2020 is said to be a landmark year for global climate and biodiversity with two major events: one is the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP 26) is scheduled to be held in Scotland in November 2020 and the second is the Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity set to meet in Kunming, China in October 2020. with the aim of introducing a series of follow-up objectives to replace the erroneous Aichi objectives. However, both important events have been postponed because of Covid-19, the pandemic has a close connection with environmental health, in which, many scientists connect the appearance of the Covid-19 pathogen in Vietnam. Wuhan, China with wildlife trade and deforestation.

Southeast Asian countries have an important role in both meetings because this region has a rapidly increasing carbon emissions, led by Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines, in which the main cause of the increase in emissions is This is due to the expansion of coal-fired power generation and petroleum-based transportation. Furthermore, frequent deforestation and wildfires also contribute to the exacerbation of climate change (due to emissions from land) and loss of biodiversity as they reduce the habitats of many species of plants and animals. .

Although it is not possible to expect developing countries to act on their own, there is hope that funding mechanisms such as REDD+ (incentives to protect forests) and the Green Climate Fund can be extended and help the region achieve climate and biodiversity goals. Environmentalists increasingly fear this delay could cause disaster. With Southeast Asia there is another concern. Instead of raising awareness of the need to better protect the landscape and stamp out the wildlife trade, there is growing concern that the pandemic and its consequent economic slowdown could lead to a loss of life. The devastation is greater because both of these factors focus on regional development and also increase the pressure on nature as rural communities become more impoverished.

Southeast Asia possesses one-third of the world's important tropical landscapes and biodiversity, along with the Amazon in South America and the Congo in Africa. 6/25 of the world's biodiversity hotspots are located in this region - it's considered to be home to 20% of the planet's plant and vertebrate species. Compared to other hotspots, Southeast Asia is much more densely populated with a population of more than 800 million – more than the Amazon and Congo combined.

Despite possessing rich resources, most Southeast Asian countries are low or middle income. This means that for many years, the environment is often sacrificed in exchange for economic growth. Corruption is also a prominent factor across the region, and Southeast Asia also scores quite low on the Corruption Perceptions Index compiled by Transparency International.

Taking everything together, the situation in Southeast Asia was bleak, even before the pandemic hit.