On 19 November 2025, the panel session entitled ‘Powering a Fair and Inclusive Future through Sustainable Cooling’ was convened at the ASEAN Pavilion during the 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30) in Belém, Brazil. The session was organised by the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), with support from GIZ under the ASEAN Cooling project (ASEAN Cooling: Energy Efficiency and Climate Mitigation in Sectors with High Cooling Demand), funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Moderated by Rizky Aditya Putra, Programme Manager at ACE, the session featured panellists Prof. Leong Yuen Yeong, Director of Sustainability Studies, UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Sunway University, and Dietram Oppelt, Managing Director of HEAT International.
The discussion underscored the urgent need to accelerate the adoption of sustainable cooling as a cornerstone of ASEAN’s energy transition and decarbonisation pathway, crucial for achieving the region’s target of a 40% energy intensity reduction by 2030, as set out in the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2026-2030, endorsed at the 43rd ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM) in October 2025. With cooling demand rising rapidly across the region, the session highlighted the importance of scaling high-efficiency cooling technologies that use low global warming potential (GWP) and natural refrigerants in order to meet global and regional climate goals.
Panellists further noted that Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) are central to driving this transformation. ASEAN is currently advancing the implementation of the Regional Policy Roadmap for room air-conditioners (RACs). However, the session also pointed to substantial untapped energy-savings potential beyond RACs – particularly in the food & beverage sector – indicating that the policy scope should progressively expand to include commercial refrigeration and cold chain systems.
To ensure the successful adoption of these regional roadmaps and an effective transition across the value chain, the panellists agreed on the need to strengthen a skilled and inclusive existing and future workforce across the region. This includes updating curricula to reflect next-generation energy-efficient systems, as well as expanding regional training and enhancing employment opportunities, in particular for female public officers to promote gender balance and inclusive participation in the energy transition.
The session concluded by highlighting the role of regional initiatives (such as the ASEAN Cooling project) in addressing these priorities. Implemented by GIZ in cooperation with ACE, the project supports the development of regional strategies to enhance energy efficiency, promote low-GWP refrigerants and advance gender-inclusive capacity building across ASEAN.
For more information about the COP30 ASEAN pavilion session on sustainable cooling, please visit Media – ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE)
For more information about the ASEAN Cooling project, please visit https://www.thai-german-cooperation.info/asean-cooling-energy-efficiency-and-climate-mitigation-in-sectors-with-high-cooling-demand/.
