From modern art structures to local dancing, Southeast Asian countries have tried to set themselves apart at the bustling pavilion space in COP29 at Baku Olympic Stadium in Azerbaijan.
It is a tall order in a roomful of more than 200 booths represented by governments, nonprofits and corporates. Thousands of delegates attend events held on the sidelines of the two-week international summit where world leaders lock horns over how to respond to the climate crisis.
Climate finance, carbon markets and clean energy are common themes among Southeast Asian countries present at this year’s summit. Eco-Business visited each booth to examine how countries in a region that still relies heavily on fossil fuels have attempted to boost their sustainability credentials at the world’s most important climate conference.
Singaporean pavilion highlights carbon markets
Singapore was holding a signing ceremony with African country Zambia when Eco-Business passed by its pavilion on Tuesday.
The two countries inked a memorandum of understanding to pave the way for both to trade carbon credits aligned with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
Permanent secretary at Singapore’s ministry of sustainability and environment Stanley Loh and sustainability and environment minister Grace Fu sign an agreement with Zambia’s green economy and environment minister Mike Mposha and permanent secretary Douty Chibamba at the Singapore pavilion on 19 November 2024. Image: COP29 Singapore Pavilion
Carbon markets are one of the key topics of focus at the pavilion, as Singapore announced five years ago its ambition of becoming the regions’ carbon hub, where firms can purchase high-quality carbon credits from Asia and elsewhere to offset their greenhouse emissions.
The art installation in the Singapore pavilion is of the nations’s national flower, a hybrid orchid, made using 3D printing technology, incorporating metal wires recycled from last year’s pavilion and recycled materials for the main structure. Image: HAF/ Eco-Business
The pavilion was hosting six other events that day, touching on sustainable water and the country’s nationally determined contributions. The space was constantly busy, with an average of six to eight events per day, while its neighbouring countries held about three. It even collaborated with other pavilions, holding a joint discussion with Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on how to align with 1.5°C pathways.
Fully funded by the government, this year’s pavilion includes an art installation, created in part using 3D printing and upcycled metal wires that form orchids. It also has a booth which provides free coffee that has already become so popular among attendees that organisers have had to make a sign that it is only meant for those who sit and engage at their events.
The Philippines’ pavilion is small, but big on loss and damage
The Philippines has the smallest pavilion space among the Southeast Asian booths. It compensated for this by curating discussions on how to access and boost a multi-billion dollar fund to help vulnerable nations cope with climate risks.
As country host of the loss and damage fund, it has been holding events that explore how the money will impact Southeast Asia and the growth of national movements calling for climate justice for loss and damage.
Albert Magalang, Philippines chief of climate change service of the environment and natural resources department speaks to a delegate at the Philippine pavilion. Image: Hannah Fernandez/ Eco-Business.
The government spent about US$68,000 to rent the pavillion, the cheapest package offered by COP29 organisers, according to Gigi Merilo, the environment department’s supervising environmental management specialist, who was in charge of leasing the space.
The size of the pavilion was kept at a minimum, without help from corporate sponsors, in order for the delegation to concentrate on driving issues like loss and damage, as well as adaptation and mitigation, she said.
“This decision [not to have any corporate sponsors] reflects the delegation’s focus on maintaining flexibility and independence, allowing it to concentrate on delivering key messages aligned with the country’s climate agenda without external influence,” said Merilo.
Indonesia’s soft diplomacy for climate action
Performances by traditional dancers brought life to a room of grey suits and serious-faced delegates in the Indonesian pavilion.
The dancers depict an ethnic group known as “Adat”, which represents other local communities in Indonesia that are often excluded from climate policies, said Emilya Rosa, chief of the pavilion.
Adat dancers perform in between discussions at the Indoensian pavilion. Image:COP29 Indonesian pavilion
By bringing a part of their culture into the pavilion, the country was able to show its commitment to inclusive climate action as part of its policy, she added.
Other main policies Indonesia focused on in its events include renewable energy, climate finance and its forestry sector.
The Indonesian pavilion is the largest among the Southeast Asian countries. Its main sponsors include state-owned electric power distributor PLN and oil and gas firm Pertamina. Image: Hannah Fernandez/ Eco-Business
“Indonesia always performs hard and soft diplomacy,” Rosa told Eco-Business. “The negotiators do the hard diplomacy by delivering the country positions and making deliberations on draft text. The Indonesia pavilion is part of our soft diplomacy, engaging in a dialogue to exhibit Indonesian stakeholders’ commitment and efforts in combating climate change, which supports the hard diplomacy.”
Carbon markets discussion in Malaysian pavilion but not at Thailand’s
The Malaysian pavilion’s theme of climate action highlighted how the country is addressing climate change “with urgency and ambition”, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Malaysia’s minister of natural resources and environmental sustainability said at the launch of the pavilion in October.
The Malaysis pavilion is funded by corporates like state-owned oil and gas company Petronas. Image: Hannah Fernandez/ Eco-Business
“These international forums present critical opportunities for Malaysia to showcase our efforts to engage with global leaders and to reaffirm our commitments to international climate agreements. We will make our presence and our voice known – being a small country, it is only by speaking the loudest that we can be heard,” he said.
Nazmi is spearheading the nation’s first climate change bill, which may see the establishment of a domestic emissions trading scheme. Carbon markets were part of the programme, including a collaboration and sharing of best practices with carbon market associations in the region.
Other main topics of the pavilion were about renewable energy, improving biodiversity or fostering community-led adaptation projects. The major sponsors of the pavilion include state-owned oil and gas company Petronas as well as electric utility giant Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB).
The Thailand pavilion focuses on events about climate finance, technology and innovation. Image: Hannah Fernandez/ Eci-Business
Thailand did not list carbon markets in the talking points of its pavilion, despite being the first country to have sold the first batch of carbon offsets under the Paris Agreement carbon credits mechanism in January. Upon the operationalisation of Article 6 at COP29, developing states like those in Southeast Asia are expected to take part in it to achieve their low-carbon pledges. Its focus is instead on climate finance, technology and innovation.
Southeast Asian nations Vietnam, Timor-Leste, Laos, Brunei, Cambodia and Myanmar did not have booths at COP29.
