Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will be working together to develop shared regulations that will support Asia's decarbonization. A draft joint statement for the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) conference, which will be presided over by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, highlights this project.
The purpose of this Friday's AZEC summit, which is being held in Laos, is to develop rules for tracking and revealing greenhouse gas emissions. The discussions will center on how Japan and ASEAN might cooperate to strike a balance between decarbonization efforts and economic growth.
This Thursday through Saturday, Prime Minister Ishiba will make his first international journey since assuming office to Laos for the ASEAN-related summit. He is showing Japan's commitment to working together to combat climate change by bringing the AZEC meeting to Japan.
Fumio Kishida, the former prime minister, first suggested the AZEC framework in 2022 to aid in the decarbonization of Asia. As of right now, the framework comprises nine ASEAN members, Mumbai not included, as well as Australia and Japan. The AZEC met for the first time in December 2023 in Tokyo, and this summit will be the second one.
The suggested joint statement of the summit highlights three main goals: preventing climate change, fostering economic expansion, and ensuring a steady supply of energy. These objectives are particularly crucial in an area where coal-based thermal power is the main energy source.
Acknowledging the unique situations of each nation, the conference will uphold the common purpose of exploring various approaches to achieve decarbonization objectives. This adaptability is necessary to take into account the distinct energy environments and financial circumstances of every ASEAN member.
The draft action plan for the next ten years includes specific measures aimed at creating and expanding markets that value efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Many Asian countries still lack established rules for calculating and reporting emissions from business activities, and the AZEC seeks to address this gap.
Japan wants the participating nations to understand the value of uniform guidelines for emissions reporting by utilizing its experience in this area. Through information exchange, Japan seeks to enable a more coordinated approach to regional emissions control.
The summit will also concentrate on strengthening collaboration in industries like transportation, forestry, and agriculture, where attaining decarbonization is extremely difficult. As part of this endeavor, Japan intends to support the development of sustainable aviation fuel technologies.
To achieve these goals, Japan intends to propose cooperative strategies that capitalize on its technological prowess. A few examples of these initiatives include the use of waste-to-energy technology to enhance public health outcomes, the construction of power transmission and distribution networks, and official development assistance for the production of renewable energy.
