The UK Mission to ASEAN has launched a new initiative with ASEAN to strengthen climate policy and institutional capacity, supporting regional efforts to address climate change.
The Climate Policy and Institutional Capacity Development pillar of the ASEAN-UK Green Transition Fund (GTF) was launched on 19 November 2025 at COP30 in Belém, Brazil. It is featured as one of the official side events of UNFCCC COP30. The launch, officiated by Julia Ellis, Deputy Director for International Climate Finance at the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, alongside Dr. Vong Sok, Head of the Environment Division at the ASEAN Secretariat, marks a significant milestone in ASEAN-UK cooperation to advance climate policy and institutional capacity for ASEAN’s green transition.
Home to over 680 million people, ASEAN’s carbon footprint has grown steadily since 1990 and now accounts for nearly five per cent of global emissions, driven by rapidly rising energy demand and changing patterns of land use. As the region is at increasing risk from extreme weather like typhoons, flooding and drought, as well as rising sea levels and threats to farming and food production, the time for more ambitious action on climate is now.
Southeast Asia is one of the most climate-vulnerable regions and faces escalating risks from climate change. The ASEAN Climate Vision 2050 and the forthcoming ASEAN Climate Change Strategic Action Plan (ACCSAP) lay the foundation for a transformative framework enhancing climate ambition, policy alignment and institutional capacity in line with the Paris Agreement.
To support these regional priorities, this newly launched Climate Policy and Institutional Capacity Development pillar provides targeted technical assistance through three key workstreams:
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"ASEAN’s green transition is a shared opportunity to drive sustainable growth and resilience across our region. Through the ASEAN-UK Green Transition Fund, we are strengthening institutional capacity, unlocking climate finance, and advancing evidence-based policies that will enable Member States to deliver on their most ambitious climate commitments. This partnership reflects our common vision for a cleaner, greener future built on mutual respect and strategic cooperation." |
Following the opening remarks, the ASEAN-UK GTF Climate Policy and Institutional Capacity Development pillar booklet was unveiled, highlighting the pillar’s three work streams and their collective role in advancing ASEAN’s regional climate ambitions.
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Through these comprehensive approaches, the initiative is not just looking to renew NDC ambitions, but to ignite implementation that transforms our future. By harnessing diverse resources — both market and non-market, as well as information-driven MRV systems, capacity building, and vibrant peer-to-peer learning processes, it is paving the way for change." |
A key feature of the launch was a deep dive into one of the workstreams under the pillar, the ASEAN Strategic Transition for Resilient, Inclusive, and Decarbonised Economies (STRIDE), led by Perspectives Climate Research. This workstream equips ASEAN Member States with science-based tools to enhance NDC ambition and advance equitable climate action. Complementing this are two additional workstreams:
Together, these workstreams reinforce the UK’s ongoing commitment to ASEAN’s climate leadership, enhancing policy coherence and fostering sustainable, inclusive regional cooperation.
The event concluded with a panel featuring experts across the sector, who explored how regional cooperation and institutional capacity can drive ASEAN’s climate ambition.
As ASEAN advances its climate agenda, the UK, through the ASEAN-UK Green Transition Fund, remains a committed partner in driving a resilient, inclusive and low-carbon future for the ASEAN region.
Image 4: Leaders from the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN-UK GTF experts, DEval, and Vietnam’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment engage in a high-level dialogue on accelerating regional climate cooperation.
Image 5: Dr Axel Michaelowa of Perspectives Climate Research delivers a strategic deep dive on ASEAN STRIDE, presenting science-based tools to enhance NDC ambition and foster inclusive, equitable climate action across the region.
The ASEAN–UK Green Transition Fund (GTF) is the UK’s climate flagship programme to accelerate ASEAN’s transition towards a clean and climate-resilient economy. It supports emissions reduction in key sectors, fosters green growth, and enhances the livelihoods of vulnerable communities.
Operating across all eleven ASEAN Member States, the GTF works with ASEAN institutions, including the ASEAN Secretariat, Centres, Facilities, and Sectoral Bodies, to deliver technical assistance, capacity-building, and policy support for sustainable regional development.
Read more about the ASEAN-UK Green Transition Fund here.