APEC Energy Ministers to Approve Cebu Declaration

Energy ministers of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies are expected to approve this week the Cebu Ministerial Declaration which will be the guidelines for plans, programs, and developments for the future of the energy sector in the region.

This was stated by Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary Loreta G. Ayson in a press briefing here to kick off the 12th APEC Energy Ministers’ Meeting (EMM) in Shangri-La Mactan Resorts and Spa from Oct. 12 to 14.

“We hope to have the Cebu Declaration approved and signed by each one of them,” said Ayson, noting that all 21 APEC member-economies confirmed to attend this year’s EMM hosted by the Philippines.

She mentioned that the 12th EMM discussions will focus in four areas:

● Climate-proofing energy infrastructure which involves the assessment and measures to prevent disasters from disrupting energy supply and services.

● Advancing Cutting-edge Energy Efficiency Technologies to promote the use of energy-efficient technologies.

● Promoting community-based clean energy-poverty stricken areas.

● Improving energy trade and investment which aims to cut the cost of energy-related technologies and to facilitate energy investments in APEC

Ayson said this year’s meeting will push for energy resiliency in APEC communities with the challenges faced by the region due to climate change.

APEC also targets to have resilient energy infrastructure that can withstand extreme natural and man-made disasters, the DOE official added.

“Our infrastructure and systems (should be able to) recover and be able to (back to) normalcy in a timely and efficient manner, and we are able to build better so that we’re able and more ready to handle this man-made and natural disasters,” she said.

She added that this will be possible by attracting investments in resilient energy infrastructure through healthy investment climate of APEC economies.

She noted that APEC member economies will also be moving forward low-carbon developments in the region and promote clean energy technologies.

Ayson cited that the Energy ministers’ discussions will tackle energy-water nexus, regional standards on energy products and services, inventory and mapping energy resources, human resources development, and gender fair approaches in energy sector. (PNA) SCS/KMC