TOKYO, July 17 -- Ministry of the Environment issued the following news:

Outcome of the 27th Inter-Governmental Meeting and Scientific Planning Group Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN)

* The 27th Inter-Governmental Meeting (IGM) and Scientific Planning Group (SPG) Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN) was held in Bangkok, Thailand, on July　9-10, 2026. The Meeting marked APN's 30th anniversary and brought together government representatives, scientific experts and stakeholders from across the Asia-Pacific region to review the Network's achievements and agree on its future direction.



* The Meeting approved APN's Sixth Strategic Plan (2026-2030), which sets out the Network's strategic direction for the next five years and reinforces its commitment to regional research, scientific capacity development, science-policy interactions and stakeholder engagement.



* The Meeting also recognised APN's contributions over the past three decades to advancing global change research, strengthening science-policy engagement and supporting sustainable development across the Asia-Pacific region. Participants reaffirmed the continued importance of the Network as a regional platform for science-policy engagement.

* Date

July 9-10, 2026 * Venue

Bangkok, Thailand * Participants

Government officials from 17 countries / members of the Scientific Planning Group, invited experts, observers and the Secretariat (70 persons)

The Meeting celebrated the 30th anniversary of APN, which was established in 1996 as an intergovernmental network promoting regional cooperation in global change research and science-policy engagement across the Asia-Pacific region. Participants reflected on APN's achievements in supporting collaborative research, scientific capacity development and science-policy engagement, and reaffirmed the Network's role in helping countries address regional and global environmental challenges.

The Meeting approved APN's Sixth Strategic Plan (2026-2030), which sets out the Network's vision, mission and strategic framework for the coming five years. The Plan promotes innovative, inclusive and transdisciplinary approaches to advancing sustainability and responding to global environmental change.



The Sixth Strategic Plan is structured around five strategic goals:

Regional Research;

Scientific Capacity Development;

Science-Policy Interactions;

Stakeholder Engagement; and

Institutional and Financial Sustainability.

Priority areas include climate resilience and adaptation, nature-based solutions, urban sustainability, digital technologies and artificial intelligence, the climate-environment-health nexus, circular economy approaches, climate finance, and food, water and energy security, among other emerging regional priorities.

Under the Sixth Strategic Plan, APN will continue to strengthen regional collaboration and knowledge sharing, support scientific capacity development and enhance science-policy interactions across the Asia-Pacific region. The Network will further promote the co-design of research with policymakers and stakeholders and support the application of scientific knowledge to decision-making processes.

APN will also continue to foster partnerships among governments, researchers, early-career professionals, civil society organisations and the private sector, while contributing to regional efforts to address climate change and other global environmental challenges and to advance sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region.

Contact Office of Climate Change Science and Adaptation General Affairs Division, Global Environment Bureau

Representative number +81-3-3581-3351

Direct number +81-3-5521-8242

Director Yukihiro Haisa

Deputy Director Aya Takatsuki

Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.