The ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) and the Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA) Malaysia co-organised the ACE-SEDA Coffee Meeting, held on Friday, 12 May 2023. The objective of the meeting was to explore strategies for attracting investments to support low-carbon energy infrastructure in the ASEAN region. The half-day meeting took place at Dorsett Hotel in Putrajaya, Malaysia, and brought together key stakeholders from government bodies, private sectors, and energy organisations.

The event commenced with opening remarks delivered by ACE Executive Director, Dr Nuki Agya Utama and Chief Strategy Officer representing SEDA Malaysia, YBrs. En Nazri Mizayauddin. The session was moderated by ACE Energy Modelling and Policy Planning (MPP) Data Visualisation Officer, Silvira Ayu Rosalia. This event highlighted the importance of sustainable development in the rapidly growing ASEAN region and the need to balance the energy trilemma: security, affordability, and environmental sustainability. They emphasised the significance of attracting investments to accelerate the energy transition towards a low-carbon future.

The meeting featured several sessions addressing various aspects of clean energy and investment opportunities. The first session was delivered by SEDA Director of Strategic Planning, Saiful Hakim Abdul Rahman, who presented SEDA’s ongoing initiatives towards achieving a net-zero carbon nation by 2050. He discussed the organisation’s efforts in promoting renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable practices within Malaysia and the potential for collaboration across the ASEAN region.

In the second session, ACE Energy Modelling and Policy Planning (MPP) Senior Analyst, Rika Safrina presented the preliminary findings of the study on “Investments and Measures for Clean Energy and Power Sector Resilience in ASEAN”, supported by the Energy Foundation China (EFC). She highlighted the significant investment requirements for achieving the ASEAN Plan of Action of Energy Cooperation‘s targets and the capacity-building needs for the ASEAN energy policymakers to facilitate enabling regulatory environments in attracting stronger investments.

Following on the third session, ACE Energy Modelling and Policy Planning (MPP) Manager, Dr Zulfikar Yurnaidi, shared insights from the 7^th ASEAN Energy Outlook, a flagship publication of ACE. He discussed the investments needed to accelerate the energy transition in the region and presented the outlook’s findings on renewable energy (RE) deployment, energy efficiency (EE) measures, and the potential for sustainable growth within the ASEAN energy sector. The session was concluded with policy recommendations and improvements for future ASEAN Energy Outlook publications.

Furthermore, in the last session, ACE Corporate Affairs (CA) Manager, Dr Andy Tirta, along with ACE Corporate Affairs (CA) Business Development Officer, Syahira Syahputri, presented the upcoming ASEAN Energy Business Forum (AEBF) scheduled to be held in Bali from 24-26 August 2023. They briefed the participants about the forum, which aims to promote investments, business opportunities, and partnerships within the ASEAN energy sector. The AEBF serves as a platform for policymakers, industry leaders, and investors to engage in discussions on renewable energy (RE), energy efficiency (EE), financing mechanisms, and opportunities for advancing energy transition in the ASEAN region.

The ACE-SEDA Coffee Meeting concluded with a networking session, allowing participants to interact, exchange ideas, and explore potential collaborations. The meeting successfully connected stakeholders between governments and private sectors, fostering a conducive environment for mobilising investments to support low-carbon energy infrastructure in ASEAN.