Background
Asia has significant potential to lead the global transition to clean energy. The region accounts for over 60 per cent of global emissions and remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels, with coal supplying approximately 47 per cent of regional electricity in 2024. At the same time, renewable energy costs continue to fall, and countries across the region have communicated strong nationally determined contribution (NDC) ambitions and targets, including for clean energy transitions.
The challenge is increasingly the pace and quality of implementation. Across Asia, NDC implementation is constrained by fragmented policies and institutions, limited implementation capacity, insufficient investment-ready pipelines, technology and infrastructure gaps, and difficulties mobilizing finance at the required scale. Addressing these gaps requires closer alignment between climate goals, energy policies, investment decisions and implementation on the ground.
This is particularly important ahead of the 2026 and 2028 Biennial Transparency Report cycles, the Global Stocktake in 2028 and the submission of NDCs in 2030. Effective implementation will depend on mobilizing finance, strengthening enabling environments and enhancing collaboration among governments and non-Party stakeholders, including the private sector, financial institutions and civil society.
Led by UN Climate Change through its Regional Collaboration Centre for Asia and the Pacific (RCC Asia and the Pacific), the Accelerating Clean Transitions in Asia (Asia ACT) initiative will connect governments, energy and climate policymakers, multilateral development banks, bilateral development partners, the private sector, philanthropic organizations and youth around practical pathways for implementing NDC targets in the energy sector.
The Asia ACT Forum is one of the initiative’s key deliverables. It aims to support NDC implementation and accelerate clean transitions in the region by connecting policy, finance and implementation.
The inaugural Forum will focus on ASEAN countries and will be convened alongside the 44th ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM-44), under the ASEAN Chairship of the Philippines. UN Climate Change’s Regional Collaboration Centre for Asia and the Pacific will serve as co-organizer and technical lead, bringing together UNFCCC focal points involved in preparing NDCs and Biennial Transparency Reports and energy focal points leading the energy transition.
Objectives and expected outcomes
The Forum aims to contribute to:
- Stronger alignment between NDC implementation and national and regional energy-transition priorities;
- A clearer understanding of implementation gaps and enabling conditions across ASEAN countries;
- The identification of opportunities for follow-up technical assistance, partnerships and investment through participating institutions, and communication of these opportunities back to the UNFCCC process; and
- Regional evidence and lessons that can inform Biennial Transparency Reports, the 2028 Global Stocktake and future NDC cycles.
Participation
The Forum will bring together government representatives, energy and climate policymakers, multilateral development banks, bilateral development partners, private-sector representatives, philanthropic organizations, youth and other non-Party stakeholders.
