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Context and objectives

Developing and emerging countries in Asia are witnessing an unprecedented uptick in infrastructure investment due to economic growth and their strategic location along major trade routes. While infrastructure is essential for economic development, it also has a major role to play in climate change, accounting for about 60% of GHG emissions globally. Given the long lifespan of infrastructure assets, the investment decisions made today could lock countries into carbon-intensive development pathways for years to come.

The next decade will be crucial when it comes to delivering on climate goals. There is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to “build back better” and simultaneously tackle the challenges of closing the infrastructure investment gap, stimulating sustainable economic growth and progressing towards the achievement of long-term climate and development goals.

The Sustainable Infrastructure Programme in Asia (SIPA) aims to help selected Central and Southeast Asian countries scale up energy, transport and industry infrastructure investments, and shift them towards infrastructure projects consistent with low-emission, resilient development pathways and the Sustainable Development Goals. SIPA primarily focuses on Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Uzbekistan in Central Asia as well as Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand in Southeast Asia. Other countries in both regions will benefit from SIPA’s activities through regional policy dialogues and capacity building seminars. SIPA also engages with stakeholders in China as a major centre of infrastructure investment as well as source of outward foreign investment in infrastructure.

Activities

SIPA supports governments at all stages of infrastructure development, from planning and design to financing and delivery:

  • Strategic infrastructure planning and project evaluation: SIPA supports partner governments to better align strategic infrastructure planning and project-level assessment with long-term low-carbon, resilient and inclusive development pathways.
  • Multi-dimensional project evaluation: SIPA develops capacity in governments to undertake asset-level sustainability assessments on selected strategic infrastructure projects and to improve consistency between short-term investment decisions and long-term goals.
  • National policy frameworks: SIPA helps partner governments strengthen enabling framework conditions for low-emission infrastructure in the energy, transport and industry sectors.
  • Sustainable finance and responsible business conduct: SIPA promotes sustainable finance and Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) principles within governments, financial institutions and relevant business sectors operating in the regions.
  • Regional peer-learning and knowledge management: SIPA establishes regional peer-learning networks and training programmes on sustainable infrastructure planning and financing in the regions of Central Asia, Southeast Asia and beyond.

 

Governance

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SIPA builds on and contributes to the OECD’s existing regional networks in Central Asia (the GREEN Action Task Force and the OECD Eurasia Competitiveness Programme) and Southeast Asia (the OECD Southeast Asia Regional Programme), notably its Regional Policy Network on Sustainable Infrastructure.

SIPA is implemented by the OECD and its international partners, which bring their expertise to drive results towards a greener future.‌

Programme partners

SIPA is implemented by a consortium of international and regional experts.

International Transport Forum (ITF): develops country-specific and regional roadmaps for decarbonised transport systems together with selected national governments.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP): facilitates regional peer-learning networks and training programmes on sustainable infrastructure planning and financing in Southeast Asia; also provides implementation support in selected countries (transport and industry) and coordination of activities in China.

Institut du développement durable et des relations internationales (IDDRI): provides support to selected governments in Central Asia to develop long-term, low-emission development strategies.

World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF): supports selected governments to mainstream natural capital and ecosystems services in sustainable infrastructure planning.

International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD): shares expertise on fossil-fuel subsidy reforms across both regions and carries out asset-level evaluations of pilot strategic infrastructure project.

University of Central Asia (UCA): organises regional peer-learning networks and training programmes on sustainable infrastructure planning and financing in Central Asia.

Programme funded by

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Contact us

For general inquiries, please write to: sipa@oecd.org