Journal article
The Greenhouse Gas Budget of Southeast Asia for 2000–2019 and Pathways Toward Climate Neutrality
Global biogeochemical cycles, Vol.39(9), pp.1-25
09/2025
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Abstract
Member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ratified the Paris Agreement and have initiated their own efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, the progress of these countries toward climate neutrality remains uncertain. Here, we estimated the combined budget for carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) in Southeast Asia for 2000–2019 using bottom‐up and top‐down approaches. The CO2 emissions from deforestation were the largest source, followed by anthropogenic fire emissions, which together exceeded the CO2 uptake by natural vegetation and land‐use change legacy (e.g., regrowth), yielding a net source of CO2 in the biosphere. The region's biosphere was also a net source of CH4 and N2O, which, combined with the CO2 budget, makes the Southeast Asian biosphere a net source of GHGs to the atmosphere, ranging from 2,003.2 ± 406.1 Tg CO2eq yr−1 (bottom‐up) to 2,227.5 ± 572.8 Tg CO2eq yr−1 (top‐down) for 2000–2019. Among non‐biospheric GHG emissions (e.g., fossil fuels and waste‐related emissions), coal usage has resulted in an unprecedented increase in CO2 emissions. The total GHG budget (the biospheric GHG budget plus the non‐biospheric GHG fluxes) was calculated as a net source of 3,226.3 ± 406.2 Tg CO2eq yr−1 (bottom‐up) and 3,406.4 ± 572.9 Tg CO2eq yr−1 (top‐down) for 2000–2019. Our study revealed that Southeast Asia is experiencing the dual challenge of large emissions from deforestation and coal usage, necessitating the implementation of urgent mitigation strategies to ensure climate neutrality.
Details
- Title
- The Greenhouse Gas Budget of Southeast Asia for 2000–2019 and Pathways Toward Climate Neutrality
- Creators
- Masayuki Kondo - Hiroshima UniversityPrabir K. Patra - Research Institute for Global Change (Japan)Josep G. Canadell - Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research OrganisationPhilippe Ciais - Université Paris‐Saclay (France)Richard A. Houghton - Woodwell Climate Research CenterAkihiko Ito - The University of TokyoChandra S. Deshmukh - Asia Pacific Resources International Ltd (Indonesia, Pekanbaru)Tomo'omi Kumagai - The University of TokyoXiangzhong Luo - National University of SingaporeUmakant Mishra - Sandia National Laboratories CaliforniaAtul K. Jain - University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignWei Li - Tsinghua UniversityGerbrand Koren - Utrecht UniversityStephen Sitch - University of ExeterBen Poulter - Spark Climate SolutionsHanqin Tian - Boston CollegeAna Bastos - Max Planck Institute for BiogeochemistryRonny Lauerwald - Université Paris‐Saclay (France)Judith A. Rosentreter - Southern Cross UniversityTazu Saeki - National Institute for Environmental StudiesNaveen Chandra - Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and TechnologyMarielle Saunois - Université Paris‐Saclay (France)Ingrid T. Luijkx - Wageningen University & ResearchTakashi Maki - Meteorological Research InstituteTakashi Nakamura - Japan Meteorological AgencyKirari Hirabayashi - Hiroshima UniversityTakeshi Hirano - Hokkaido UniversityNobuko Saigusa - National Institute for Environmental Studies
- Publication Details
- Global biogeochemical cycles, Vol.39(9), pp.1-25
- Publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.; WASHINGTON
- Number of pages
- 25
- Grant note
- Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency (JPMEERF21S20800; JPMEERF21S20810) L'Agence nationale de la researche (ANR‐16‐CONV‐0003) MEXT the Arctic challenge for Sustainability II (JPMXD1420318865) National Aeronautics and Space Administration (80NSSC24K0920) Integrated Land Ecosystem‐Atmosphere Processes Study Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JP19K12312)
- Identifiers
- 991013317624802368
- Copyright
- © 2025. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article