This report paints a clear picture of the path taken by the countries in the region over the past 40 years in their resource use. Today, the region dominates global resource use, comprising more than 50 per cent and consumption is rapidly rising as economies grow, infrastructure is built and the middle class expands. But even accounting for economic growth, resource efficiency in the region lags far behind the rest of the world, and varies dramatically between countries. As an illustration, developing countries in the region use an average of 5kg of resources for every dollar they produce, ten times that used by industrialized countries. This begs the question of where we should seek the fastest and best improvements in efficiency and where the Asia Pacific region can find the "low-hanging fruit" to achieve resource efficiency in this high-tech age.

The Statistical Yearbook presents data for the 58 regional Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) member countries, as well as world, regional, sub-regional and economic aggregates for comparison. It offers current trends and emerging topics in the Asia-Pacific, grouped around the themes of people, the environment, the economy and connectivity. It provides the international and regional community with key indicators, objective analyses of the current trends and emerging issues, along with data and charts. In order to maximize the comparability, the Yearbook data is sourced exclusively from international agencies that adhere to the official global statistical standards.

In order to address the twenty-first-century challenges of decarbonisation, energy security and cost-effectiveness it is essential to understand whole energy systems and the interconnection and interaction between different components. An integrated language is therefore needed to assist energy policymakers and to help industrial stakeholders assess future energy systems and infrastructure and make realistic technical and economic decisions. Whole Energy System Dynamics provides an interdisciplinary approach to whole energy systems; providing insights and understanding of it in the context of challenges, opportunities and solutions at different levels and time steps. It discusses approaches across disciplinary boundaries as well as existing issues within three main themes: theory, modelling and policy, and their interlinkage with geopolitics, markets and practice. Spataru argues that there is an urgent need for a whole energy system integration. This is necessary for effective analysis, design and control of the interactions and interdependencies involved in the technical, economic, regulatory and social dimensions of the energy system. This book is essential reading for students interested in the area of energy systems, policy and modelling. It is also a valuable read for policymakers, professionals, researchers, academics, engineers and industrial stakeholders.

The Key Indicators for Asia and the Pacific 2012 (Key Indicators), the 43rd edition of this series, includes the latest available economic, financial, social, and environmental indicators for the 48 regional members of the Asian Development Bank. This publication aims to present the latest key statistics on development issues concerning the economies of Asia and the Pacific to a wide audience, including policy makers, development practitioners, government officials, researchers, students, and the general public. Part I of this issue of the Key Indicators is a special chapter---Green Urbanization in Asia. Parts II and III comprise of brief, non-technical analyses and statistical tables on the Millennium Development Goals and seven other themes. This year, the second edition of the Framework of Inclusive Growth Indicators, a special supplement to Key Indicators is also included. The statistical tables in this issue of the Key Indicators may also be downloaded in MS Excel format from this website or in user-specified format at SDBS Online.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB), in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment), prepared this tool compendium to help address the issues, challenges, and barriers faced by developing countries from Asia and the Pacific in the successful implementation of the environmental dimensions of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The tools presented here can help policy makers gain a better understanding of SDG interlinkages, establish horizontal and vertical policy coherence, and select appropriate guidelines, indicators, and institutional arrangements for effective integration into national policies, plans, and programs. This publication reflects the high-level commitment of ADB and UN Environment to support efforts to accelerate progress in implementing the environmental dimensions of the SDGs.

INTEGRATED GREEN ENERGY SOLUTIONS This second volume in a two-volume set continues to present the state of the art for the concepts, practical applications, and future of renewable energy and how to move closer to true sustainability. Renewable energy supplies are of ever-increasing environmental and economic importance in every country in the world. A wide range of renewable energy technologies has been established commercially and recognized as an important set of growth industries for most governments. World agencies, such as the United Nations, have extensive programs to encourage these emerging technologies. This book will bridge the gap between descriptive reviews and specialized engineering technologies. It centers on demonstrating how fundamental physical processes govern renewable energy resources and their applications. Although the applications are being updated continually, the fundamental principles remain the same, and this book will provide a useful platform for those advancing the subject and its industries. Integrated Resilient Energy Solutions is a two-volume set covering subjects of proven technical and economic importance worldwide. Energy supply from renewables is an essential component of every nation’s strategy, especially when there is responsibility for the environment and sustainability. These two volumes will consider the timeless renewable energy technologies’ principles yet demonstrate modern applications and case studies. Whether for the veteran engineer, student, or other professional, these two volumes are a must-have for any library.

In the emerging narrative of sustainable development in Asia, the essential challenge is to reduce the use of natural resources and environmental degradation alongside the increasing demand for goods and services. To achieve this, Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP), one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015, aims at reconciling the three goals of minimising the extraction of natural resources from the environment, limiting waste and emissions over the life cycle of goods and services and improving human development and wellbeing. Sustainable Asia: Supporting the Transition to Sustainable Consumption and Production in Asian Developing Countries provides an overview and analysis of the current status of SCP in Asian developing countries. The book focuses on projects supported by the EU-funded SWITCH-Asia Programme, a regional development cooperation programme promoting the adoption of SCP practices among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and consumer groups in Asia since 2007. For readers looking for a comprehensive introduction to the topic of SCP together with a detailed analysis of the current developmental situation in various Asian developing countries and key sectors such as manufacturing, tourism, renewable energy and agriculture, this book is an invaluable tool. The book examines in detail the SCP approaches and innovative solutions demonstrated by the SWITCH-Asia supported projects in Asia and thus serves as a reference for practitioners, researchers and policymakers alike.