ASEAN pledges to join global efforts in coping with climate change

Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, as Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2019, has reiterated the commitment of the grouping to partnering with the international community to cope with climate change.

He made the assertion while addressing the United Nations (UN) Climate Action Summit 2019 in New York, the US, on September 23.

Prayut said ASEAN member countries are vulnerable to climate change and that its impacts have threatened socio-economic development of the region.

ASEAN has been adopting measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while its member nations are also taking steps to adjust to climate change, he said.

At the global level, ASEAN supports the Paris agreement on climate change while at the regional level, its member nations are implementing measures under the 2025 ASEAN Social and Cultural Master Plan to build sustainable communities that are resilient to climate change.

The ASEAN master plan has two goals, which are energy transition and reduction of reliance on petrol, he said, adding that the region has reduced energy intensity by 21.9 percent compared to 2005.

ASEAN nations will continue saving energy and strive to reach a 30 percent reduction in energy intensity by 2025 and increase the component of renewable energy mix by 23 percent in the same year, Prayut said.

The association is also working to reduce the use of petrol by small vehicles by 26 percent between 2015 and 2025, he told the meeting.

Moreover, ASEAN will propose fiscal policies based on energy conservation and reduction of carbon emissions, as well as announce an energy conservation standard for the use of small vehicles, he added.
          
The PM called on developed countries to provide financial and technological support to ASEAN to help it achieve the energy conservation goals.

He emphasised that no single country can fight climate change alone, so ASEAN is ready to be a partner of the international community to take actions regarding climate change to ensure a sustainable climate for the current and future generations./.