Arab News Japan

TOKYO: ASEAN energy ministers and Japan acknowledged the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2016-2025 at a special online meeting held to discuss future energy plans for the region and how the sector can move forward in a post-pandemic world.

Japan’s minister of economy, trade and industry Kajiyama Hiroshi and his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Hong Dien, co-chaired the meeting that recognized the “unprecedented challenges” arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and the urgent need of addressing a sustainable post-pandemic recovery.

Japan’s energy policy is set by the Agency for “Natural Resources and Energy” that belong to the ministry of economy, trade and industry (METI).

The meeting, that was also attended by the Secretary-General of ASEAN, set a framework for the region’s energy cooperation agenda in the next five years under the theme of “Accelerating Energy Transition and Strengthening Energy Resilience through Greater Innovation and Cooperation.

The ministers welcomed further collaboration between ASEAN and Japan, including with the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA).

Among the topics discussed were the expansion of multilateral power trading; the development of a common ASEAN gas market; optimization of the role of Clean Coal Technology (CCT) and Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS); enhancement of energy efficiency and conservation measures in various sectors; acceleration of renewable energy deployment; advancement of a regional energy policy; and development of human resource capacity and capability on nuclear energy for power generation, according to a statement issued by METI.

The meeting welcomed Japan’s “Asia Energy Transition Initiative (AETI)”, which includes a wide range of support for energy transitions in ASEAN, such as financial support, technology development and deployment support, and human resource development through various training workshops, studies and reports.