Photo 1. Dr Zulfikar Yurnaidi, Head of the Energy Modelling and Policy Planning (MPP) Department (first from the right), during the panel session at the ASEAN Pavilion.
From 17 to 20 November 2025, the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) participated in the 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30) in Belem, Brazil, to share key regional energy-climate initiatives under the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation and beyond. This participation is an initiative under ACE’s energy-climate nexus agenda, which is spearheaded by the ASEAN Climate Change and Energy Project (ACCEPT) Phase II.
ACE held two panels at the ASEAN Pavillion, supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
Dr Zulfikar Yurnaidi, Manager of the Energy Modelling and Policy Planning (MPP) Department, moderated the panel on “ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2026-2030 for a Just and Inclusive Energy Transition in ASEAN” on 19 November 2025. This panel marked the first time the new APAEC 2026-2030 is presented on a global stage, aiming to demonstrate how ASEAN leverages collaboration to operationalise the energy blueprint and safeguards energy security.
Dr Zulfikar was joined by a panel of experts, namely Dr Aniq Ahsan, CEO of Moya Analytics; Nithi Nesadurai, Director and Regional Coordinator of Climate Action Network Southeast Asia (CANSEA); and Roland Treitler, Project Director of GIZ.
Photo 2. Dr Zulfikar’s presenting during the panel session
The discussion touched upon how APAEC contributes to ASEAN’s long-term low-carbon strategies and ensures energy security while embedding the principles of JIET. Participants highlighted that partnerships with international partners, such as Germany, Norway, and the European Union (EU) will remain as models for effective collaboration, while further collaboration with development partners, the private sector, and civil society will support implementation. To conclude, ACE reaffirmed its commitment in strengthening its energy-climate nexus by integrating APAEC with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and carbon neutrality plan.
Following Dr Zuflikar’s panel, Rizky Aditya Putra, Programme Manager of Asia Low Carbon Budlings Transition (ALCBT), moderated “Powering a Fair and Inclusive Future through Sustainable Cooling in ASEAN”. The panellists featured Patrick Blake, Climate and Energy Manager, United Nations Environment Programme United for Efficiency (UNEP-U4E); Dietram Oppelt, Managing Director, HEAT International; and Prof. Leong Yuen Yeong, Director of Sustainability Studies, UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Sunway University.
The session focused on accelerating sustainable cooling adoption as an essential component of ASEAN’s energy transition and decarbonisation pathway, crucial for achieving the region's target of a 40% energy intensity reduction by 2030 as outlined in the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2026-2030. As cooling demand continues to rise rapidly, highly efficient cooling technologies using natural refrigerants need to be effectively adopted to meet global and regional climate goals. Panellists noted that Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) play a central role in this transformation. ASEAN is implementing the Regional Policy Roadmap, which aims for a CSPF of 6.09 by 2025 for room air conditioners (RACs). With the untapped savings potential beyond RACs, the policy scope must eventually broaden to include commercial refrigeration and cold chain systems.
Photo 3. Panel session moderated by Rizky Aditya Putra, Programme Manager of ALCBT, ACE.
The panellists agreed that to successfully adopt these standards, the region needs to build a skilled and inclusive workforce, update university curricula to accommodate next-generation energy-efficient systems and provide regional training and job opportunities for female public officers to promote gender balances.
Moreover, challenges as such can be addressed through initiatives such as the ASEAN Cooling Project, which aims to shaping regional strategies to boost energy efficiency, promote low-GWP refrigerants, and foster gender-inclusive capacity building. This project is implemented by GIZ in cooperation with ACE.
Aside from Dr Zulfikar and Rizky’s panels, ACE was also invited to speak at several other sessions as part of the Centre’s energy-climate nexus agenda. This initiative is spearheaded by the ASEAN Climate Change and Energy Project (ACCEPT) Phase II, which was represented by Muhammad Rizki Kresnawan, Senior Research Analyst of ACCEPT II.
Photo 4. Muhammad Rizki Kresnawan, Senior Research Analyst of ACCEPT II, at the Singapore Pavillion.
Rizki spoke on panels held at the Singapore Pavillion, Malaysia Pavillion, EFC Pavillion, and IRENA Pavillion. His discussions highlighted renewable energy integration, just and inclusive energy transition, addressing climate issues, and the importance of establishing stronger regional coordination for ASEAN to achieve a sustainable and resilient energy future.
In this regard, the ACCEPT project can provide valuable contributions as the bridge between energy and climate communities and conduct dialogues, research, and capacity building that help translate JIET principles into concrete action.
ACE’s participation at COP30 reflected the Centre’s longstanding commitment in advancing ASEAN’s regional energy cooperation through the APAEC 2026-2030. Through presenting the blueprint on a global stage, COP30 provided valuable engagement with international stakeholders. The discussions fostered not only highlighted ASEAN’s efforts but also underscored the region’s dedication to a just and inclusive energy transition. Moving forward, ACE will continue fostering dialogue and strengthening partnerships to help translate regional commitments into concrete actions that support ASEAN’s long-term energy and climate goals.
