Joint media release: Australia and Southeast Asia strengthen climate change and energy cooperation

Senator the Hon Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs

The Hon Chris Bowen MP, Minister for Climate Change and Energy

The Albanese Government is strengthening its co-operation with Southeast Asia through a new $10 million Climate and Clean Energy Window, designed to bolster our joint efforts on climate change and clean energy.

The Window, announced at the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne today, will provide multi-year funding for climate and clean energy programs 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 transformation.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong:

“Climate change is an existential threat to our region and we are working with our ASEAN partners to mitigate its impacts and accelerate the clean energy transition."

“The new Climate and Clean Energy Window is one example of how we are creating opportunity and addressing shared challenges together.”

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen:

“Australia is strengthening cooperation with our ASEAN partners, working together to rewire our region and build new clean energy manufacturing and trade opportunities.”

“The $10 million Climate and Clean Energy Window will assist to build capability across the region to respond to climate change and accelerate the clean energy transformation.”