AGP Executive Report

Climate impacts on livelihoods: A South Korean migratory beekeeper says warming is shrinking flowering seasons and disrupting bee navigation, while mites and new diseases add pressure to honey farming. Food security stress: Hot, dry weather linked to an expected strong El Niño is already hurting crops across Asia, from India’s wheat belt to Southeast Asian rice and Indonesia’s plantations, with prices rising on supply fears. Waste policy in the Pacific: Fiji rejected an Australian billionaire’s “energy-from-waste” plan after landowner and tourism backlash, citing concerns over imported waste, hazardous ash, public health, and unresolved environmental and economic impacts. Ocean monitoring cutbacks: The US is ending the Ocean Observatories Initiative, meaning major Pacific and coastal sensor data streams will go dark even as past data remains online. Renewables & power demand: India’s peak power demand hit a record 270.82 GW in May as electricity trading on IEX rose, while a cabinet support package targets volatile aviation fuel costs. Low-carbon data centres: Thailand’s data-centre push is driving talks on renewable procurement, grid readiness, and decarbonisation at a low-carbon data centres summit in Bangkok.

AI & Environment: A UN report urges AI firms to disclose their environmental footprint, warning the AI boom is straining power grids, water and land, and calls for standardised reporting plus greener tool choices. Energy Transition Debate (ASEAN): Malaysia’s energy leaders argue nuclear could complement renewables as a stable baseload, citing geography limits for solar-heavy grids. Climate Science & Risk Messaging: Scientists say the “worst-case” climate scenario is now less useful, as models shift with renewables and policy progress. El Niño Watch: Forecasters warn a “super El Niño” is nearing, with potential for extreme heat and major rainfall swings across regions. Extreme Weather Impacts (Pacific): After Super Typhoon Sinlaku, Pacific island communities in Micronesia are still rebuilding homes, schools and power amid rising recovery needs. Disaster Monitoring (Pacific): Tropical Storm Amanda forms as the first Pacific cyclone of the season, with strengthening possible. Clean Power Growth (India): India says it became the world’s second-largest solar growth market in 2025, driven by rapid capacity additions and rooftop solar. Biofuels (India): Hero launches India’s first flex-fuel motorcycles for ethanol blends (E20–E85), aiming to cut oil dependence. Urban Heat Adaptation (UNDP India): UNDP stresses cities must be redesigned for heat resilience, not just cooled, with walkability and green/blue spaces. Nature & Invasives (Japan): A new app helps identify Japanese knotweed and other invasive plants to reduce property and ecosystem damage. Regional Trade (ASEAN): Cambodia chairs an ASEAN customs meeting focused on strengthening regional integration and resilience.

Pacific Fisheries: The Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency says two decades of regional, science-led tuna management have kept key stocks healthy, making the Western and Central Pacific a global model for sustainable governance. Climate Risk: India is bracing for a potentially weak monsoon as the WMO warns El Niño is likely to develop later this year, raising odds of extreme heat, drought and rainfall swings. Energy Transition (Australia): Australia’s solar-plus-battery rollout is accelerating, with record home battery installations and strong wind/solar investment decisions supporting a cleaner, safer grid. Biodiversity (India): A new Global Environment Facility biodiversity fund spotlight highlights community-managed forests and reserves in Nagaland, Uttarakhand and Tripura, showing nature protection led from the ground up. Ocean/Coasts: A Japan-based eSIM service links travel data use to coral reef restoration donations, aiming to turn everyday tourism into small-scale conservation funding. Wildlife Conflict (Japan): A bear attack in Fukushima injured four people, as Japan reports rising bear-human encounters. Pacific Diplomacy: Solomon Islands’ new PM says the country will negotiate a strategic treaty with Australia and review its security pact with China.

El Niño Watch: The WMO says El Niño is forming with an 80% chance of developing June–August and a 90% chance it lasts to at least November, warning climate change will supercharge heat, drought and downpours. Heat & Food Risks: India’s early, extreme heat is already hitting dairy—scientists link heat stress to lower milk output and fertility problems—while new research flags a shift from “how much rain” to “how violently it falls,” raising flood risk even if totals drop. Climate Data Integrity: India’s Mega Science Vision-2035 warns climate observations rely on imported equipment that may sit uncalibrated for years, skewing published data. Biodiversity & Protected Areas: Venezuela joined a China-hosted international meeting on protected areas, aligned with the 30x30 goal. Central Asia Green Trade: Eco Expo Central Asia 2026 opened in Samarkand, with UNEP and IUCN backing partnerships and green finance. Renewables in Industry: First Gen will build a 1.84 MW rooftop solar plant for NKC in the Philippines, cutting emissions and stabilizing power costs. Ecosystem Funding: IUCN will implement a US$23m GEF portfolio, including a 5-year India project for community-led ecosystem resilience. Wildlife Conflict: Japan reported rising bear attacks, injuring four in Fukushima. Clean Shipping: China delivered the first methanol dual-fuel retrofit ship under Seaspan’s program, cutting energy-efficiency and emissions.

El Niño and heat risk: Australia’s Climate Council warns the looming El Niño will be worsened by climate change, raising odds of drought, extreme heat and bushfire risk. Heat impacts on people: A study in Nature Communications finds heat waves can create non-survivable heat stress for hundreds of millions, with mortality likely undercounted in South Asia and the Middle East. Pacific climate accountability: Pacific youth launched a COP31 talanoa series in Suva, saying they won’t wait for outside direction and are pushing loss-and-damage accountability. Climate insurance in the Pacific: Solomon Islands’ TrigaCash parametric microinsurance has begun payouts after rainfall triggers, with the central bank calling it proof the system works fast. Disaster resilience governance: A regional workshop in Jeju trained 2,000 officials on inclusive disaster risk reduction and climate resilience, aligned with the Sendai Framework. Green ammonia supply crunch: India is reassessing long-term green ammonia demand from fertiliser firms as West Asia conflict tightens conventional ammonia availability and raises costs. Extreme weather planning: New Zealand’s seasonal climate outlook for June–August 2026 highlights changing conditions as communities brace for impacts.

Public Health Response: China will send a high-level medical expert team to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to support Ebola control after WHO declared it a public health emergency. Waste & Cities: Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward starts on-the-spot fines for littering, with multilingual patrols aimed at cutting street trash and overtourism spillover. Nuclear Fallout Debate: Fukushima’s treated wastewater release remains a flashpoint, with critics challenging the ALPS treatment plan’s scientific and political handling. Biodiversity Recovery: Japan released crested ibises back into the wild on Honshu for the first time in decades, using birds bred on Sado Island. Climate Adaptation Finance: A new survey finds Asian funders increasingly prioritizing climate adaptation and resilience, citing the region’s large adaptation financing gap. Energy Transition & Industry: India’s solar push continues alongside policy moves like flex-fuel car plans, while Central Asia energy talks highlight renewable grid integration corridors. Ocean & Weather Risk: NASA reported the largest wave measured from space in the Pacific, underscoring how extreme ocean events can stress forecasting and safety.

Climate Risk & Adaptation: El Niño-linked changes are forcing the Polynesian Voyaging Society to adjust the Hōkūleʻa and Hikianalia Pacific voyage, with crews planning around a likely above-average North Pacific hurricane season and aiming to reach Fiji for UN climate talks. Water & Food Security: Pakistan’s South Punjab livestock farmers warn that alleged India–Pakistan Indus Waters Treaty violations are disrupting river flows and threatening “charagahs” grazing lands that underpin rural milk and meat production. Glaciers: A new study says Central Asia’s glaciers melted fastest ever in 2025, with extreme ice loss hitting nearly all mountain ranges at once. Energy Transition: Malaysia’s Energy Transition Conference 2026 (June 3–5) will convene 4,000 delegates to push clean energy and water transformation policy. Renewables on the ground: Maharashtra’s Project Chirag shows solar electrification can be a platform for education, water, sanitation and mobility—not just power. Trade & Climate Finance: Solomon Islands’ first parametric climate microinsurance payout is reaching rural households quickly after heavy rainfall triggers. Regional markets: Remitly’s Immigration Index ranks the Philippines last in Southeast Asia, citing healthcare, income, safety and environmental conditions despite low unemployment.

Renewables & Energy: India’s Khavda solar park in Gujarat’s Rann of Kutch is emerging as a flagship of the renewables boom, with projections of up to 30 GW and tens of millions of panels by 2029. Climate Adaptation & Food: Uttarakhand’s relocation backlog shows how climate risk keeps outpacing planning, while India’s Alphonso mango crisis highlights how cold, fungi, pollution and heat shocks are hitting iconic crops and GI identity. Biodiversity & Conservation: Japan released crested ibises back into the wild on Honshu for the first time in decades, and India’s “Dolphin Rescue Ambulance” story spotlights river wildlife rescue capacity. Water & Ecology Governance: Tajikistan and China are expanding cooperation on glacier preservation, water conservation and green energy, and the GEF council meeting in Samarkand is set to back major environment and climate projects. Regional Policy: ASEAN officials say they’ve wrapped talks on the Asean Digital Economy Framework Agreement, aiming for a more seamless, secure digital market. Local Environment Action: Delhi’s NDMC says its “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” tree-planting drive is now a weekly resolve, paired with bird water pots. Security & Environment Link: The Indo-Pacific rearmament push at Shangri-La underscores rising volatility that can spill into energy and maritime supply risks.

Climate Law Push: More than two-thirds of UN members backed a resolution affirming the ICJ’s view that countries must limit global warming to the Paris 1.5°C goal, a non-binding ruling likely to be used in future lawsuits. ASEAN Digital Economy: ASEAN DEFA talks have wrapped up in Manila, clearing the way for signing in November; the bloc expects digital-economy value to rise from $1T to potentially $2T by 2030. China Climate & Forecasting: China’s 2025 ecological bulletin reports vegetation quality at a near-best level since 2000, while El Niño conditions are emerging and a major monsoon science program is endorsed. India Energy Investment: India’s energy spending is set to hit a record $170B in 2026 as solar and oil refining drive growth, even as West Asia risks reshape priorities. Grid Rules for Renewables: India’s CERC drafted DSM changes for daily deviation pricing, updated renewable treatment, and steps to better integrate energy storage. Drought Insurance in Laos: SEADRIF and FAO launched Southeast Asia’s first anticipatory drought insurance pilot in Lao PDR, linking early warnings to pre-arranged payouts. Heat & Weather Shock: North India saw a sudden “winter-like” chill from a western disturbance, with dust storms, rain, and sharp temperature drops. EV Battery Recycling: China moves to tighten rules on recycling retired EV batteries, targeting illegal disposal and scaling up material recovery. Pacific Climate Urgency: Samoa’s PM urged urgent global action ahead of the IPCC’s synthesis report, warning low-lying nations face sovereignty loss and relocation. Quad Security Projects: Quad foreign ministers in New Delhi advanced port, maritime surveillance, energy security, critical minerals, and emerging tech cooperation. India Water Security: Anand Mahindra warned India may be leaving its “zone of tolerance” on water as monsoon uncertainty rises, pushing rainwater harvesting and bottom-up conservation. Wildlife Conservation Education: India launched Vantara University, a wildlife and veterinary-focused global university backed by Reliance, aiming to build conservation capacity.

Climate Policy Clash: California air regulators approved major changes to cap-and-trade, including giving away up to about $3.5B in emissions allowances for free to firms that cut pollution—environmentalists call it a retreat while industry says it protects jobs and energy costs. Heat & Monsoon Risk: India faces a high chance of disrupted 2026 monsoon as a strong El Niño threatens erratic rains, longer dry spells and heat stress, with knock-on effects for kharif crops and water demand. Food & Inflation Pressure in ASEAN: Southeast Asia braces for super El Niño impacts that could cut harvests and lift food prices, on top of Middle East-driven fuel and fertilizer cost shocks. Health & Climate Link: A new study warns climate-driven antibiotic resistance is rising in Salmonella, making infections harder to treat and raising food-safety stakes. Pacific Finance for Resilience: A new EU-backed Sustainable Pacific Blue Circle Fund launched in Suva will help small businesses in blue/green economy and climate resilience sectors access funding across several Pacific island states. Oceans & Access: A “Governing the Oceans” series spotlights how ocean-based economies can support jobs and livelihoods, but need better access and equity frameworks.

Heatwave & Climate Risk: India’s IMD forecasts below-normal monsoon rainfall at 90% of the long-period average, with June also under 92% and heatwave conditions flagged—prompting the National Green Tribunal to demand action plans as extreme heat hits health, farming, water and wildlife. Extreme Heat in South Asia: A separate report warns sustained, dangerous heat across India and Pakistan is driving power demand spikes and worsening drought, with likely undercounted heat deaths. Coastal Warming: A new study projects summer temperatures rising by over 1°C by 2040 in India’s coastal districts, shrinking the adaptation window. Circular Economy for SMEs: ASEAN and East Asia groups backed by EU Switch-Asia roll out a “circular business check” to help SMEs adopt circular models, starting with pilots in the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand. Water Cooperation (Central Asia): CAREC highlights practical steps to strengthen transboundary water coordination and climate-resilient social protection amid rainfall shortages. Biodiversity Watch: Gujarat steps up surveillance after Asiatic lion cub deaths in Gir are linked to a possible tick-borne parasitic infection. Energy Access (Pacific/Global South): Zambia receives solar mini-grid equipment donations for schools and rural health centres, boosting clean power where grids lag. Trade & Policy: China’s trade body rejects EU cybersecurity act revisions over country-linked supply-chain exclusions, while the Philippines and Japan sign an updated tax treaty to cut double-tax risks and spur investment.

Philippines–Japan energy and security push: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. met Japan’s Fumio Kishida and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo, discussing renewable energy, low-carbon tech and long-term energy security under the Azec framework, while also moving ahead on defense cooperation. Maritime and climate-linked cooperation: Manila and Tokyo agreed to start talks on sharing classified information and delimiting maritime borders, plus signed a double taxation deal and announced negotiations tied to AI, space, energy security and supply-chain resilience. Climate risk in Asia: China’s National Climate Centre said El Niño impacts are expected to peak in autumn and winter, raising risks of flooding in southern China and drought elsewhere, with knock-on effects for late-season rice and water supplies. Glacier alarm from Central Asia: Researchers report accelerated melting of the Kangxiwa glacier in China’s Pamirs since 2022, with 2025 showing record ice loss. Energy transition funding: The IEA projects global energy investment at $3.4tn in 2026, with renewables, grids and storage taking the biggest share. Green finance: China launched its first green sovereign bond sale in Hong Kong, raising $886m to fund climate spending. Nature-based carbon monitoring: Bracell said it removed 6m tons of CO₂ (2020–2025) and expanded forest carbon monitoring with flux towers. Agriculture and emissions: Cambridge-led field trials in India found mycorrhiza-based bio-fertilisers boosted basmati yields 5–15% and could cut synthetic fertiliser use. Circular plastics in India: Loop Industries signed an MoU for its first commercial recycled PET plant in Gujarat, aiming to scale circular packaging.

Climate Risk: The UN and WMO warn global temperatures are likely to stay at record levels and that there’s a 75% chance 2026-2030 averages will exceed the Paris 1.5°C threshold, with an El Niño expected to raise odds of another hottest year. Heat & Weather: A “Super El Niño” could intensify extremes across the US Southwest and beyond, while Europe’s spring heatwaves are flagged as a brutal reminder of climate change. Air Cargo & Trade: IATA says global air cargo demand rose 4% in April, with Asia-Pacific carriers driving growth, even as Gulf disruptions keep reshaping routes. Renewables in Focus: India added over 14GW of solar in Q1 2026, and new reporting highlights how utility-scale projects are powering the surge. EVs & Batteries: China’s NEV battery recycling is getting tighter rules as mass retirements loom, and a sodium-ion battery in China is reported as a low-cost alternative for storage and some EV use. Plastic Pollution: Iraq’s plastic waste problem is worsening, with low recycling and much ending up in dumpsites near rivers. Governance & Tech: India’s welfare delivery is increasingly using facial recognition for verification, raising efficiency gains and new accountability questions. Business-Climate Link: Greenpeace confronts NVIDIA over AI data-centre supply-chain decarbonization concerns.

Bioenergy & Waste Management: Oil India’s OGEL and SFC’s Hindustan Waste Treatment signed a 50:50 JV to scale compressed biogas, waste-to-energy and circular waste infrastructure across India. Climate Tech for Water: Lanzhou Jiaotong University researchers unveiled a droplet-based wastewater generator that turns secondary effluent energy into electricity while aiding pollutant removal. Clean Mobility: Indian Railways approved an indigenous hydrogen fuel-cell trainset for the Jind–Sonipat corridor, aiming to cut fossil-fuel traction emissions. AI Power Demand: India’s C2i Semiconductors taped out a smart power-stage chip to optimize electricity use in AI data centres. Corporate Climate Push: PepsiCo launched the 2026 Greenhouse Program (Impact Edition) in Asia Pacific to move sustainability startup solutions into scaled operations. Policy & Standards: Singapore tightened refrigerant rules for commercial refrigeration (from July 2027) and vehicle air-conditioning (from July 2028) to cut greenhouse gas impacts. Pacific Resilience Finance: Fiji launched the Sustainable Pacific Blue Circle Fund to help MSMEs in blue/green and climate-resilient sectors access funding plus technical support. Rights & Environment: Cambodia’s “Mother Nature” environmental defenders’ conviction is under appeal after months of delays, with groups urging overturning the sentences. Greenwashing Watch: A new critique says India’s ESG reporting quality gaps persist despite high compliance rates.

Heat & health: UN climate chief Simon Stiell called Europe’s record early heatwave a “brutal reminder” of the climate crisis, pointing to fossil-fuel burning; in India, extreme heat is also driving record power demand and heatstroke deaths. Extreme heat & inequality: A new study links rising temperatures to a projected surge in heat-related heart disease in the US, with higher burdens likely where incomes are lower. Aviation resilience: Airports across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East are moving from emissions cuts to climate adaptation, with GAR2026 recognising projects tackling flooding, extreme heat and water scarcity. Clean fuels push: ANA and JAL urged faster sustainable aviation fuel scale-up, warning adoption remains tiny versus targets. Hydrogen rail pilot (India): Indian Railways approved a hydrogen fuel-cell trainset for the Jind–Sonipat route, aiming for cleaner rail mobility. Climate governance & water: Pakistan’s minister Musadik Malik warned against politicising transboundary water as climate stress tests treaties like the Indus Waters Treaty. Air quality (India): Research finds North-East India’s carbonaceous pollution rose nearly 50% since 2000, driven by biomass burning and slash-and-burn. Regional integration: Commentary argues RCEP’s 2027 review must turn the trade pact into a stronger regional governance engine. Maritime security (Japan/NZ): Japan plans talks to export its upgraded Mogami frigate design to New Zealand, potentially deepening Indo-Pacific naval interoperability. EV market (India): VinFast filed an Indian design patent for the VF 8, positioning it as a flagship EV.

Japan Intelligence Overhaul: Japan’s parliament has enacted a law creating a new National Intelligence Council to centralize information gathering, but critics warn it leaves major gaps in parliamentary oversight and civil-liberties protections. Water Diplomacy Clash: Pakistan’s climate minister Musadik Malik escalated warnings at a UN water conference, calling “water aggression” unacceptable and urging India to respect the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty. Renewables Push Abroad: China is reportedly planning a massive overseas clean-energy project—1,000 wind turbines plus millions of solar panels—aimed at exporting its renewable build-out model. Industrial Accident: A Japanese-owned paper mill in Washington state suffered a catastrophic chemical tank implosion, killing one worker and leaving nine missing. Climate Health Watch: A study warns chikungunya could expand into Europe and North America as climate change widens habitat for mosquito vectors. ASEAN Plastics: ASEAN leaders backed new steps to tackle marine plastic pollution, but the region still lacks a binding framework and waste collection remains weak.