Kuching, 19 June 2025: ERIA attended the 3rd Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) Senior Officials Meeting (SOM), co-chaired by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) of Japan and the Ministry of Economy of Malaysia. The meeting brought together senior officials from AZEC partner countries to review the progress of decarbonisation initiatives, with the goal of delivering concrete outputs for the upcoming AZEC Ministerial Meeting in October.

Dr Nuki Agya Utama, Head of the Asia Zero Emission Center, presented two key items to the delegates. First, he outlined the Center’s research initiatives, including decarbonisation roadmaps, sector-specific projects, cross-sectoral initiatives, and market-enabling actions. He also provided updates on the AZEC Progress Report, scheduled for publication in October.

Dr Nuki also introduced a joint report with the Asian Development Bank and METI on transition finance. His presentation emphasised the need for more inclusive and flexible financial mechanisms to support decarbonisation of high-emission and hard-to-abate sectors in ASEAN.

Partner countries expressed appreciation and support for ERIA’s research and stressed the importance of accessible transition financial mechanisms. They also recommended further research into cross-border power trade, with an emphasis on smart grid infrastructure, supply-demand optimisation, and energy storage integration.

The outcomes of SOM will help shape discussions at the 3rd AZEC Ministerial Meeting, where ERIA will continue to support AZEC partner countries through information sharing, studies on policies and projects, and help AZEC partners countries develop visions, roadmaps, or policies to promote energy transitions.