Photo 1. Group photo of the participants
Bangkok, 3 July 2025 – As part of the international outreach initiative to promote ASEAN Sparks accelerator programme, the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) participated in the 4th Asia Urban Energy Assembly. This event was held at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (QSNCC) on 3-4 July 2025 in Bangkok.
The event gathered policymakers, building sector practitioners, industry players, academics, development partners and urban energy experts who are shaping the trajectory of Asia’s cities as they confront rising energy demand, climate pressures and rapid urbanisation. During the first day, ACE delivered a keynote presentation highlighting the open call for ASEAN SPARKS Catalyse. ACE also joined the panel session on “Developing Asia’s Future Cities,” which explored pathways for steering urban growth toward cleaner, more resilient energy systems.
Representing ACE, Irma Ramadan, Senior Officer for Energy Efficiency and Conservation, contributed to the discussion alongside Jeremy Yeo of One Bangkok, Noboru Zama of UNIDO, Sopon Pornchokchai of FIABCI Thailand, and Sombat Vanichprapa of Chulalongkorn University.
Irma opened with a reminder of ACE’s role as the region’s catalyst, knowledge hub, and energy think tank. She explained how the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) sets out the region’s commitment to pursuing energy efficiency across all major end-use sectors. She emphasised that ASEAN Member States already have clear targets guiding their efforts, whether through more efficient building technologies, the shift to hybrid and electric mobility in transport, industrial energy efficiency improvements, or the deployment of renewable and alternative energy in the power sector paired with coal phase-down pathways. These efforts, she noted, form the backbone of Southeast Asia’s long-term emissions reduction agenda.
Photo 2. Irma Ramadan, Senior Officer, ACE presenting on advancing energy efficiency in ASEAN’s urban landscape
She then highlighted the work ACE is driving to help cities become central actors in the region’s energy transition. One of these is the Asia Low Carbon Building Transition (ALCBT) programme, a collaboration between ACE, GGGI, EESL and HEAT with support from IKI. With ASEAN’s energy demand expected to more than double by 2050, and buildings projected to account for more than half of that growth, the programme aims to accelerate low-carbon building practices across Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. As part of this initiative, ACE is developing the ASEAN Energy Efficiency Database and Investment Matchmaking Platform, a regional digital portal that will host tools to assess building energy performance, estimate carbon impacts and connect project owners with financing opportunities for energy-efficient and low-carbon building upgrades.
ASEAN SPARKS is a programme that seeks to address climate and energy pressures by accelerating the growth of climate tech enterprises. The programme empowers early-stage startups with the tools, expertise, and networks needed to scale, while fostering a gender-inclusive environment that drives impactful clean energy solutions across the region. The programme is implemented by the ASEAN Centre of Energy (ACE) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), supported by Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan.
