Megatrends, Emerging Issues and Outlooks
on the sustainable consumption and production 10-Year Framework of Programmes (10YFP). Greener measures of economic performance that go beyond GDP will be essential. Several countries in the region have developed new concepts, such as Japan’s sound material cycle society, China’s ecological civilization, Thailand’s sufficiency economy, and Bhutan’s gross national happiness (GNH). UNEP’s Inquiry into the Design of a Sustainable Financial System identified ways to enhance the financial system’s sustainability, for example sustainable banking (green credit), green bonds, and sustainability reporting-requirements for stocks (UNEP 2015b).
The region’s economic dynamism will probably continue, and large infrastructure investments are expected, especially in emerging and developing economies. These investments should incorporate sustainability considerations from the beginning. Countries should avoid being locked into high- polluting resource-intensive investments for long periods. The region’s emerging and developing economies should leapfrog outmoded and unsustainable development models.
Resilience is related to the SDGs although it is not a headline goal. There is mounting concern in the region about natural disasters, some related to climate change (SDG 13). These harm human well-being, including through poverty and hunger (SDGs 1 and 2). More emphasis is now being placed in the region on resilience to natural disasters, climate change and other environment-related shocks. Measures to maintain ecosystem services and address climate change will help to strengthen resilience.
These measures will require additional human and technical capacities in most countries. The capacities needed are not limited to the traditional areas of environmental monitoring, enforcement and assessment, and not only to environment ministries and authorities. Greening national budgeting and tax systems, as well as green public and private procurement, will need upgraded capacities in government as well as in business and civil society. Processes such as multi-stakeholder engagement are new to most citizens, let
alone governments. Implementation and monitoring of the SDGs and other environmental policies will need enhanced overall institutional capacity.
The data revolution for implementing and monitoring the SDGs will also need a revolution in capacity building for data collection and management. This is a central element of capacity. A key challenge for many countries is collecting data on and tracking many development indicators, and data are often insufficient and irregular, with substantial gaps. Recent assessments indicate that the region has one of the lowest rates of data coverage for various development indicators, with relatively low reporting frequency (Sustainable Development Solutions Network 2014). The data requirements for assessing SDG progress are huge and well beyond the currently collected data. Another widespread concern is data reliability. Many countries lack sufficient capacity for many forms of data collection, such as household surveys or real-time information on crises.
Better governance is necessary to mobilize all means of implementation for the SDGs. Common recommendations from governance research include greater stakeholder engagement, enhanced coordination and integration between different policy areas, and stronger monitoring and accountability mechanisms. Stakeholders also need better access to information to make their participation more effective.
Regional organizations should play a major role in implementing these transformative pathways. Regional SDG accountability frameworks could help to strengthen data and information collection, legal frameworks, and multi-stakeholder participation frameworks such as national councils for sustainable development. Civil-society organizations should be engaged at regional and national levels.
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