APEC Calls on Member Economies to Support Sustainable Energy Center

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) encouraged its member economies to support the work of a new institution whose mission is to strengthen the pragmatic cooperation among the organization through information sharing, technology transfer and dissemination, supportive building capacity activities and real demonstration projects for the development of clean, renewable and sustainable energy use.

APEC energy ministers issued the call for support to the newly-established APEC Sustainable Energy Center (APSEC) in a joint statement released at the conclusion of the 12th APEC Energy Ministers’ Meeting held here earlier this week.

In the said joint statement, the energy ministers also encouraged APSEC to continue its work in expanding sustainable city development across the region, cutting-edge clean energy technologies and other programs on energy resiliency.

“We reaffirm our commitment towards sustainable energy development in the Asia Pacific region through knowledge-sharing and facilitating technology cooperation, demonstration and dissemination,” they said. “We recognize the progress made by the newly-established APSEC in completing its institution building.”

The establishment of APSEC was proposed by China last year during Beijing’s hosting of the APEC Summit.

In its proposal, China stressed that the creation of APSEC under the APEC framework is one of the concrete actions to facilitate the development of clean, renewable and sustainable energy use, and thus to boost sustainable development and energy security, and reduce carbon emissions.

The center is operated and funded by Tianjin University, supported by China’s National Energy Administration and open for all APEC members.

The center’s objectives include enhancing the understanding of the importance of sustainable energy development and to share the information and experiences on sustainable energy development and applications among APEC economies; strengthening the capacity building of sustainable energy development and utilization of renewable and clean energy in APEC economies, and to facilitate the sustainable energy technology transfer and dissemination in the APEC region; and building real pilots of sustainable energy development projects for all APEC economies to participate and make contributions for a sustainable APEC.

Policy makers and government, research organizations, and industrial enterprises in all APEC member economies interested in or related with sustainable energy are all welcome to be stakeholders of APSEC, and will be the beneficiaries as well. The people will be teamed up and the resources will be integrated on the basis of sustainable energy demonstration projects. (PNA) BNB/PND-APEC COMMUNICATIONS GROUP/SSC