The ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) is guarding ASEAN’s energy transition, particularly through raising awareness and understanding of the energy-climate nexus, as highlighted in the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC). Through the ASEAN Climate Change an Energy Project (ACCEPT) funded by the Norwegian Government, ACE is supporting the ASEAN Member States with various capacity buildings and knowledge dissemination on energy and climate among the policymakers.   

In line with this vision, ACCEPT co-organised a workshop titled “Bridging ASEAN’s Energy and Climate Goals: Collaborative Strategies for Net-Zero Emissions” on 25 -26 February 2025 in Bali, Indonesia. This workshop was part of a collaboration with Climate Analytics, the Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR), MOYA Analytics, Institute of Environment and Sustainability @ National University of Singapore, and the Stanley Center for Peace and Security. 

The workshop aims to foster regional cooperation on net zero issues, enhance a data-driven policy making process while at the same time introducing the Global Mitigation Potential Atlas as a supporting tool to outline actionable policies in ASEAN.  

The workshop packed seven sessions, each with distinct topics equipped to accelerate the region’s energy transition journey. Not only regional, but the event also encourages for having more international collaboration to support ASEAN’s low carbon economy future.  

The first day was welcomed with opening remarks from Dr Zulfikar Yurnaidi (ACE), Rei Tang (Stanley Center for Peace and Security), Michiel Schaeffer (Climate Analytics), and Fabby Tumiwa (Institute for Essential Services Reform), highlighting the impact of climate change towards the region, fostering regional collaboration and efforts towards climate mitigation and adaptation plan.  

The workshop was then kickstarted with the first session, a presentation of the 8th ASEAN Energy Outlook by ACE, followed by the second session, presentations from Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Singapore with the topic of exploring Southeast Asia regional energy collaboration in relation to NDCs, facilitated by ACE. International perspectives were provided by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and Energy Foundation China, further broadening the discussion on sustainable energy solutions. 

A hands-on session introduced participants to quantitative tools to link policies and net-zero pathways with the Global Mitigation Potential Atlas (GMPA), facilitated by Climate Analytics and MOYA Analytics. GMPA is a model that is intended to inspire greater mitigation ambition, stronger implementation efforts, and intensified international collaboration. The model helps to identify opportunities for countries to reduce emissions as well as determining the key driver for realizing the opportunities. GMPA highlights the pivotal role of international collaboration and connections across sectors and countries and catalyse mitigation efforts globally. This session facilitated working groups to introduce inventories of policy targets and strategies as well as policy cases to simulate real-world decision-making. 

The second day of the workshop picked up with the exploration of modelled scenarios for collaboration. This includes rooms for improvement that was obtained through intense group discussions. Facilitated by Climate Analytics and MOYA Analytics, this session also provided hand-on exercise to utilise GMPA to support decisions under uncertainty and identify collaborative mitigation opportunities. After the exercise, the participants presented their own scenarios, followed by feedback on the quantitative tools and scenarios. 

The final leg of the workshop commenced with discussion on key takeaways of the two-day workshop, particularly on identifying the most promising collaboration opportunities. It is highlighted that potential energy-climate collaboration should involve capacity building and technical assistance, low carbon energy resource sharing, and regional energy-climate policy integration.  

To wrap up the “Bridging ASEAN’s Energy and Climate Goals: Collaborative Strategies for Net-Zero Emissions” workshop, Dr Zulfikar Yurnaidi and Rei Tang delivered closing remarks, reaffirming the need to fully understand the energy-climate nexus. The workshop also highlighted the importance of regional collaboration between governments, research institutes, development partners, and international organisations to integrate climate change perspectives and the collective vision of renewable energy for the transition into a more sustainable future of the ASEAN region. 

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Join our ASEAN Researchers Network on Climate Change (ARNECC) by registering yourself here. Become a part of our collaborative efforts to address pressing climate challenges and shape a sustainable future.   

Detailed information on ACCEPT II can be found at https://accept.aseanenergy.org/ 

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