Asia Pacific Climate Week 2023 (APCW2023) and Youth-Powered Climate Policy Solutions

Event organizers and participants discussed the region’s energy system’s and industry; cities, urban and rural settlements; infrastructure and transport; land, ocean, food, and water; societies, health, and livelihoods; and economies and finance.

RENDER is always focused on fostering a collaborative environment where diverse stakeholders could engage in meaningful dialogue and exchange best practices so the APCW was a good exercise before heading out to Dubai for COP28. The conference addressed the social dimensions of climate change, emphasizing the need to ensure that climate policies are inclusive and contribute to improving health, livelihoods, and economic opportunities, particularly for vulnerable communities and indigenous peoples.This was particularly aimed at enhancing regional coordination in climate action and policy-making. The APCW and secretariat emphasized the importance of integrating climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies into the broader socio-economic planning of the Asia Pacific region.

Under Care About Climate (CAC), RENDER co-organized and co-facilitated two UNFCCC-mandated youth and policy events. Youth4Capacity: Empowering Youth in Asia Pacific to Co-Create Climate Policy Solutions was aimed at equipping young people with global policy frameworks to create climate change solutions with policymakers. Apart from our contributions of how scaling up renewable energy in the region is essential, the session involved brief talks on capacity-building and youth inclusion in climate governance as well as success stories from UNDP. After a quick panel discussion on intergenerational dialogue, RENDER facilitated a breakout session focused on creating collaborative policy environments. 

Youth4Capacity: Human Library Workshop was focused on amplifying community-led climate action in driving change. This session provided a platform for young leaders in Asia to share their experiences in leading different initiatives in their own communities. Taking the ‘human library’ format, participants went on rounds to different ‘human books’ who unfolded their own stories and background in being active in community-led initiatives for climate action.

RENDER staffer Sabrina Arambulo was one of the human books, sharing her story of her environmental programs and her position as a publicly-elected youth official while Dinah Balleco facilitated a working group on indigenous peoples as environmental defenders in the Philippines. The workshop concluded with a plenary presentation of each library’s formed story out of each participant’s own perspective and unique experience in climate work which involved intersectional discussions on women, indigenous peoples, and the church.

Renewable Energy Transformation is still very much on the table in regional discussions on climate and sustainable development. Interacting with stakeholders and attending conversations on international carbon markets and feminist just transition is a given for the platform’s goal of creating RE knowledge ecosystems.

In a side event organized by YECAP and YOUNGO, RENDER Director Tonichi Regalado spoke about how there is a need to innovate beyond both climate mitigation and renewable energy. Touching on his Non-Economic Loss and Damage (NELD) research in La Union, Regalado spoke on how important it is to find linkages between different fields to create true holistic solutions. “Asian Youth's Impact on Global Climate Discourse and Policies” gathered young climate leaders to talk about transformative change and retrospective influence in the region.

In the Action Hub, Regalado also spoke on his work with coastal communities in the Philippines affected by a constellation of health factors. “A Prescription for Change: How Health Professionals Are Leading Climate Solutions,” was a short event by Healthcare Without Harm Asia focused on exploring connections between the climate crisis and health - with RENDER contributing to the discussion on how clean energy sources for maritime transport can reduce health complications with boatmen. 

APCW 2023 ended on the 17th of November, wherein the remaining events were held and the thematic tracks were wrapped up by the UNFCCC. For RENDER, it was a great opportunity for regional exposure to thematic discussions on climate and energy. The conference underscored the importance of inclusive dialogue in addressing climate change, especially in recognizing and integrating the unique perspectives and challenges faced by youth, women, and indigenous communities. RENDER’s key learning was that there is a RENDER's participation highlighted the critical need for greater community-centric and sector-specific approaches in climate action, emphasizing that effective solutions require understanding and addressing the specific environmental circumstances of local coastal communities.