ABSTRACT
This chapter examines a case study of regional cooperation on climate change mitigation as a central element of sustainable development. It discusses Association of Southeast Asian Nations' (ASEAN's) energy, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and development paradigm and then discusses different approaches for assessing regional cooperation. The chapter provides an assessment of regional cooperation focusing on examples that provide opportunities for GHG mitigation from around the world before reflecting on potential links with Southeast Asia. Meeting ASEAN's energy needs with unprecedented increases in fossil fuel use and associated GHG emissions would be detrimental to the climate, having flow-on effects on vulnerable communities and economic sectors through climate change impacts. Upscaling of GHG mitigation objectives can take place as both bottom-up and top-down approaches linking with existing and relevant regional cooperation in the region. The bottom-up approach could also imply using the Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) concept.
