Asean Energy Ministers reaffirm commitment to enhance Energy Resilience and Innovation

The 36th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM) was held in Singapore on 29 October 2018. The meeting was chaired by Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing and attended by all 10 ASEAN Member States.

In addition to the ASEAN Energy Ministers, the International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Dr Fatih Birol and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Director-General Adnan Amin, were also invited to join the AMEM discussions on “Energy Resilience and Innovation” and “Clean Energy Transformation”. This was initiated by Singapore to strengthen ASEAN’s engagement with key international organisations on issues of importance to the region.

The ASEAN Energy Ministers endorsed a number of key outcomes at the 36th AMEM, which aim to enhance energy connectivity and resilience, and innovation for the region. These outcomes include:

• A Memorandum of Understanding on Energy Cooperation between ASEAN and IRENA with an Action Plan that outlines key areas of collaboration. The ASEAN-IRENA MOU will be signed tomorrow at the Singapore International Energy Week;
• A Capacity Building Roadmap on Energy Investment and Financing, as part of ASEAN’s efforts to enhance regional capabilities to attract investments in energy and develop sustainable financing models;
• A set of key recommendations for the development of Green Building Codes for ASEAN Member States to drive the region’s green building industry;
• A set of recommendations identified in the Gas Advocacy White Paper to enhance liquefied natural gas (LNG) cooperation and trade in ASEAN; and
• The Mid-Term Review of the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation 2016-2025 (Phase I: 2016-2020), which indicated that ASEAN was on track to meet its collective energy targets by 2020.

The deliverables at the 36th AMEM cap a successful year of enhancing energy connectivity and market integration in ASEAN. These are important steps towards achieving greater energy security, accessibility, affordability and sustainability for all ASEAN Member States.

The deliverables at the 36th AMEM cap a successful year of enhancing energy connectivity and market integration in ASEAN. These are important steps towards achieving greater energy security, accessibility, affordability and sustainability for all ASEAN Member States.

Later today, the ASEAN Energy Ministers will meet their key energy dialogue partners, namely Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia, and the United States, at the 15th ASEAN Plus Three Ministers on Energy Meeting and the 12th East Asia Summit Energy Ministers Meeting. There, they will discuss opportunities for closer collaboration on issues such as renewable energy, energy efficiency and energy security in the region.