Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 18) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. joined Asian leaders in promising to work towards decarbonization or reducing greenhouse gas emissions to fight climate change.
Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam signed the joint statement during the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) Leaders Meeting in Tokyo on Monday.
“President Marcos made a separate commitment on Monday to promote and shift to clean energy during the AZEC Leaders’ Meeting in Tokyo, as he invited AZEC Partners to invest in the renewable energy industry and emerging technologies in the Philippines, and introduce energy efficiency and conservation measures in the country,” the Presidential Communications Office said in a news release.
According to the joint statement, the countries recognized the need to take a “tailored approach” towards decarbonization through the use of various technologies, as well as scaling up renewable energy, using nuclear energy, and decarbonizing the transport sector, among others.
They noted the “important role that natural gas and LNG will play as transition fuels in line with climate goals of the Paris Agreement.”
“We will foster public-private partnerships and cooperation among private sectors to accelerate energy transitions through [the] creation of specific energy transition projects,” the statement read.
The countries said they “affirm the importance of adequate financing to support the acceleration of energy transitions in the region,” and fostering cooperation beyond AZEC partners. They also welcome the outcome of the recently concluded COP28 summit in Dubai.
Marcos attended the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Japan Commemorative Summit Session Two in Tokyo. On Sunday, he called on the ASEAN to develop a 10-year roadmap on climate-resilient plans to ensure food security in the region, particularly requesting Japan’s assistance.
