Kuala Lumpur, 25 May 2025: ERIA President Tetsuya Watanabe joined the High-Level Convening on ASEAN’s Integrated Energy and Digital Future, held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The event was co-convened by Professor Jeffrey Sachs (President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and Tan Sri Sir Jeffrey Cheah Honorary Distinguished Professor, Sunway University).

The gathering brought together leaders from key international organisations and multilateral development banks – including the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank, and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) – to share insights on accelerating ASEAN’s dual transitions in energy and digitalisation.

President Watanabe participated in the concluding session, ‘Opportunities for Collaboration and the Way Forward,’moderated by Prof. Sachs and joined by Dato' Ir. Ts. Razib Dawood, Executive Director of ACE.

In his remarks, President Watanabe highlighted the urgent need to strengthen collaboration amongst policy institutions, think tanks, and development partners to support ASEAN’s energy transition and climate goals. He stressed the importance of delivering innovative, practical policy solutions to help the region balance sustainability, energy security, and economic growth.