AZEC forum agrees to decarbonize 3 key sectors

Ministers from Southeast Asia and surrounding regions pose for a commemorative photo at the the Asia Zero Emission Community meeting in Jakarta on Aug. 21, 2024

Ministers from Southeast Asia and surrounding regions vowed on Wednesday to promote zero-emission power generation, sustainable fuel markets and next-generation manufacturing industries during a decarbonization framework meeting in Jakarta.

At the second ministerial meeting of the Asia Zero Emission Community, or AZEC, 11 partner countries also acknowledged the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, emphasizing the importance of embracing various approaches to achieve this goal, given the differing circumstances of each nation.

“We underscore the significance of the ‘AZEC principles,’ which emphasize the importance of achieving a ‘triple breakthrough,’ namely addressing climate change, promoting inclusive economic growth, and achieving energy security simultaneously,” the ministers in charge of energy and industry, among others, said in a joint statement.

The AZEC framework proposed first by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, comprises nine members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Australia and Japan.

“I would like to make efforts to spread AZEC principles beyond this framework,” said Japan’s Economy Trade and Industry Minister Ken Saito after the meeting.

As potential areas of cooperation under one of its three initiatives, the ministers highlighted efforts to decarbonize coal power generation by utilizing resources such as biomass, hydrogen and ammonia, and supporting carbon dioxide capture and storage legislation.

Regarding the other two initiatives, AZEC partners will develop a roadmap for sustainable fuel demand and supply in Asia based on sectoral feasibility studies in transport, including aviation, and support the creation of policies and measures to promote decarbonization in industrial parks.

AZEC share a common interest in maintaining coal-fired plants, equipped with special measures to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, while Europe is vocal on an eventual termination of coal-fired power generation.

Japan aims to maximize the potential of the huge Asian market by providing its technology and promoting the legalization of carbon capture and storage in the relevant countries.

The first AZEC summit was held in Tokyo in December 2023, following a ministerial meeting in the Japanese capital in March of the same year.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. However, Myanmar, which has been under military rule since a February 2021 coup, is not an AZEC member.