Jakarta, 22 April 2025 – Education plays a vital role in raising awareness and driving understanding of the energy-climate nexus, and equipping students with the necessary information early on in their academic journey can encourage more young people to take part in ASEAN’s path towards a net zero journey.  

The ASEAN Climate Change and Energy Project (ACCEPT) recognises this importance. On Tuesday, 22 April 2025, the project had the pleasant opportunity to be a guest speaker at Sampoerna University’s Industrial Engineering Colloquium to discuss “Advancing Energy Transition in ASEAN” in South Jakarta, Indonesia. Aldilla Noor Rakhiemah, Project Manager of ACCEPT II, represented the project and delivered a presentation to a class of university students.   

Aldilla kicked off her session by giving a brief introduction to the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE, or the Centre) as the central hub for ASEAN’s energy transition, outlining ACE’s three key roles as a catalyst, knowledge hub, and think tank. Furthermore, she also introduced the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) as ASEAN’s regional energy blueprint, emphasising the APAEC’s role as the guiding document of ASEAN Member States (AMS) commitment in ASEAN’s energy transition journey.  

Aldilla then introduced the Centre’s flagship product, the 8th ASEAN Energy Outlook (AEO8), which serves as a vital document that provides projections in ASEAN’s energy landscape. One of the scenarios included in the AEO8 is the Carbon Neutrality Scenario (CNS), which ACCEPT took part in formulating. This scenario puts emphasis on utilising low-carbon technologies to achieve net zero. On this topic, Aldilla also emphasised to the students that achieving net zero emissions only in the energy sector can be seen as an ambitious goal, given that ASEAN’s energy mix is dominated by fossil fuels. It is due to this dependency that shifting entirely to renewable energy by 2050 requires significant structural transformation and involvement of all relevant stakeholders.   

As part of the Centre’s efforts in guiding ASEAN Member States’ (AMS) energy transition, Aldilla introduced ACCEPT as the first integrated energy-climate nexus project in ASEAN. A part of the project’s initiative is to engage with younger generations to raise awareness on the importance of tackling energy-climate challenges, contributing to the region’s energy transition and net zero goals. One of ACCEPT’s key approaches is leveraging social media to amplify its outreach and dissemination strategies—an effort to make information on energy-climate nexus accessible and easily digestible not only for energy-climate enthusiasts, but also the general audience.  

Moreover, ACCEPT also advocates for research and knowledge exchange to support evidence-based policymaking in the energy-climate nexus. The project is collaborating with the Centre in serving as an Academic Partner for the 5th ASEAN International Conference on Energy and Environment (AICEE) that will be held this year in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. ACCEPT will play a key role in reviewing submitted abstracts as well as developing the full paper submission. Researchers whose work aligns with ACCEPT’s objectives will have the opportunity to receive sponsorship to present their findings at the conference and may also submit their papers for publication in the IOP Conference Series. This initaitive aims to support innovative research on energy-climate issues in ASEAN and provide policymakers with evidence-based recommendations.  

Aldilla encouraged interested students to submit their papers, highlighting the valuable opportunity to broaden their knowledge and strengthen their academic journey on energy and climate.  

After Aldilla’s presentation, she opened the floor to questions. The students were particularly enthusiastic in hearing more about ASEAN’s renewable energy landscape, details regarding the APAEC, and the overall direction of ASEAN’s energy transition amidst growing energy demand.   

Aldilla touched upon the importance of integrating various low-carbon technologies—solar, wind, geothermal, and others—to not only meet ASEAN’s growing demand, but also achieve its net zero target by 2050. As opposed to focusing on a single RE source, the ideal approach is to support all available technologies based on each country’s resources and landscape. This inclusive strategy reflects the region’s forward-looking approach in securing a resilient and sustainable energy future for ASEAN. 

The Q&A also addressed the role policy, inclusivity, and public participation in ASEAN’s energy transition. In particular, public aspiration was considered influential, especially since collective concern for climate issues within a society can help drive governments to act on mitigating the effects of climate change through developing the necessary policies and regulations.  

To end the session, Aldilla encouraged students with aspirations to work in the energy sector to explore their opportunities starting from early on. Reflecting on her past experiences, she notes that while it is important to have a strong academic foundation, it is also crucial to have the curiosity and willingness to learn more. She encourages everyone to actively seek exposure to real-word energy and climate issues that align with their interests.  

Moving forward, ACCEPT will continue to advocate for educating younger generations on the importance of the energy-climate nexus in ASEAN’s journey to a net zero future. By conducting interactive sessions and engaging with students, ACCEPT hopes to inspire greater awareness on ASEAN’s energy-climate nexus and empower future energy leaders to actively contribute to ASEAN’s energy transition.