage and indigenous wisdom relevant to the just transition. 

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Yet the pace and scale of action is lagging far behind what is needed.  We face an ambition gap, compounded by an implementation gap, all made more difficult by a yawning financing gap. Of the grossly insufficient climate financing that reaches the region, the poorest and most vulnerable get mere crumbs as calls for climate justice intensify.

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The response to increasing urgency is not simply to do more, faster. A course shift is needed, and that requires a different quality of action. It is clear that a new approach is needed. One that embraces and enables full-spectrum action across the whole of society in a green and inclusive transition. That is oriented towards creating good, regenerative structures rather than remediating or alleviating the problems of bad systems. One that embodies the commitment to inclusion and diversity, holds space for localized expressions and experimentations and seeks to build trust, understanding and collaboration across cultures and silos. One that works with what is currently there, believes in the ingenuity, agency and capability of local actors, and is committed to strengthening local ecosystems supporting high potential change makers driving bottom-up systems change. One that redefines ‘pragmatic’ as transformative change rather than a greener status quo and seeks to build consensus around a more desirable vision for development, that as a by-product delivers a decarbonized and climate resilient economy.