South Asian countries should adopt a regional approach to tackle circularity and climate challenges as shared resources and environmental impacts connect the region culturally and economically. Governments must finalise carbon market systems and define clear guidelines for what counts as green investment:

• Encourage corporate sectors to invest in decarbonising industries and adopt circular production models.
• Develop and follow a Climate Prosperity Plan that can be shared across the region as a model for cooperation and sustainable growth.
• Establish a Climate Bank at the regional level to coordinate climate financing and support projects across South Asia.
• Promote green taxonomy and improve institutional capacity in both provincial and federal governments for better management of climate funds.
• Introduce project-based risk sharing to encourage private sector participation in climate initiatives.
• Ensure women’s empowerment and inclusion in climate finance mechanisms for equitable development.
• Strengthen capital markets to support financing of climate-friendly and circular economy projects.
• Adopt blended finance as the main strategy to fund green climate actions, integrating national mitigation plans with international and private sector support.
• Establish a credible carbon pricing system to ensure fair and transparent carbon trading.
• Promote policy coherence across regional governments and reduce donor-driven fragmentation.
• Focus on innovation, knowledge sharing, and inter-ministerial cooperation for effective implementation.
• Invest in human, natural, and social capital, as these are key forms of wealth in developing countries.
• Shift towards a circular model of development that changes how goods are produced and consumed.
• Improve capacity building for circular financing at both government and private sector levels.
• Strengthen partnerships with private enterprises, not just with federal institutions, to broaden funding sources.
• Promote behavioural and lifestyle changes that support sustainable production and consumption patterns.
• Create a Regional Circularity Fund involving multiple South Asian countries to support recycling and green innovation.
• Encourage corporate responsibility, such as Coca-Cola’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programmes, to achieve high recycling rates.
• Focus on carbon pricing and policies that make recycling both environmentally and financially rewarding.
• Move from pilot projects to large-scale transformation for long-term sustainability.
• Partner with banks and Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) to fund circular economy projects and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.