FROM: World Energy Council

World Energy Council Chair addresses APEC Business Advisory Board

World Energy Council Chairman, David Kim, attended the second APEC Business Advisory Board Council (ABAC) meeting in Seoul on 28 April. Mr Kim addressed the members and highlighted how the Council could participate in ABAC initiatives to foster increased regional and international cooperation.

For 2017, ABAC has adopted the theme “Creating New Dynamism, Fostering a Shared Future.” The work program focuses on the following priorities: Deepening regional economic integration; Achieving sustainable, innovative and inclusive growth; Enhancing MSMEs’ competitiveness and encouraging innovation in the digital era, Ensuring food security and promoting sustainable and climate smart agriculture.

Mr Kim commented: “ABAC’s theme is one that is close to my heart and one that is close to the vision I am pursuing now as Chair of the World Energy Council. While I was serving as an ABAC member, I also served as the Regional Vice Chair for Asia-Pacific and South Asia for the World Energy Council.  With the inspiration, I received from both experiences, I was challenged to take on a new commitment.

“I am only the second person from Asia-Pacific to serve as the Council’s chair in its over 90 year history. I believe this represents not simply a personal achievement, but in fact says something very meaningful about the rising global significance of our region.  More than ever, Asia’s voice as our planet’s largest and most rapidly growing consumer of energy is absolutely vital and relevant.

“When I was both a member of ABAC and the World Energy Council, simultaneously, I attempted to find ways in which these two international organisations could cooperate in addressing global energy issues such as those highlighted by the trilemma.  I believe that this effort was, and will be, of great benefit to both of our organisations.

“It is my profound hope that ABAC continues to engage in productive discussions on proposals to encourage even more active exchanges of best practices and appropriate and advanced technologies among economies. With this type of proactive collaboration, we can ensure that our future is truly “dynamic” and that we all can “share” in its benefits. The World Energy Council would be more than willing to participate in these initiatives at regional and international cooperation.”

The Council was formally invited to join the Asia-Pacific Economic Corporation (APEC) Energy Working Group (EWG) in March 2016. Initially, the Council was providing input to APEC’s work on resilience and supporting the broader initiatives of the Energy Working Group and other aspects of the APEC agenda. In August the Energy Council addressed the need to tackle non-tariff measures, and launched its  World Energy Perspectives: ‘Non-tariff measures: next steps for catalysing the low-carbon economy’, report at the Cooperation APEC Market Access Group meeting in Lima, Peru.

The APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) was created by the APEC Economic Leaders in November 1995 with the aim of providing advice to the APEC Economic Leaders on ways to achieve the Bogor Goals and other specific business sector priorities, and to provide the business perspective on specific areas of cooperation.

Each economy nominates up to three members from the private sector to ABAC. These business leaders represent a wide range of industry sectors. ABAC provides an annual report to APEC Economic Leaders containing recommendations to improve the business and investment environment in the Asia-Pacific region, and outlining business views about priority regional issues. ABAC is also the only non-governmental organisation that is on the official agenda of the APEC Economic Leader’s Meeting.

###