Jakarta. The Executive Director of the ASEAN Centre for Energy, Dr. Nuki Agya Utama, recently informed the public of the current ASEAN collaboration with Norway on Energy and Climate nexus under the ASEAN Climate Change and Energy Project Phase II (ACCEPT II).

“Currently, Southeast Asia produces GHG emissions of approximately 1,815 Mton CO2e, and this number is predicted to increase 4-fold by 2050. This is important for us, in the energy sector, to be able to focus on bridging communication, studies, and activities between energy and climate change,” Dr. Nuki said in a recent interview with Beritasatu.

The ASEAN Climate Change and Energy Project (ACCEPT) was developed from those concerns and focuses as a project that also supports activities between ASEAN and Norway for the next four years until 2026. In particular, ACCEPT will help accelerate Southeast Asian countries to realize their energy transition in the years to come.

This project was derived from a long-term agreement between the Royal Norwegian government and ASEAN in 2018.

Phase 1 of ACCEPT had already taken place from November 2018 to March 2022.

ASEAN ministers noted the completion of the project at the 40th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM) last September.

This first integrated project on energy and climate change has been successful in improving the coherence between the ASEAN energy and climate policies, bringing ASEAN countries closer to a more climate-friendly development of the energy sector.

Following this success, the ministers also welcomed phase 2 of the project.

ACCEPT II officially commenced on 1 November 2022, with goals to support ASEAN member states and ASEAN’s capacity to move towards a low-carbon energy system and contribute towards carbon neutrality or net zero in the coming years.

Through ACCEPT II, the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), in collaboration with the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), will continue to support the implementation of the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) Phase 2: 2021-2025, especially on the Regional Energy Policy and Planning, with a goal to promote information sharing on the energy-climate nexus.

From the policymakers’ side, government officials working on the energy sector from the ten ASEAN member states are the main stakeholders of the project. 

According to Dr. Nuki, apart from the government, the community also plays a crucial role.

“Because the comprehension of energy and climate must be properly understood in both its context and application," he added.

Other involved stakeholders are academics or researchers from research institutes or universities, experts from industries, national or private companies, and community leaders.

International institutions such as the International Energy Agency (IEA), International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank, and other institutions are key actors that help ACCEPT II implement the project.

The mentioned stakeholders can contribute by actively participating or collaborating with the ACCEPT team in conducting energy-climate nexus studies. 

The public or individuals can take part by joining any ACCEPT’s event, such as the regular webinar series.

Students can join ACCEPT internship program which aims to increase students’ understanding and opportunity to get involved in any energy and climate issue across the region. 

Dr. Nuki also hopes that ACCEPT II will be able to facilitate more intense communication and stronger policies to achieve energy transition targets. 

“Going forward, the ASEAN Centre for Energy will continue achieving milestones by continuing to work closely with relevant ministries to realize a cleaner industry,“ he said.

ACCEPT II welcomes all collaboration in the energy and climate nexus. For more details,  feel free to contact [email protected]