South Asia’s Push for Regional Climate Cooperation

Why in the News ?

The outcomes of COP30 in Belém, Brazil, have underscored a stark reality, the 1.5°C global warming threshold has effectively been breached, and the world is running out of time to avert deepening climate crises. Amid this urgency, experts are calling for stronger South-led regional climate multilateralism, with South Asia emerging as a critical geography for coordinated climate action.

Background & Context

South Asia is one of the most climate-vulnerable regions in the world, with rising temperatures, recurrent floods, accelerated glacial melt in the Himalayas, sea-level rise, and extreme heat waves threatening lives and economies. At COP30, negotiators highlighted that the Paris Agreement’s voluntary and nationally driven approach has not delivered adequate ambition, especially for developing countries bearing disproportionate climate risks.

With geopolitical rivalries blocking progress through traditional platforms like SAARC, experts argue that climate action could become a fresh pathway for rebuilding regional cooperation, similar to how crises in the past (tsunamis, earthquakes, water shortages) triggered collaborative responses. In this context, a proposal is gaining traction for a South Asian Climate Cooperation Council (SACCC), a new regional climate institution tailored to the region’s ecological and developmental needs.

Why South Asia Needs a Regional Climate Approach ?

• By 2050, climate impacts could cost the region almost 1.8% of its annual GDP.
• Threats include heat stress, flooding, droughts, coastal erosion, and loss of biodiversity.
• Shared ecosystems — Himalayas, monsoonal systems, river basins, and coastal zones — make unilateral policies ineffective.
• Collective action enhances efficiency, resilience, and resource pooling.

Proposal: South Asian Climate Cooperation Council (SACCC)

A new institutional mechanism is being proposed to coordinate mutually reinforcing climate action in South Asia.
It draws lessons from past examples of regional cooperation:

• Quad collaboration after the 2004 tsunami
• Joint response to the Nepal earthquake
• Regional help during the Maldives water crisis

This framework emphasizes that while SAARC has struggled, functional cooperation—especially around climate risks—remains both possible and necessary.

Existing Foundation: Cross-Border Energy Cooperation

Regional energy collaboration already offers a working template:

• 2014 SAARC Framework Agreement for Energy Cooperation established the foundation for electricity trade.
• Successful Nepal–India–Bangladesh trilateral power transactions reflect its implementation.
• India’s One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG) vision offers opportunities for shared renewable energy networks.

Three Pillars of the Proposed SACCC

1. Regional Knowledge & Innovation Hub

A network of climate research and innovation centres, leveraging country strengths:

• Maldives: Coastal adaptation, coral restoration
• Sri Lanka: 30×30 conservation and mangrove restoration
• Bhutan: Gelephu Mindful City for sustainable urbanisation
• India: Mission LiFE, renewable energy expertise, grid integration

Focus areas include:

• Adaptation 
• Mitigation 
• Nature-based solutions 
• Urban resilience

2. South Asia Green Climate Finance Facility

A dedicated financial mechanism to:

• Pool regional and international resources
• Access global climate funds more effectively
• Build bankable climate project pipelines

In collaboration with ADB, World Bank, GCF, the facility could:

• Issue green bonds
• Offer risk-mitigation instruments
• Mobilise private capital for regional priorities

3. Scientific Commission for South Asia

A regional, independent climate-science body that would:

• Define required scale and speed of climate action
• Recommend low-cost, high-impact interventions
• Enhance regional data-sharing & research
• Operate like a region-specific IPCC, focused on action

Key Challenges & Way Forward

• Political Distrust: Build confidence through pilot projects.
• Unequal Capacities: Align with SDGs, NDCs, and Loss & Damage mechanisms.
• Fragmented Data Systems: Promote transparent scientific coordination.
• Risk of Duplication: Start with practical projects — energy, adaptation, disaster management.