The issue of climate change is among the most important facing the international community. Within the debate about the responsibilities of individual nations to address the challenges presented by climate change, the most significant element is the discussions on issues associated with the future makeup of the global energy sector. As the world is forced to shift its trajectory to a more sustainable future, the implications for the global energy sector are enormous.
The economic development of Asia over the past two decades has seen the region develop as a key player in the global energy sector and the way in which major Asian countries develop their respective energy sectors over the coming decades will play a critical role in the global community either succeeding or failing in their goal of addressing the issue of climate change.
The E.U has been at the forefront of setting ambitious climate and energy targets over the past decade, however, as the global negotiations enter a critical period, European countries are now challenged to find a global accord that will see the world’s developing countries transition to a more environmentally-friendly energy mix.
Against this backdrop, and responding to the priorities of ASEM leaders, in June 2014, ASEF Executive Director Ambassador Zhang Yan and Asia Centre President Mr. Jean-François Di Meglio signed a partnership agreement that set out the shared ambition of both organizations to explore the challenges and opportunities presented by climate change and specifically the role of energy within the global debate about the transition to a more sustainable future.
The overall objective of the joint project is to examine global energy trends and to identify how developments in both Asia and Europe are impacting upon the global goal of securing a political agreement to address the challenges presented by climate change.
It is expected that the programme of activities, that will include seminars in both regions, will be effective in identifying both common challenges and shared perspectives between Asia and Europe in relation to this debate about the role of energy within the global debate on climate change.
The programme of activities compromises of four key events and will culminate in the publication of a high-profile report that will be developed in advance of the COP21 in Paris in the final quarter of 2015.
The project’s consists of four key events
Seminar – Coal and Climate Change: “The Chinese Way”? – June 2014, Beijing, China.
Seminar – Central Asia: Hydrocarbon development and the challenge of Climate Change – 16-17 April 2015, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Seminar – Panel on Climate Finance – 3 July 2015, Bangkok, Thailand.
Conference – Asia and Europe crossing paths on the way to COP21 – 29-30 September 2015, Paris, France.