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SIEM REAP, Cambodia, July 20, 2005 (Refocus
Weekly)
Countries in Asia will intensify their efforts to
promote partnership in the promotion of solar, wind, geothermal,
hydro and biomass energy, according to a statement by the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
“We were gratified that member countries had made commendable
effort over the past one year to promote the production and
utilization of renewable energy with a view to ... increase the
share of renewable energy in power generation in the region to 10%
by 2010,” ASEAN energy ministers agreed after their 23rd meeting
since the group was established in 1967.
“We accorded high priority to promotion of energy efficiency in the
transportation and industrial sectors, as this may be one of the
most economical and effective ways to mitigate the adverse impacts
of higher oil prices,” the statement said. “We affirmed our
commitment to constantly finding ways to boost energy efficiency,
including putting in place tax incentives for companies that invest
in energy efficient technologies and upgrading existing equipment to
become more energy efficient.”
ASEAN will continue to implement efficient policy programs to
encourage the use of energy labels and standards to improve energy
efficiency of appliances and equipment, since greater efficiency of
energy end-use in buildings, industry and transportation can
significantly reduce energy demand and reduce emissions from
upstream energy generating plants. The ministers also agreed to
popularize cogeneration technology as a method to enhance energy
efficiency.
The final communique affirmed a commitment to promote the use of
natural gas because it is cleaner, and is “pleased to note that
natural gas has become the dominant fuel for power generation in
some of the ASEAN member countries.” The ministers are “committed to
create a favourable investment climate in the oil, gas and
electricity industries in the region” and will mitigate the economic
impacts of the increasing energy costs through an array of joint
programs which focus on implementation of “coordinated efforts to
integrate alternative and renewable energy sources into the regional
energy supply chain, undertaking feasibility studies on oil
stockpiles, cooperating closely to maintain the stability of the
energy market and preparing contingencies for supply disruptions.”
The meeting also awarded the ASEAN Energy Awards under the Best
Practices Competition for Energy Efficient Buildings and Renewable
Energy Project Competition.
ASEAN was established in 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines,
Singapore and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar
and Cambodia joined later. The ASEAN region has a population of 500
million, total area of 4.5 million km2, a combined GDP of US$737
billion and a total trade of US$720 billion.
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