IEA launches S’pore office for regional collaboration

This is the agency’s first office outside of Paris. 

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has inaugurated the IEA Regional Cooperation Centre during the first day of the Singapore International Energy Week.

This centre, which is IEA’s first office outside its Paris headquarters, will focus on fueling the agency’s collaboration with countries in Southeast Asia and beyond. It will serve as a hub for policy guidance, technical assistance, and training and capacity building, as well as help promote cross-border power trade, and improve access to finance for clean energy investment.

Despite ambitious carbon neutrality goals, an IEA analysis found that Southeast Asia's energy demand is projected to surge over 60% by 2050, with a continued reliance on fossil fuel. To balance energy security with emissions targets, the region must prioritise energy efficiency, renewable energy expansion, and a shift to low-carbon fuels, the agency said.

“The opening of the IEA’s new office in Singapore is a historic moment for the IEA and signals a step change in our relationship with Southeast Asia,” IEA Executive Director Dr Fatih Birol said.

“We look forward to working much more closely with all the countries in this dynamic and fast-growing region, whose influence over global energy trends is markedly increasing,” he added.