KUCHING: The Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) should serve as the guiding model for ASEAN and the wider Asia-Pacific region in accelerating the shift away from fossil fuel dependency and strengthening regional energy cooperation.
In stating this, Deputy Minister of Energy and Environmental Sustainability Datuk Dr Hazland Hipni said regional economies, particularly in Asia, must urgently reduce reliance on oil and gas to avoid being repeatedly exposed to future global energy crises and geopolitical disruptions.
He said the urgency for energy transition stems from Asia’s heavy dependence on imported fossil fuels, particularly from the Middle East, which leaves the region vulnerable to supply shocks.
“Because we have a cause, we have a reason to reduce dependency on oil and gas. We do not want to be affected by any further energy crisis, which will also happen again in the next decades,” he said during the Fireside Chat titled “Navigating the Current Oil and Gas Crisis: The Role of Clean Hydrogen” held in conjunction with the Asia Pacific Green Hydrogen Conference and Exhibition (APGH) 2026 at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here Tuesday.
The session was moderated by Professor Christoph Menke, conference chairman of APGH 2026.
He stressed that Asia-Pacific countries must take decisive steps to maximise regional resources and accelerate the shift towards cleaner and more resilient energy systems.
“So it is about time the Asia-Pacific will take this step, will capitalise on all our resources and shift our dependency from oil and gas,” he added.
On regional cooperation, Hazland said that ASEAN already has an energy cooperation framework in place, but implementation remains limited and requires stronger collective commitment.
“Actually, in the ASEAN concept, we have what we call the ASEAN energy concept. But sadly enough, not too much is being done,” he said.
He added that Sarawak has been actively pushing for stronger regional collaboration, including raising the matter at ASEAN-level discussions and engaging international partners.
“We are trying to push them to do a lot of work, especially through our global agreement. We have brought up the issue in the last ASEAN summit,” he said.
Hazland said Sarawak hopes ASEAN can strengthen its cooperation model by drawing inspiration from Japan’s AZEC, which provides a structured and inclusive approach to decarbonisation and energy security.
“So hopefully, we have something like what Japan has, which is AZEC. AZEC should be an example for this part of the world,” he said.
He added that Sarawak is also open to closer collaboration with AZEC partners, including through engagement with Japanese stakeholders, to develop a common regional direction for clean energy transition.
The Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC), initiated by Japan, is a regional cooperation framework involving 11 partner countries, including Japan, Australia and nine ASEAN nations, aimed at advancing decarbonisation, economic growth and energy security while allowing flexible, country-specific transition pathways.
