ASEAN+3 Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM+3) and East Asia Summit Energy Ministers Meeting (EAS EMM) Held

Outline of the meetings

These meetings were inaugurated to ensure a stable energy supply and enhance measures for energy security and climate change in Asia, where energy demand has been growing, and provide good opportunities for the energy ministers of member countries to discuss approaches to policy harmonization and international cooperation.

The AMEM+3 this year brought together energy ministers and other officials from not only 10 ASEAN Member States but also from three countries of Japan, China and the ROK. As a representative of Japan, Mr. Ejima Kiyoshi, State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, attended the meeting as a co-chair.

The EAS EMM also brought together energy ministers from Australia, India, New Zealand, Russia and the United States, in addition to the 13 countries mentioned above. As representatives of Japan, Mr. Kajiyama Hiroshi, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, and State Minister Ejima attended the meeting.

Key points of the respective meetings are as follows.

1. AMEM+3

• The Ministers acknowledged the importance of realistic and pragmatic energy policies by utilizing all energy sources and all technologies for achieving both the goals of economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and of reducing emissions of greenhouse gas.
• They also shared the importance of energy transition and establishment of resilient energy systems and that of acceleration of innovations.

• Moreover, they welcomed the recent announcement by Japan, China and the ROK of their respective efforts towards carbon neutral goals as efforts leading to low carbonization across the ASEAN region through sharing of experience, lessons learned and best practices.

• In briefings on activities, they expressed their appreciations for Japan-led efforts involving enhancement of energy security, including oil stockpiling and the safety of nuclear energy; development of human resources for LNG value chains in the field of oil and natural gas; deployment of awareness-raising activities for clean coal technologies toward a low-carbon society; financial and substantial contributions to demonstration projects, and other initiatives in the fields of renewable energy and energy efficiency and conservation.
• Furthermore, they welcomed the first Government-Private Forum on Cleaner Energy Future Initiative for ASEAN (CEFIA), a body which was inaugurated in 2019.
• Japan mentioned its carbon neutral goals to be achieved by 2050 and stressed the importance of energy “transition,” including clean use of fossil fuels, which will enable the achievement of a virtuous cycle of the economic growth and the environment. Following this, Japan presented its commitments to broadly sharing knowledge acquired from a variety of efforts with ASEAN Member States and cooperatively and jointly facilitating efforts for decarbonisation across the ASEAN region.

2. EAS EMM

• The Ministers acknowledged the need to enhance efforts for green growth as an approach to achieving a virtuous cycle of the economic growth and the environment toward low carbonisation and decarbonisation.
• Moreover, they welcomed Japan’s contributions, such as research projects conducted through the initiative on distributed energy systems (DES) and advocacy on the development of hydrogen and mobility decarbonisation technologies.
• Japan proposed the establishment of an “Asia CCUS Network” as a platform which allows member countries to share information on the development of the business/regulatory environment and other information towards making the best use of CCUS across the region. Participating countries welcomed this proposal.
• Japan also mentioned the “Tokyo ‘Beyond-Zero’ Week,” an initiative consisting of international conferences in the fields of energy and the environment which was held in the fall of 2020, and explained future directions of Japan’s energy policies aimed at facilitating the virtuous cycle of the economic growth and the environment through the “zero-emission innovation,” which is an initiative towards the development and public implementation of innovative technologies. Participating countries showed interest in Japan’s presentations.
• Furthermore, the EAS EMM held a special session bringing together the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), the Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the President of the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), and other officials, and participants provided briefings on the impacts of COVID-19 on the energy sector and other issues.
• Finally, the Ministers confirmed that member countries should not stop advancing toward establishment of a clean, resilient energy system and should further share knowledge and knowhow that can enhance regional energy security, even in the difficult period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The meetings of the AMEM+3 and EAS EMM in 2021 will be held under the chairmanship of Brunei Darussalam, the 2021 ASEAN chair.

• Minister Kajiyama
• State Minister Ejima

• AMEM+3

References

1. Outline of the AMEM+3

• The AMEM+3 was inaugurated based on the proposal by then METI Minister Hiranuma at the 8th International Energy Forum (IEF) Ministerial Meeting held in Osaka in 2002. The AMEM+3 has been held 16 times to date. The ASEAN chair for the year serves as the chair of each meeting and the three countries of Japan, China and the ROK have participated in the meetings as co-chairs.

 

2. Outline of the EAS EMM

• The EAS EMM was inaugurated in accordance with the decision shown in the Cebu Declaration on East Asian Energy Security, which was based on the proposal by then Prime Minister Abe at the second East Asia Summit meeting held in the Philippines in 2007. The EAS EMM has been held 13 times to date. The ASEAN chair for the year serves as the chair of each meeting.
• There are 18 member countries in total: the 10 ASEAN Member States and eight others, i.e., Japan, China, the ROK, Australia, India, New Zealand, Russia and the United States.

Related materials

• Appendix 1-1: Joint Ministerial Statement of the 17th ASEAN+3 Ministers on Energy Meeting(PDF:106KB)
• Appendix 2-1: Joint Ministerial Statement of the 14th East Asia Summit Energy Ministers Meeting (PDF:171KB)

Division in Charge

Overseas Energy Infrastructure Office, International Affairs Division, Commissioner’s Secretariat, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy