ASEAN promotes building carbon neutral strategy

Sunday, June 25, 2023 | 07:49:41

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Rising greenhouse gas emissions are one of the causes of climate change. Located in a region that is heavily impacted by climate change, Southeast Asian countries have made commitments and implemented many solutions to address this issue. At the regional level, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is also promoting the development of a carbon neutrality strategy.

9th ASEAN Economic Community Dialogue in Indonesia.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) estimates that if left unchecked, the impacts of climate change will reduce Southeast Asia’s GDP by 11% by the end of the century. Therefore, responding to climate change is always among ASEAN’s priorities. Each member country of the Association has its own plans and commitments to respond to climate change and move towards carbon neutrality.

However, this could lead to policy inconsistencies at the regional level, slowing down the transition to a low-carbon economy and limiting the competitiveness of member countries. Therefore, a regional strategy would contribute to supporting the solutions of each ASEAN member country, while optimizing the advantages of resources, technology, etc. of the countries to build a more comprehensive carbon neutral roadmap.

The ASEAN carbon neutrality strategy is being promoted based on initiatives implemented in all three pillars of the ASEAN Community, as well as policies of each member country, in many areas, such as agriculture, forestry, energy, transport... The economic situation and development of each ASEAN member country are also taken into account in the process of building the Strategy.

The Strategy will provide guidance to policymakers on how to ensure that the region’s decarbonization is equitable, safe and inclusive. It aims to accelerate the region’s decarbonization towards net zero emissions; ensure sustainable growth and maintain the member countries’ competitiveness in global trade.

Developing an ASEAN carbon neutral strategy was discussed at the 9th ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Dialogue held recently at the ASEAN Secretariat in Indonesia. The dialogue was organized by the ASEAN Secretariat with support from the Australian Government through the “Australia for the Future of ASEAN – Economy and Connectivity” program.

At the dialogue, ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General in charge of AEC Satvinder Singh (X. Xinh) emphasized the need for a collective approach in accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy, especially in the context of increasing regulations on climate change response and financial incentives to promote green transition. Agreeing with Mr. Satvinder Singh on the importance of ASEAN's Carbon Neutrality Strategy, Australian Ambassador to ASEAN Will Nankervis (U. Nankervis) affirmed that Australia will support the Association's efforts to realize a carbon neutral future in the region.

This dialogue was attended by more than 200 delegates, including representatives from many businesses. Therefore, the Deputy Secretary General of ASEAN called on the business community to participate in the green transition process through the application of environmentally friendly technology, promoting investment and use of renewable energy, as well as sustainable business models.

Delegates also commented that promoting sustainable development not only brings great opportunities for businesses, but also meets the requirements of the international community, investors and consumers.

As one of the priorities of Indonesia, which is holding the role of ASEAN Chair in 2023, the content of the ASEAN Carbon Neutrality Strategy is being promoted by the Association, as well as synthesizing and selecting from the contributions of many parties. The discussion contents and results achieved at the recent AEC Dialogue also contributed to accelerating this process.

According to nhandan.vn

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