The 20^th Annual Meeting of the Regional Energy Policy and Planning Sub-Sector Network (REPP-SSN) was held virtually on 24 May 2021. The Meeting was chaired by Mr. Jonathan Goh, Director of External Relations, Energy Planning and Development Division, Energy Market Authority, and Senior Official on Energy (SOE) Leader of Singapore as the REPP-SSN Chairman.

ACCEPT is invited to update the Meeting on the status, progress, and plan of ACCEPT, which is the implementation of ASEAN-Norway cooperation on energy cooperation. This is to follow up last year’s REPP-SSN reporting as well. Dr Zulfikar Yurnaidi, Senior Research Analyst of ACCEPT, represented ACCEPT to deliver the report.

He started by thanking the REPP-SSN for their relentless support to ACCEPT. The project has been graciously welcomed by the 37^th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM) and some of its contributions acknowledged by the 38^th AMEM.

ACCEPT has been successful in promoting the energy-climate nexus into the development of two core documents of ASEAN energy cooperation. ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) Phase II: 2021-2025 has included energy-climate outcome-based strategies, while the 6^th ASEAN Energy Outlook (AEO6) has included new scenario of SDG.

ACCEPT is proud as well that one of its academic papers topped the Energy and Climate Change journal, while its policy briefs and insights are among the most downloaded publications of ACE, along with the APAEC Phase II and AEO6 documents. Coupled with the active dissemination and outreach activities of ACCEPT, the project has successfully advanced ACE visibility in energy-climate landscape.

In response to APAEC Phase II Programme Area and ASEAN member states’ needs, ACCEPT is working on various studies and activities in its 2021 pipeline. With its intersectoral reach, ACCEPT supported not only REPP programme area, but also renewable energy (RE), energy efficiency and conservation (EE&C), even clean coal technology (CC&T). Specific focus is given specifically to the new outcome-based strategy of Promoting information sharing on the energy-climate nexus of the REPP programme area, especially the achievement of its 2021 annual milestones.

The Meeting was briefed as well on the continuation of the project, as it is critical to build upon the achievement and momentum of energy-climate brought by ACCEPT to the region. Continuing the collaboration of ASEAN-Norway, such endeavour would be guided by APAEC, ASEAN-Norway Sectoral Dialogue Partnership – Practical Cooperation Areas, and recent trend in economic and energy transition, such as that of net zero.

The Meeting welcomed the report of ACCEPT and implored ACCEPT to coordinate closely with AMS on its activities and plans. Noting the critical role of REPP as the melting pot of all programme areas of APAEC, ACCEPT will continue to actively collaborate with REPP-SSN in its efforts to contribute to the development climate-friendly energy sector.

Back-to-back with the REPP-SSN Meeting, ACE presented about the ASEAN Decarbonization Strategies from the Perspective of the 6^th ASEAN Energy Outlook at the International Energy Agency (IEA) Workshop on Net-Zero Roadmap Report and Applications to ASEAN, jointly organised by ACE, IEA and Energy Market Authority of Singapore.

From the modelling and analysis of the 6^th ASEAN Energy Outlook (AEO6), the trend that has been observed on the possibility for the ASEAN member states in reaching the net zero is wide open. From the APAEC scenario – achieving the targets of the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation – ASEAN could reduce the emissions by almost 50% compared to the baseline scenario. From the analysis, we see that power sector is the largest carbon dioxide emitter, followed by transport and industry sectors. If ASEAN aims for net zero, the region may look into the decarbonisation potential of these three sectors.