Asia Zero Emission Center
Addressing Complex Challenges of Decarbonisation in Asia
The global pursuit of carbon neutrality has brought significant attention to Asia, a region that contributes more than half of the world's emissions. As the engine of the global economy, Asia, particularly the ASEAN region, faces the challenge of balancing rapid economic growth with the urgent need for decarbonisation. This challenge is exacerbated by factors such as rapid urbanization, population surges, and increasing disposable incomes, all of which drive up energy demand.
In response to these challenges, the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) was inaugurated by 11 partner countries in 2023. This community aims to achieve carbon neutrality/net-zero emissions through practical energy transitions tailored to each country's unique circumstances in Asia. The AZEC promotes cooperation under the concept of "one goal, various pathways," recognizing the diverse industrial structures, social contexts, geographies, and developmental stages of its partner countries. The AZEC's approach is centred on simultaneously achieving a triple breakthrough: decarbonisation, economic growth, and energy security. This holistic strategy acknowledges the need for a paradigm shift towards both established and novel clean technologies across sectors.
In accordance with the invitation by the AZEC Leaders in December 2023, ERIA launched the Asia Zero Emission Center in August 2024, as a platform to share information, conduct studies on policies and projects, and help AZEC partner countries develop vision, roadmaps, or policies towards decarbonisation to promote energy transitions
Our Aspiration and Strategy
Based on ERIA’s extensive research portfolio, the Asia Zero Emission Center is structured around four activity pillars to support decarbonisation efforts in AZEC partner countries. While pursuing synergies of these pillars and facilitating active interaction among various entities, the Center will serve as a platform for policy dialogues and will be a knowledge and innovation hub for diverse stakeholders.
(1) Decarbonisation Roadmap: This pillar serves as reference points for setting targets, timelines, and identifying key drivers for each country to achieve carbon neutrality. It outlines practical decarbonisation pathways tailored to each country’s circumstances and highlights the critical sectors and technologies to promote energy transition aligning with these pathways.
(2) Sector Specific Actions: Focusing on the Power, Mobility, and Industry sectors, this pillar provides detailed insights into the key sectors and technologies essential for decarbonisation.
(3) Market Enablers: Recognizing the need for substantial and sustained investment in green and transition technologies, this pillar focuses on coordinating market structures to properly evaluate and attract investments for decarbonisation technologies, ensuring their deployment supports sustained economic growth.
(4) Stakeholder Engagement: By interactively disseminating our insights to all stakeholders, this pillar fosters regional cooperation and policy dialogue among AZEC partner countries, while promoting further collaboration with related international institutions and organizations and assisting AZEC activities.
Research Programmes
At the Asia Zero Emission Center, we drive impactful change for navigating the complexities of the energy transition in Asia through developing strategic research programmes under the activity pillars.
Decarbonisation
Roadmap
Development
Shaping one of the common views for the practical decarbonisation pathway reflecting country’s specific circumstances, through refining our energy system model and promoting stakeholder consultations based on the analysis.
Decarbonisation Roadmap
Sector Specific Actions
Power Grid
Enhancing the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) and promoting sustainable energy transition by supporting the establishment of Multilateral Power Trade (MPT)/APG institutions, integrating smart technologies, and improving cybersecurity for distributed energy systems.
Future Mobility
Developing the Masterplan for ASEAN-Japan Next Generation Vehicle Industry Strategy which will address technological shifts in road transport modes focusing on the powered 4-wheelers, considering industry strategies, supply chains, and end-of-life vehicle management.
Energy Efficient Equipment
Facilitating further opportunities and widespread adoption of energy-efficient equipment, specifically heat pumps and small once-through boilers by addressing inadequate standards and regulations in the region.
Hydrogen and Ammonia
Unlocking regional potential for low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia through conducting extensive analysis across sectors including demand/supply potential, feasibility, national hydrogen roadmaps, regulatory frameworks, carbon-intensity accounting, and value chain technologies.
Biofuel / Biomass
Pursuing integrated approach for sustainable biomass utilization in the region, without compromising food and water security, land availability, or its impact on climate change.
Natural Gas as a Transitional Fuel
Involving in policy development on gas toward low carbon economies such as developing standards and regulations and offering capacity-building and policy advisory services in the Gas Policy Development Project Phase 3 in the Philippines.
CCUS / Carbon Recycling
Promoting activities in the Asia CCUS Network including forums, workshops, and feasibility studies, while addressing cross-border project challenges like policy, financial framework, liability determination, risk allocation, and carbon accounting.
Critical Minerals
Guiding the strategy development for building a secure and resilient supply chain of critical minerals in the region to address surge of demand driven by the global commitment to decarbonisation.
Green / Transition Finance
Facilitating stakeholder dialogues in the Asia Transition Finance Study Group, expanding the scope of Technology List and Perspectives, and considering effective frameworks for promoting public-private financial collaboration to drive low-carbon investments.
Carbon Market
Advancing Asia's carbon market by analyzing current market developments, enhancing policy coordination, sharing best practices, facilitating cross-border trading, studying a regional framework for MRV (Measurement, Reporting and Verification|), and supporting capacity building.
Market Enablers
Organizational Structure
The Asia Zero Emission Center has been established within the Energy Unit of ERIA.
