Singapore welcomed as new IEA Association Country
Singapore is deepening its partnership with the International Energy Agency (IEA) for a more secure and sustainable future for the energy industry by becoming an IEA Association Country.
Singapore is a rapidly developing region where energy demand is set to increase 80% by 2040 due to a booming population and robust economic growth. Being an Association Country is particularly important for Singapore given its role as a regional energy hub in the heart of Southeast Asia, the IEA said.
An IEA Association Country provides a platform for the agency to engage non-member countries to cooperate on issues including energy security, energy data and statistics, and energy policy analysis. It also enables non-member countries to participate in a variety of activities, including IEA standing groups, committees, and Ministerial meetings.
As an IEA Association Country, Singapore will build on existing collaborations to partner IEA on two new initiatives.
Singapore will host a new Singapore-IEA regional training hub to provide energy training programs to develop industry-specific capabilities in the region. Singapore and the IEA will organize an Energy Efficiency Training Week in 2017 to provide hands-on training for energy efficiency practitioners.
In addition, the first Singapore-IEA Forum will be held at the annual Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW), which will provide a platform for energy stakeholders to engage in a debate on the future of the industry and preview IEA initiatives.
Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry S. Iswaran said, “Singapore fully supports the IEA’s new vision to expand its outreach to emerging economies, particularly in Asia. This initiative will help build a more inclusive global energy architecture and is especially important as Asia grows in importance in the global economy and energy landscape.”
Dr. Fatih Birol, IEA Executive Director, said that he was particularly happy to welcome Singapore as an IEA Association Country as it is an important player both regionally and globally. The nation has also put in place strong policies to ensure secure, sustainable and competitive energy supply, he added.
In November 2015, China, Indonesia and Thailand were also welcomed as IEA Association Countries.