The Honourable Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (R) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Defence II, is currently in Seattle, USA, attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Energy Ministerial Meeting (APEC EMM) held on 15 to 16 August 2023 at the Seattle Convention Center. His Honourable Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Defence II is accompanied by His Excellency Dato Paduka Haji Serbini bin Haji Ali, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Brunei Darussalam in Washington D.C., USA, and officials from the Department of Energy at the Prime Minister’s Office.
With the theme “Interconnected. Innovative. Inclusive”, this year’s APEC EMM, the first meeting in eight (8) years, aims to advance the overarching objectives of the APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040 of “an open, dynamic, resilient and peaceful Asia-Pacific community by 2040, for the prosperity of all our people and future generations”. The Meeting was chaired by Her Excellency Jennifer M. Granholm, Secretary of Energy, USA, and it features extensive dialogue between APEC economies, private industries and other stakeholders on effective strategies for accelerating sustainable and inclusive clean energy transitions through three (3) main sessions, namely, Power Sector Decarbonization, Methane Mitigation, and a Just Energy Transition.
The Honourable Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Defence II had the opportunity to intervene in the Power Sector Decarbonization Session, which highlighted Brunei Darussalam’s efforts and pathways in decarbonizing its power sector through renewable energy and energy efficiency and conservation initiatives. At the sidelines of the Meeting, His Honourable also had the opportunity to have a networking session with the other Heads of Delegation from APEC economies, including Her Excellency Jennifer M. Granholm; His Excellency Arifin Tasrif, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Republic of Indonesia; and His Excellency Dr. Tan See Leng, Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade and Indusrtry, Singapore.
The Meeting programme also include site visits to the First Mode, a clean energy technology company, and the Geothermal Center at the Microsoft Campus, which serves as the powerhouse for the Campus. The Meeting endorsed the APEC EMM Statement that attempts to deliver new energy goals for APEC, and Non-Binding Just Energy Transition Principles for APEC Cooperation
