Summary

The session brought together diverse stakeholders from different parts of Asia, such as research experts and policymakers, to deliberate on the feasibility and potential of advancing Circulating and Ecological Spheres (CES) to accelerate integrated climate and sustainability actions. The session sought to reveal the pathways needed to accelerate the transition to sustainability by integrating and localising actions. The first speaker focused on the global-level challenges of various global agendas, such as the Paris Agreement, net zero, the SDGs, and the post-2030 considerations. He highlighted the need to mainstream integrated approaches, such as the Circulating and Ecological Sphere Approach, to localise global goals. He also pointed out that to design local need-based actionable solutions, all CES applications required appropriate governance, as well as technological and financial support. The second speaker exemplified the collective action needed to realise global aims through urban-rural partnerships and lifestyle change goals in a case study on Yokohama’s approach to achieving net zero. The third speaker, Deputy Commissioner of Nagpur Division of India, also exemplified the local-level CES model development for net zero in the Nagpur city region and stressed the importance of taking a co-development city and neighbouring rural approach to develop integrated planning and collective actions. The fourth speaker elaborated on a multiscale, multidimensional CES concept approach to localise integrated climate and sustainable development actions that use locally available resources to develop self-reliant, decentralised societies that leverage co-benefits for economic revitalisation, SDG localisation, and other important agendas. He referred to the CES Asia Consortium (established in 2021) to highlight the crucial role regional platforms played in facilitating diverse cross-learning using CES applications. The fifth speaker highlighted the crucial role of multi-stakeholder integrated engagement in dealing with economic, social and environmental challenges, promoting local-level circular economies, and optimising local resources. The final speaker also stressed the need for inclusion in national and regional development plans to enhance communication on urban-rural inequities, rural issues and needs, and sustainable urban-rural development.