The UK and ASEAN launched the Supporting Socially Inclusive
Climate Adaptation & Resilience in ASEAN (CLARE-ASEAN)
initiative on 4 June 2025 in Jakarta. The programme uses new
evidence and innovation to promote socially-inclusive urban
resilience to climate change in the Southeast Asia region.
The CLARE-ASEAN is a regional programme under the UK's flagship
Climate Adaptation and Resilience (CLARE) research framework,
funded about 90% by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth &
Development Office (FCDO) and co-funded by Canada's International
Development Research Centre (IDRC). The initiative will run
through 2026 and aims to generate evidence-based, inclusive
solutions to climate challenges in Southeast Asian cities.
The UK Ambassador to ASEAN, Sarah Tiffin, said:
Climate resilience is a pivotal investment for Southeast Asia's
future. The UK's support through CLARE-ASEAN aims to help ASEAN
Member States tackle climate risks at scale—by strengthening
partnerships among researchers, policymakers, and local
communities.
CLARE-ASEAN will focus on co-developing climate solutions with
marginalised communities, producing tailored research and policy
briefs to support ASEAN decision-making, and contributing to the
forthcoming IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Cities.
The programme is closely aligned with the ASEAN Working Group on
Climate Change (AWGCC) Action Plan and responds to the ASEAN
State of Climate Change Report, which identifies urban areas—home
to more than half of the region's population—as a critical sector
for adaptation efforts.
