Several ASEAN Member States (AMS) announced three additional energy pledges at the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP29), held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 11 to 22 November 2024, under the theme “In Solidarity for a Green World.” This pivotal moment coincides with the ongoing development of the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2026–2030, the region’s strategic blueprint for guiding energy policies. During the implementation period of previous cycle of APAEC 2021 – 2025, four COPs were held (COP26-COP29) with several new pledges declared and signed by the member states. Serving as a crucial guideline, the APAEC arguably must consider these pledges which serves as an alignment with global commitments and fundamental input for the future APAEC.

At the 42^nd ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM), the APAEC’s  new theme “Advancing Regional Cooperation in Ensuring Energy Security and Accelerating Decarbonisation for a Just and Inclusive Energy Transition” was endorsed. The adopted theme is a testament that the regional initiative is not only putting effort on accelerating a just and inclusive energy transition, but also aiming decarbonisation as the ultimate goal of the region.

COPs Pledges and ASEAN Member States

Prior to member states’ participation in COP, the region annually published a joint statement showcasing ASEAN centrality even in the global stage. In the latest ASEAN Joint Statement on Climate Change, consistent with its previous statement underlining the collaborative stance calling out slow progress of emission reduction, calling for more financing opportunities from developed countries, as well as innovative financing mechanisms to mobilise climate finance to increase public and private sector investment to support mitigation, adaptation, and resilience-building climate-related efforts.

The most widely endorsed COP pledge among ASEAN Member States, with six out of ten countries signing on, is the Global Methane Pledge, which aims to reduce global methane emissions by at least 30% from 2020 levels by 2030. Notably, Timor-Leste, ASEAN’s soon-to-be member, has also signed this pledge. In response, several countries have developed Methane Roadmap Action Plans and Programmes, supported by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, and have received funding from the Methane Abatement Accelerator Fund. However, methane-specific measures are absent from APAEC, underscoring the need for their inclusion to reinforce ASEAN’s leadership in global energy transition efforts.

The Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge, endorsed by five AMS, aims to triple renewable energy capacity and double the rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030 compared to 2020 levels. These ambitious goals should inform the new APAEC targets, as the current objectives—23% of total primary energy supply from renewables, 35% installed capacity, and a 32% reduction in energy intensity—are no longer sufficient to align with global benchmarks. Incorporating more ambitious targets for renewables and energy efficiency in the APAEC will help ASEAN stay aligned with global commitments and foster regional energy resilience.

The Global Coal to Clean Power Transition pledge focuses on phasing out unabated coal and halting new coal-fired power plant development. While ASEAN Member States remain divided, with two out of five partially supporting the pledge, it reaffirms the region’s ongoing trend towards coal phase-down. Mainstreaming priority on clean coal technology and decarbonisation technologies in APAEC would support a balanced energy transition, ensuring energy security while reducing emissions.

The Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy is another pledge relevant to APAEC, however no AMS is a signatory. This serves as a new reference for the upcoming APAEC to intensify efforts in facilitating the commissioning of nuclear plants, especially as Indonesia and the Philippines have announced target years for their own commissions. Although nuclear energy was included as a programme area in APAEC more than a decade ago, ASEAN remain in the early stages of nuclear public engagement. Therefore, this long-term pledge may encourage the region to move beyond awareness-raising and begin preparing for potential adoption in the future.

 Deep dive on COP29 Pledges

COP29 provoked mixed reactions globally. While operationalising Article 6 to establish an international carbon market was hailed as a milestone, the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance—tripling annual financing for developing countries to USD 300 billion by 2035—was criticised as insufficient. According to the 8th ASEAN Energy Outlook (AEO8), ASEAN requires USD 516 billion annually in power investments to align with its carbon neutrality goals by 2050, far exceeding the pledged financing. This highlights the urgency of mobilising adequate funding to support ASEAN’s energy transition.

During COP29, several energy-related initiatives relevant to ASEAN were created to foster collective global climate actions namely, Global Energy Storage and Grids Pledge, Green Energy Pledge, and Hydrogen Declaration.

The Global Energy Storage and Grids Pledge seeks to significantly expand global energy storage capacity and improve grid infrastructure. For energy storage, the pledge aims to achieve a sixfold increase compared to 2022 levels, targeting 1,500 gigawatts of capacity by 2030. However, specific targets or benchmarks remain absent, energy storage capacity, which is crucial for renewable energy integration, is neither prioritised nor explicitly addressed. To contribute to this global goal, the ASEAN region need to align with the most ambitious scenario outlined in AEO8, which projects regional storage capacity to reach 60 GW by 2030.

The pledge also emphasises the need to enhance grid capacity by committing to a global goal of adding or refurbishing 25 million kilometres of grids by 2030, aligned with a leading global grid study to meet net-zero emissions targets by 2050. In the ASEAN context, the region has recognised the significance of multilateral power trading in enabling secure and sustainable sources by mandating the ASEAN Power Grid initiative in the regional energy blueprint. The region is projected to have an interconnection capacity of 17,550 MW by 2040, based on the ASEAN Interconnection Masterplan (AIMS) III and will contribute to 2,824 km development of electricity grids in the ASEAN region. Lao PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project (LTMS-PIP) is recognised as a model for regional cooperation. Therefore, ASEAN will be essential in contributing and enhancing this effort to this pledge.

Complementing this, the Green Energy Pledge focuses on establishing Green Energy Zones and Corridors. This initiative aims to promote investment, drive economic growth, modernise and expand infrastructure, and strengthen regional cooperation, thereby fostering a more sustainable and interconnected energy landscape. A commitment to develop infrastructure and enhanced energy efficiency application is also highlighted, in relevant to optimise the benefits of renewable energy sources. The ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) Phase II stated that the region has made progress in the promotion and establishment of Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) application for home appliances that will contribute to the energy intensity reduction of 32% by 2025.

The Hydrogen Declaration seeks to unlock the potential of a global clean hydrogen market. By setting guiding principles and priorities, it addresses key challenges such as regulatory barriers, technological innovation, financing mechanisms, and standardisation efforts, paving the way for hydrogen to play a pivotal role in the clean energy transition. Hydrogen, an emerging energy solution, is gaining traction but remains insufficiently recognised in the APAEC blueprint, indicating a need for more comprehensive integration of innovative energy solutions into regional strategies. Several member states have shown its early exploration to elevate hydrogen utilisation. Brunei has been exporting grey hydrogen to Japan since 2019, the Philippines is exploring the co-firing of natural gas and hydrogen, Thailand is planning to produce it using a 1 MW electrolyser in Nakhon Ratchasima, Malaysia is advancing its hydrogen production plant integrated with a refuelling station and hydrogen fuel cell buses, and Singapore has introduced the hydrogen fuel cell buses in 2022. ASEAN’s hydrogen demand is projected to be coming from industrial sector, where the production will be dominated by natural gas.

ASEAN stands at a critical point in its energy transition, with the upcoming ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) offering a chance to lead global efforts in sustainable energy. By seizing this momentum and integrate ambitious targets for renewables, energy efficiency, hydrogen, and coal phase-down, ASEAN can turn COP29 pledges into actionable policies. However, success depends on overcoming financing challenges. International partners must provide the necessary support to unlock ASEAN’s full potential and accelerate its energy transition. The decisions made now will determine whether APAEC 2026–2030 becomes the blueprint for ASEAN’s leadership in the global energy transition or merely maintains the status quo.

Amira Bilqis is an Analyst at Energy Modelling and Policy Planning at the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) and Indira Pradnyaswari is an Associate Energy Modelling and Policy Planning Officer at ACE/Associate Research Analyst in the ASEAN Climate Change and Energy Project (ACCEPT).