Imagine a South Asia, where the skies are clearer, and the air is fresher. But here’s the reality: the region stands at a crossroads. Vietnam’s CO2 emissions have soared, multiplying nearly 100-fold in just 30 years, while Bangladesh and Nepal are on a similar, although less steep, ascent. The cause? An age-old reliance on fossil fuels as the engine of economic growth.
Visuals paint a stark picture: a graph shows a red line for Vietnam, climbing sharply like a mountain trail, reaching over 3.5 metric tons of CO2 per capita. In contrast, Bangladesh and Nepal’s lines crawl at the bottom, a warning of what’s to come if the course remains unchanged. But what if we could bend these lines towards sustainability? The answer may lie in the power of the wind that fills our sails, the sun that graces our lands, and the water that flows through our rivers—renewable energy. Look across the globe: Denmark’s wind-powered wonder, Germany’s solar revolution, China’s leap into a solar future—they’ve shown us that the renewable path is not only possible, but also profitable.
Our journey doesn’t end here. With a blend of policy innovation, investment, and international cooperation, South Asia can pivot to a green future. Our recommendation is clear: it’s time for Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Nepal to harness their renewable potential, not just for the sake of our planet, but for the health, wealth, and prosperity of our people. In our hands lies the power to redefine our future. Let’s make it sustainable. Let’s make it green. Let’s make it now. Because when we change the way we power our lives, we power a brighter future for South Asia.
“The true cost of climate change is felt in our hospitals and in our lungs. The health burden of polluting energy sources is now so high, that moving to cleaner and more sustainable choices for energy supply, transport and food systems effectively pays for itself,” says Dr Maria Neira, WHO Director of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health.
Household air pollution kills 4 million people a year and tends to affect countries in Africa and Asia, where polluting fuels and technologies are used every day particularly at home for cooking, heating and lighting.
Worldwide, up to 14% of children aged 5 – 18 years have asthma relating to factors including air pollution. Every year, 543 000 children* younger than 5 years die of respiratory disease linked to air pollution. Overall,4.2 million death every year are caused by air pollution.
When CO2 emissions increase in the world, the pollution indicator increases as well.
“When the air pollution is bad, many people in my office develop coughs and sick days are taken. I like to walk or ride a bicycle home, but I always need to check the air quality before leaving work. Today I decided to take the bus home because the air quality reading was 150. I have also cancelled weekend plans with friends due to the unhealthy air levels. It can be very depressing.”
How to reduce CO2 emissions?
China implemented several solutions like Tradable performance standard (TPS) which is a system that reduces its CO2 emissions.
China also started to plant green areas.
By 2030, China will have renewable energy sources account 25% of total energy consumption.
Even though China’s CO2 emissions increased , its pollution indicators decreased. This shows that China is working on controlling its CO2 emissions.
As seen in the above visualizations, that the CO2 emissions increased in China from 2010 to 2017, but its pollution indicator decreased, this shows the effectiveness of the regulations that China imposed.
Recommendations
All countries should implement regulations and policies to reduce its CO2 emissions.
Electric cars should take place, as well as new green areas should be planted to decrease CO2 emissions.
