Australia, Southeast Asia strengthen climate change, energy cooperation

The Australian Government has announced that it will strengthen its cooperation with Southeast Asia through a new AUD10 million ($6.51 million) program named Climate and Clean Energy Window, designed to bolster their joint efforts on climate change and clean energy.

The Window, announced at the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne on Monday, will provide multi-year funding for climate and clean energy program including technical capacity building, and will ensure Australia and ASEAN countries are sharing expertise and learning from each other.

Building on existing cooperation, the Window will enable Australian Commonwealth and State and Territory Government agencies to expand and sustain lasting relationships with Southeast Asian counterparts on climate change and the clean energy transformation.

It will also include a flexible funding stream to respond to partner country requests.

The Window will be the first initiative to be designed under the Southeast Asia Government-to-Government Partnerships program, announced by the Albanese Government in 2023.

It will also support implementation of Invested: Australia's Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040, which recognises the critical enabling role of government-to-government partnerships and the opportunities and challenges of the clean energy transition.

Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong said that climate change is an existential threat to the region and Australia is working with its ASEAN partners to mitigate its impacts and accelerate the clean energy transition.

The new Climate and Clean Energy Window is one example of how they are creating opportunity and addressing shared challenges together, she said.

Also at the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit 2024, Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs announced Australia is investing a further AUD222.5 million ($145 million) to support the resilience and prosperity of the Mekong subregion of Southeast Asia through the Mekong-Australia Partnership.

Since its launch, the Mekong-Australia Partnership has supported the sub-region's environmental and economic resilience, leadership and skills, and trade and investment.

This second phase of funding over the next five years will address priorities and shared challenges with a focus on improving water security, responding to climate change and combatting transnational crime.

Australia will contribute to strengthened leadership, institutions, and people to people connections to promote shared prosperity.

The Mekong-Australia Partnership complements Australia's longstanding bilateral partnerships and ASEAN development cooperation.

Australia will continue to work with its Mekong sub-region partners to shape and secure the future of the region and all those who rely on it, the minister said./.