Press release: IIEC announces the establishment of Asia Pacific Urban Energy Association (APUEA)

International Institute for Energy Conservation (IIEC) promotes sustainable urban energy systems through a new cross-sectoral platform & the Asia Pacific Urban Energy Association (APUEA)

Photo credit: ACEF 2017

Bangkok, Thailand, June 12th, 2017 – On June 6th at the Asia Clean Energy Forum 2017 (ACEF 2017) in Manila, IIEC announced the establishment of the Asia Pacific Urban Energy Association (APUEA). The new Association is being launched in response to requests by international agencies and professionals within the energy sector for a cross-sectoral platform to address increasing energy challenges in the region. Governments in the Asia Pacific – the fastest growing region in terms of economy, urbanization and energy consumption – are struggling to keep pace with the growing demand for energy infrastructure while keeping their cities livable and sustainable.

“The APUEA initiative supports IIEC’s mission of promoting sustainable energy and environmental solutions in developing and emerging economies. We believe this timely initiative is critical for helping governments in the region achieve their goals for sustainable energy development,” stated Sommai Phon-Amnuaisuk, Asia Pacific Director of IIEC, a not-for-profit organization with almost 40 years of experience in the region.

The APUEA platform will promote public and private sector collaboration to develop sustainable urban energy systems that support livable cities across the Asia Pacific region. The diverse climate and different urban energy market conditions in the region require a broad variety of urban energy solutions. The Association’s online portal will share international and regional best practices for planning and implementing sustainable urban energy systems, including policies and regulations, business models, and technologies for implementing district heating and cooling, smart grids, energy efficiency, and renewable energy systems. The Association also will serve as an information hub to support city policymakers, program managers, and other stakeholders in the design, development, and implementation of sustainable urban energy systems. APUEA aims to publish annual reports on Asia Pacific urban energy markets, newsletters, and quarterly magazines, and will host an Annual General Meeting with a Trade Exhibition where members can meet to share knowledge and experiences.

“Similar Associations have been operating in Europe and North America for decades, providing a collaborative platform for public and private actors, sharing experiences and accelerating the development of sustainable urban energy systems,” Mikael Jakobsson, Executive Director of APUEA, explained. “There is broad agreement that the time is ripe for the creation of an Asia Pacific Association, and we are honoured to be supported in its launch by the Asian Development Bank, Danish Board of District Heating, Euroheat & Power, and UN Environment.”

About the International Institute for Energy Conservation (IIEC) The IIEC was founded in 1984 to dramatically increase the use of energy efficiency as an important clean energy approach in developing countries. We believe local presence is the best way to produce results, and through our regional offices around the world, we have been effective in bringing about progress in energy efficiency policy and implementation that has both reduced energy consumption by thousands of MWs and fostered economic development in the countries we serve. The IIEC works with stakeholders across all sectors to connect international best practice with the unique needs of the communities in which we operate, combining sound energy efficiency and renewable energy policy with hands-on implementation in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and encourage sustainable development.

Press Contacts:

Sommai Phon-Amnuaisuk – Director Asia Pacific, IIEC: sphonamnuaisuk@iiec.org Mikael Jakobsson – Executive Director, APUEA: mjakobsson@apuea.org

For more information about APUEA, contact info@apuea.org. For more information about IIEC, please visit www.iiec.org.

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