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The 3rd Asia-Pacific Energy Sustainable Development Forum, organized by the APEC Sustainable Energy Center (APSEC), was successfully held in Tianjin from Sept. 21 to 22. The chair of the APEC Energy Working Group (EWG), 10 delegations of APEC members, and dozens of experts convened to discuss topics such as sustainable cities, green buildings, clean energy technology transfer, urbanization and low carbon energy.

Established at the 11th APEC Energy Ministerial Meeting in 2014, APSEC is one of the significant achievements made in APEC region’s energy sector and was written into the 22nd APEC Leaders’ Declaration—Beijing Agenda. As the first international energy cooperation organization led by the National Energy Administration of China (NEA), APSEC is assigned the dual tasks of serving regional energy cooperation and supporting Chinese sustainable development projects. It is affiliated to the National Energy Administration and under the management of Tianjin University.

Jyuung-Shiauu Chern, Chair of the APEC Energy Working Group, said that the APEC leaders had established two ambitious goals. One is to double renewable energy by 2030 and the other is to decrease energy intensity by 45 percent by 2035 compared to 2005 figures.

Currently, the Asia-Pacific region is in keen demand for sustainable energy, especially clean energy. Statistics show that by 2035, energy consumption will increase most significantly in China, India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The increments in coal consumption and sustainable energy consumption will reach 475 million tons and 396 million tons, respectively. At present, coal accounts for about 20.1% of primary energy consumption amongst ASEAN countries and generates 31.5% of electric power. To tackle the energy security challenge posed by ever-increasing energy demands, ASEAN has to resort to increased renewable energy use and cut down on fossil fuel consumption so as to reduce the harm to human health, the environment, and the climate.

“To achieve the two goals, joint efforts should be integrated fully and APSEC has set a good example through its cooperative network of sustainable cities.” Jyuung-Shiauu Chern said.

Wei Xiaowei, director of the International Cooperation Department of the National Energy Administration, stated that energy cooperation under the framework of APEC was the longest-running energy international corporation mechanism in China. Under the framework, the National Energy Administration has been actively involved in energy cooperation at all levels. In 2016, it started to draft and develop a three-year work plan for the APEC Sustainable Energy Center and planned to build up a cooperation network for Chinese counterparts participating in APEC energy cooperation. “The National Energy Administration truly views APSEC as the keystone platform for China's participation in global energy governance” Wei emphasized.

According to the APEC Sustainable Energy Center’s Three-Year Work Plan approved by the National Energy Administration, APSEC is expected to set up the cooperation network for Chinese counterparts participating in APEC energy cooperation and will continue to implement its twin pillar projects of the APEC Cooperative Network of Sustainable Cities and Clean Coal Technology Transfer.