Work

Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals in Asia requires ambitious climate targets combined with sustainability-focused measures

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Asian countries face the dual challenge of fulfilling ambitious climate commitments under the Paris Agreement while simultaneously advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study develops an integrated analytical framework that links decarbonization pathways with SDG indicators across energy, air quality, health, and the food-water-land nexus, as well as policy cost-effectiveness, explicitly incorporating national circumstances. Our findings indicate that current climate pledges primarily deliver gains in SDG indicators related to energy and air quality. Achieving broader progress across other SDG dimensions requires combining more ambitious climate targets with diverse, sustainability-oriented mitigation measures tailored to domestic contexts. Middle- and low-income countries face greater pressure in balancing transition costs and target feasibility; therefore, strengthened international support and robust domestic policies are needed to advance climate ambition alongside sustainable development, including climate finance, technology transfer, and measures that can ensure a just transition for vulnerable industries.

Source: Communications Earth & Environment

DOI: 10.1038/s43247-025-02970-2

Authors: Huawei Zhang, Yang Ou, Muzhen Ren, Yan Sun, Pu Wang

Institutions: Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institutes of Science and Development, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Peking University

Language: English

Topic: Climate Change Policy and Economics

Subfield: Economics and Econometrics

Field: Economics, Econometrics and Finance

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Climate action, Partnerships for the goals, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,490