Green tech mooted for ASEAN's growth

Green and digital technology will play a key role in driving sustainable development in Southeast Asia, especially for the much-needed green transformation, said analysts and officials at the 2023 Association of Southeast Asian Nations Leadership and Partnership Forum held in Indonesia's capital Jakarta on Friday.

Although ASEAN's current energy demand is only about 5 percent globally, it is steadily rising because of urbanization and industrialization, as the energy sector contributes three-fourths to global carbon emissions. The ASEAN Green Deal, proposed by Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen while chairing the ASEAN Summit 2022, aims at a green future, sustainability, effective use of resources and economic competitiveness.

The green deal is "meaningful" because it is a policy framework available to all ASEAN members, particularly Myanmar, where development needs are again calling for attention, said Albert Oung, executive council member and Green Economy chairperson of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific's Sustainable Business Network.