This volume of the International Symposia in Economic Theory and Econometrics explores the latest economic and financial developments in Asia.

The future growth and development of Asia OCo the most dynamic economic region in the world today OCo will have important implications for the rest of the global economy. This book offers a futuristic perspective of a wide array of developmental challenges and opportunities facing Asian economies over the next two decades. The future is approached from several different developmental paradigms including technological change and innovation, regional cooperation within Asia and between Asia and the West, poverty reduction, ethics and corruption, and environmental challenges. Future prospects for the two giant economies of China and India are also explored. By offering a comprehensive look at the medium-term future of Asia from such a wide range of different viewpoints, this fascinating book will interest economists, social scientists, politicians, international investment managers and the general public alike. Sample Chapter(s). Chapter 1: Growth, Structural Changeand Technology (462 KB). Contents: Growth, Structural Change and Technology; Regional Cooperation and the Global Community; The United States, Europe and Developing Asia; Poverty and Income Distribution; Corruption, Ethics and Governance; Environment; China and India. Readership: Professional economists and undergraduate students of Asian economic development; international investors and fund managers interested in Asia."

This new volume of the International Symposia in Economic Theory and Econometrics explores the latest economic and financial developments in Asia.

Investors are increasingly integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues into their investment decisions. Currently, more than half of managed assets in Europe are linked to ESG factors, while in Japan, ESG investment has grown dramatically in recent years. In principle, ESG investment can help to bridge the gap between profit-driven investment and economic and social sustainability in Asia and the Pacific. However, a number of challenges, such as unclear and varied sustainable investment criteria, untested impacts on corporate value and social issues, and the lack of quality data cloud the potential for increasing ESG investment. This book aims to contribute to developing a framework for future analysis and monitoring to ensure the growth of ESG investment.

The economies located in East, South and Southeast Asia have witnessed an interesting growth-sustainability trade-off over the last decades. While growth considerations have paved ways for deepened ties with growing trade-investment waves and increasing population pressure necessitated exploitation of hitherto unutilized natural resources, focus on environmental sustainability has been a recent consideration. The growth impetus still playing a key role in these economies, it becomes imperative that the countries effectively address the key sustainability concerns, e.g. air and water pollution, land degradation, loss of biodiversity, climate change issues like CO2 emissions etc. But how prepared is the governance mechanism of these countries, covering not only the legislative and administrative framework but also involvement of the judiciary, presence of spirited civil society and active engagement of stakeholders in policy-framing dialogues, to rise up to these challenges? The book seeks an answer to this question through the environmental governance mechanism and natural resource conservation policies in three vibrant regions within Asia. A holistic development dimension of sustainable development path emerges, through discussion of policies adopted by developed (Japan, South Korea), upper-middle (China, Malaysia), developing (India, Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand) and least developed countries (Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal).

In order to advance sustainable development, it is crucial to change the course and mode of conventional economic growth in East Asia, which has enjoyed rapid economic growth of late but faces substantial environmental challenges. This volume focuses on the evolution of multilevel environmental governance in the East Asian region, including both Northeast and Southeast Asia. It examines how effective emerging environmental governance and policy have been and addresses the underlying causes of local, national, regional, and global environmental challenges. Specific topics include democratization and its effect on decisionmaking processes, international environmental aid, economic analysis of carbon reduction policy, regional and global environmental regimes and subsequent new financial mechanisms, and hybrid systems of environmental governance that emphasize the role of the private sector and civil society in contributing to environmental governance. The book gives special attention to the regional economic and environmental regimes. It analyzes the advantages; challenges; and solutions in addressing local, national, regional, and global environmental challenges and in changing the course of economic growth.

This book examines the current main sustainable development issues in Asia from a socio-economic, macroeconomic, and financial perspective, beyond a plain environmental context. The book further analyzes both financial or health crises, which jeopardize the economic sustainability of countries, particularly in Asia where a sustained economic growth path is an occurrence of the recent past. By doing so, the volume presents case studies on countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, and ASEAN countries, like Thailand. In some instances, the book provides a comparative analysis of the experience of European Union countries. The book is divided into two parts. The first part presents contributions with socio-economic perspectives under the broad heading of sustainable development. Each contribution examines a specific Asian country. Additionally, it looks into China’s rise in adjacent regions like the Middle East, discussing China’s positioning in the world in the current post Covid19 context. The second part presents the experiences of a number of Asian countries in terms of financial and economic perspectives, including an analysis of the issue of sovereign debt. The book further examines broader topics, like the sustainability of the top financial centers, and micro-finance. The volume is a must-read for scholars, students, and practitioners, interested in a better understanding of sustainable development issues in Asia in particular, and economics in general.