Photo 1. AJEEP Post and Summary Meeting Group Photo 

The ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), in collaboration with the Energy Conservation Center Japan (ECCJ), co-organised the ASEAN-Japan Energy Efficiency Partnership (AJEEP) Post and Summary Meeting under the SOME-METI Work Programme 2024-2025. This hybrid Meeting was held on 5-6 March 2025 at the JS Luwansa Hotel, Jakarta, Indonesia, and attended by representatives from nine ASEAN Member States (AMS), ACE, and ECCJ. The meeting aimed to summarise AJEEP activities for the fiscal year 2024-2025, specifically Scheme 4 (development of the Sustainable ASEAN Energy Management Certification Scheme (SAEMAS), Scheme 5 (Carbon Neutrality (CN) promotion), and ECAP (capacity building initiative for Energy Efficiency & Conservation (EE&C)). 

The opening session featured welcoming remarks from the host country, delivered by FF Hendro Gunawan, Coordinator of Technical Assistance and Cooperation of Energy Conservation, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR), Indonesia. Subsequently, Dato Ir. Ts. Razib Dawood, Executive Director of ACE, delivered remarks highlighting the crucial role of ASEAN-Japan cooperation, particularly through AJEEP, in prioritising the aggressive implementation of energy efficiency measures and the swift adoption of carbon neutrality technologies among member states. 

Photo 2. The Opening Session Featured Remarks from Dato Ir. Ts. Razib Dawood, Executive Director of ACE (left) and FF Hendro Gunawan (right) Coordinator of Technical Assistance and Cooperation of Energy Conservation, MEMR Indonesia

The Meeting commenced with a presentation from ECCJ, which provided an overview of the AJEEP activities for FY2024 to set the scene. Tung Phuong, Senior Officer of  the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) Department at ACE, then shared updates on the progress of APAEC Phase II: 2021-2025, the development of APAEC Post-2025, and directives from the 21st AMEM+3, ensuring alignment with regional energy goals. 

Photo 3. Tung Phuong, Senior Officer at ACE (left) and Dr. Zulfikar Yurnaidi (right), Acting Manager of ACE 

Led by Dr Zulfikar Yurnaidi, Acting Manager of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation (CEE) Department at ACE, representatives from the AMS presented country reports focusing on updates of the policy and legal framework for EE&C, energy management systems and energy manager certification, and SAEMAS potential implementation and challenges at the national level. The session highlighted primary challenges across ASEAN nations, including aligning national energy management syllabi and training programs with SAEMAS standards, addressing regulatory limitations, overcoming language and facilities barriers, and increasing stakeholder awareness and readiness. 

Photo 4. AMS representatives presented the country report 

The afternoon session continued with a review of AJEEP Scheme 4 activity progress, led by Dr. Yoshitaka Ushio, Senior Advisor of International Cooperation Division, ECCJ. Dr. Ushio also provided updates on the Common Standard Module (CSM) and Advanced Modules (AM) drafts, aiming to seek an endorsement from the 29th EE&C-SSN for the CSM trial implementation in 2025. Mardika Firlina, Associate Officer of CEE Department at ACE, detailed the SAEMAS trial preparation, specifying that ASEAN AJEEP Trainers (AATs) from the AJEEP Scheme 2 programme would be the first group for the CSM trial, with Certified Energy Managers (CEM) from national systems participating in the subsequent phase. She also presented the proposed the Sustainable ASEAN Energy Management Certification Scheme (SAEMAS) business model and operating system. 

Photo 5. Mardika Firlina, Associate Officer of ACE (left) from ACE and Dr. Yoshitaka Ushio (right) from ECCJ  

On the second day, Rio Jon Piter Silitonga, Senior Officer of CEE Department at ACE, led the meeting to discuss the progress of AJEEP Scheme 5 activities. The session featured presentations on the results of CN diagnosis activities for industry and building, conducted this fiscal year at Unicharm Indonesia, Lao Coca-Cola Bottling, and Baguio Ayalaland Technohub Philippines. The meeting also discussed plans to expand CN diagnosis activities to Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Singapore, and Viet Nam in the next AJEEP fiscal year 2025-2026. 

The session also included presentations by the Japanese Business Alliance for Smart Energy Worldwide (JASE-W), who shared cooperative activities for Zero Energy Building (ZEB) dissemination in ASEAN, and by ECCJ, who provided updates on the revision of ISO/TS 23764: Methodology for achieving non-residential Zero Energy Buildings (ZEB), with issuance planned for Q3 2025. 

Photo 6. Rio Jon Piter Silitonga, Senior Officer (left) and Zahra Aninda Pradiva, Junior Officer (right) from ACE 

The meeting concluded with a discussion of key activities planned for AJEEP fiscal year 2025-2026. Scheme 4 will focus on finalising SAEMAS modules and piloting trials, Scheme 5 will expand CN diagnosis and ZEB promotion across the industrial, building, and transportation sectors, and ECAP will continue, including the Advanced Module trial during ECAP38. As AJEEP Schemes 4 and 5 approach their final year of implementation in 2026, after beginning in 2022, the Meeting also discussed initial plans for AJEEP Schemes 6 and 7, which will continue SAEMAS promotion and expand CN diagnosis and ZEB dissemination in ASEAN. 

The Master of Ceremony, Zahra Aninda Pradiva, Junior Associate Officer of CEE Department at ACE, then gave the floor to Dr Zulfikar Yurnaidi to formally close the meeting with his closing remarks. He expressed appreciation for the AMS participation and fruitful discussions, emphasised the need for AMS support and commitment, and encouraged deeper regional cooperation for ASEAN energy transition. Masayasu Koizumi, Managing Director of ECCJ, and Patcharee Jongrak, Deputy Director General, Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency, Ministry of Energy Thailand, as EE&C-SSN Coordinator, also delivered their remarks virtually. 

The ASEAN-Japan Energy Efficiency Partnership (AJEEP), as part of the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Energy and Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (SOME-METI) Work Programme for 2024-2025, is a regional cooperation initiative between ASEAN and Japan, implemented by the ACE and ECCJ with financial support from METI. This partnership aims to strengthen the capacity of AMS and reduce disparities in EE&C policies and practices.