KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 — Malaysia has urged the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) to continue supporting a regional energy transition agenda based on local needs and social realities.

Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said Malaysia also hoped that Irena would continue its work in supporting regional organisations such as the Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean).

"Irena should consider establishing regional support centres to enable localised support and collaboration in accelerating the energy transition effort by countries in each region through capacity building and technical support,” he said in a statement today.

The matter was raised by Nik Nazmi when delivering the national statement at the 13th Session of the Irena assembly, which was held in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on January 14-15.

Nik Nazmi commended Irena for its good work and thanked the agency for undertaking the study on developing the Malaysia Energy Transition Outlook 2050 (METO) Report which reasseses the country’s existing Long Term Energy Scenario Planning for a more ambitious and aspiring future energy target.

The METO 2050 Report is due to be launched in the first quarter of 2023.

Meanwhile, on the sidelines of the assembly, Nik Nazmi also met UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei and Indonesian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Arifin Tasrif to discuss possible bilateral cooperation with both countries.

They also exchanged notes on various energy-related issues, including the subject of the most viable and plausible pathway in transitioning the respective countries’ energy system.

The 13th Irena Assembly, which was presided over by India as the president of the assembly, was attended by more than 1,700 delegates from 140 member countries.

The assembly, among other things, deliberated on the priority and collective actions that must be undertaken by countries to urgently accelerate the energy transition and to stay on course with the 1.5°c Paris Agreement goal, while ensuring a just and inclusive transition. — Bernama