The COVID-19 pandemic deeply disrupted global economic and social systems, imposing heavy burdens on many in the Asian region. Global supply chains were fractured and, in some cases, broken, with significant impacts on livelihoods. As countries develop and implement post-pandemic recovery strategies and seek to create buffers against future crises, the promotion of sustainable consumption and production (SCP) patterns must be a central pillar of government and corporate policies, as well as civic action. Similarly, the development of sustainable and secure systems of local resiliency must become a priority, recognising that pandemics are by no means the only crises faced by communities in the Asian region on a regular basis.

As a response to the pandemic’s impact on lives and livelihoods, many governments, businesses, and communities innovated locally to meet basic needs and maintain livelihoods for workers across multiple sectors. Through these experiences, many lessons were learned about the importance of local resilience in the context of disasters and ensuring that no one is left out of access to resources and a secure livelihood. The post-pandemic recovery thus presents a unique opportunity to apply these lessons and advance SCP in the context of local livelihoods and resilience, as well as national actions to address climate change.