Photo 1. Participants of the ASEAN Cooling Project Kick-Off and Thematic Workshop (Photo: GIZ, 2026)
Jakarta, 7-8 July 2026 – The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), in collaboration with the Energy and Minerals Division of the ASEAN Secretariat, jointly convened the Regional Kick-Off and Thematic Workshop of the ASEAN Cooling Project under the theme “Advancing Sustainable Cooling Solutions in ASEAN’s Changing Energy Landscape.”
The two-day event officially launched the project, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and aims to improve the political, regulatory, and entrepreneurial conditions for enhancing energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in sectors with high cooling demand, such as commercial refrigeration, food and beverage, and data centres.
The event brought together the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Sub Sector Network (EE&C-SSN) Focal Points and representatives of the ASEAN Member States, including Timor-Leste, the ASEAN Secretariat, development partners, technology experts, and private sector leaders, joining both onsite in Jakarta and online.
Cooling now accounts for close to half of the region’s electricity consumption during the hottest months, making the sector one of the highest-leverage intervention points for ASEAN’s energy efficiency and climate ambitions under the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2026 to 2030.
Day One: Regional Kick-Off
Photo 2. Dr. Kanchana Wanichkorn, Director of Sectoral Development, ASEAN Economic Community, Department of the ASEAN Secretariat, delivering the opening remarks. (Photo: GIZ, 2026)
The Regional Kick Off opened with remarks by Dr. Kanchana Wanichkorn, Director of Sectoral Development, ASEAN Economic Community, Department of the ASEAN Secretariat, followed by a keynote speech from Dr. Pongpan Vorasayan, Chair of the EE&C SSN Focal Points and Director of the Energy Regulation and Conservation Division at Thailand’s Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency (DEDE), who delivered an address on behalf of the network, underscoring the importance of regional cooperation in the cooling sector. Siriporn Parvikam, Project Director at GIZ, subsequently introduced the ASEAN Cooling Project, its outputs, planned activities, and timelines to the participants.
Photo 3. Dato’ Ir. Ts. Abdul Razib Dawood, Executive Director of ACE, delivering the address on the strategic alignment of the ASEAN Cooling Project with the APAEC 2026 to 2030 priorities. (Photo: GIZ, 2026)
Delivering the address on the ASEAN Cooling Project’s alignment with APAEC 2026-2030, ACE Executive Director Dato’ Ir. Ts. Abdul Razib Dawood set out cooling’s growing claim on the region’s energy system. Turning to APAEC 2026-2030, he recalled that energy efficiency is the region’s first fuel, with a target to cut energy intensity by 40 per cent by 2030 relative to 2005 levels. With 25.7 per cent achieved by 2024, the remaining distance demands decisive demand-side action. He set out a clear direction: harmonised minimum energy performance standards, common testing methods, and steadfast support for Member States and manufacturers.
Photo 4. Arno Kaschl, Senior Policy Officer, the Directorate-General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA) of the European Commission (top left), Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Michael Kauffeld, Professor, Karlsruhe University of Applied Science (top right), and Martin Brown-Santirso from HEAT International (bottom), presenting on the first day. (Photo: GIZ, 2026)
The technical segment of the afternoon featured international and regional expertise. Arno Kaschl, Senior Policy Officer at the Directorate General for Climate Action of the European Commission, shared lessons from the EU F-Gas Regulations and future directions for energy efficient and low emission cooling. Prof. Dr. Ing. habil. Michael Kauffeld from the Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences presented on refrigeration technologies, their impacts, trends, and practical solutions, while Martin Brown Santirso of HEAT International provided expert insights on the cooling technology and market landscape in ASEAN.
Photo 5. Panel discussion on ASEAN experiences in implementing energy-efficient cooling technologies with low-GWP refrigerants, featuring representatives from Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand, moderated by Dr. Chaiwat Muncharoen, Senior Policy and Technical Advisor at GIZ. (Photo: GIZ, 2026)
The day concluded with a panel discussion on experience sharing in ASEAN, addressing the challenges and solutions in implementing energy efficient cooling technologies with low GWP refrigerants. Moderated by Dr. Chaiwat Muncharoen, Senior Policy and Technical Advisor at GIZ, the panel featured Tedy Chriswanda, Application Engineering Manager at Bitzer Indonesia; Chusak Chankeitkong, President of the Thai Refrigeration Association; Piyanut Saengsikhiao, Department Manager for Facility, Refrigeration and HVAC Support at CP Axtra; and David Widjanarko Poerwosunu, Country Sales Manager at Güntner Indonesia, who each shared practical perspectives from industry on technology readiness, installation quality, and market barriers across the region.
Day Two: Thematic Workshop with the EE&C-SSN Focal Points
Photo 6. Rio Jon Piter Silitonga, ACE, delivering the opening remarks on Day 2: Thematic Workshop with EE&C-SSN Focal Points. (Photo: GIZ, 2026)
The second day convened the EE&C-SSN Focal Points in a closed consultation on three regional strategies and the Regional Fellowship Programme for Female Early Career Professionals. Rio Jon Piter Silitonga, Manager of the ASEAN Cooling Project at ACE, noted that climate-friendly refrigerants and energy efficiency must advance together, that cold chains and data centres remain largely outside regional policy coverage, and that industry stands ready to adopt low-GWP cooling.
Photo 7. Nathania Adella Panjaitan, ACE, presenting Regional Strategy 1 on the harmonisation of energy efficiency standards in commercial refrigeration appliances. (Photo: GIZ, 2026)
In the first session, Nathania Adella Panjaitan of ACE presented Regional Strategy 1 on the harmonisation of energy efficiency standards in commercial refrigeration appliances, covering the consolidated product scope of Refrigerated Display Cabinets (RDC) and Refrigerated Storage Cabinets (RSC), the market and stock analysis framework, and the data collection templates to be circulated to all AMS.
The consultation confirmed agreement among all AMS with the harmonisation method presented, while surfacing a shared challenge: market data for commercial refrigeration remains scarce across the region. ACE outlined its mitigation approach, combining standardised proxy indicators, transparently documented assumptions, and validation through two regional stakeholder workshops planned for the third and fourth quarters of 2026.
Next, Rio Jon Piter Silitonga of ACE then presented Regional Strategy 2 on improving energy efficiency in cold chain refrigeration in the food and beverage sector, setting out a scope that spans first mile precooling, processing, cold storage and warehousing, and refrigerated transport. The Focal Points enriched the strategy with national perspectives, including the regulatory landscape for cold storage certification, emerging trends in last mile cold chain logistics, and the need for practical guidance on cold storage design, equipment standardisation, and technician competency.
Photo 8. Interventions from the ACE and GIZ project team during the consultation with the EE&C SSN Focal Points. (Photo: GIZ, 2026)
The third session, presented by Vu Trong Duc Anh of ACE, addressed Regional Strategy 3 on improving energy efficiency in data centres. Participants highlighted the rapid growth of data centre electricity demand in the region and its implications for power systems and agreed that the verification and monitoring of Power Usage Effectiveness across AMS will serve as the practical starting point for the regional baseline, recognising that the indicator varies with operating conditions. The strategy will serve as a regional umbrella framework, providing common principles while allowing flexibility for national implementation.
Photo 9. Vu Trong Duc Anh, ACE, presenting Regional Strategy 3 on improving energy efficiency in data centres. (Photo: GIZ, 2026)
In the final session, Zahra Aninda Pradiva of ACE presented the Regional Fellowship Programme for Female Early Career Professionals in the Energy and Cooling Sectors, which will offer hands on professional development placements at ACE with mentoring and networking components. The programme will host four participants across two cohorts of one month each, with AMS to be invited to nominate qualified candidates. The consultation welcomed the initiative as a concrete contribution to inclusive participation of women in ASEAN’s energy sector.
Photo 10. Zahra Aninda Pradiva, ACE, presenting the Regional Fellowship Programme for Female Early Career Professionals in the Energy and Cooling Sectors. (Photo: GIZ, 2026)
Photo 11. EE&C SSN Focal Points sharing country perspectives during the consultation sessions. (Photo: GIZ, 2026)
Closing the workshop, ACE and GIZ summarised the agreed next steps: the finalisation and circulation of the data collection frameworks to the EE&C-SSN Focal Points, the convening of the regional validation workshops, the consolidation of the feedback received into the three regional strategies, and the further development of the fellowship programme, with all strategies to be progressed through the ASEAN protocol for endorsement by the EE&C-SSN and subsequently by the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Energy (SOME).
The workshop marked a strong start for the ASEAN Cooling Project and reaffirmed the shared commitment of the ASEAN Member States, the ASEAN Secretariat, ACE, and GIZ to advancing energy-efficient and climate-friendly cooling across the region, in support of the APAEC 2026 to 2030 targets and ASEAN’s pathway towards carbon neutrality.
About The ASEAN Cooling Project
The ASEAN Cooling Project, under the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, is a four-year initiative running from December 2024 to November 2028. This project focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions by developing regional strategies for key cooling sectors, including commercial refrigeration, the food and beverage cold chain, and data centres that support digital infrastructure. This effort aligns with the objectives of the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC). For more information, please visit the ASEAN Cooling Project landing page.
