Khaldon Azhari

TOKYO: The first Asia Green Growth Partnership Ministerial Meeting (AGGPM) is set start online on October 4 with the participation of 24 countries including Saudi Arabia.

“This is the first initiative by Japan to promote green growth in Asia, and Japan has invited almost all Asian countries, including those from the Middle East, and some other countries such as Australia, Canada and the United States. Twenty-four countries and three international organizations have so far said they will take part,” an official at Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) told Arab News Japan.

The three international organizations that confirmed participation are The International Energy Agency (IEA), ASEAN secretariat, as well as Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA).

From the Middle East, the organizers have received official confirmation from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Prince Abd al-Aziz bin Salman Al Saud, Saudi minister of energy, will attend, as will Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, the Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology in the United Arab Emirates. Other participants will includ Iraqi Oil Minister Ihsan Abdul Ismail, Iranian Oil Minister Owji Javadand, Kuwait’s Oil Minister Khaled Ali Al-Fadhed.

The conference will discuss renewable energy and the concept of realistic energy ambitions and demand in Asia, which is expected to grow. The agenda will also discuss the need to maximize the use of renewable energy, energy efficiency growth, the clean use of fossil fuel and utilization of hydrogen ammonia.

“The energy consumption continues to grow in Asia and some scenarios expected 70-80% demand for fossil fuels in this region compare to the renewable energy that still face some challenges in the continent, the METI official said.

“Renewable potentials, such as solar and wind energies are unevenly distributed. In the Mekong region, and Indian and Middle Eastern countries there is abundant solar potentials, but in some parts of Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines, solar power is are scarce. Same applied to the Wind power which is high in Vietnam and Philippines, but scarce in Indonesia and Malaysia. And we need to address these problems” he said.

Japanese Prime Minister SUGA Yoshihide declared Japan will be carbon neutral by 2050. The G7 countries, which include Japan, plan to help the world achieve net-zero no later than 2050.