EU, ASEAN discuss efforts to boost investments and businesses’ participation in the green transition

MANILA, Philippines — EU-ASEAN businesses and cooperation agencies discussed the opportunities and challenges of ASEAN’s green transition in the Partners’ Dialogue forum with the Delegation of the European Union to ASEAN.

Hosted by the Ambassador of the European Union (EU) Sujiro Seam, representatives of EU-ASEAN institutions, member states, businesses and cooperation agencies engaged in a knowledge and experience sharing on ASEAN’s green transition and the transformative impact of the Global Gateway strategy.

Launched in 2021, the Global Gateway strategy is the EU’s strategy to boost infrastructure investments in five key areas: digitalization, energy, transport, health as well as education and research.

It aims to support the green and digital transitions around the world and to tackle global challenges such as climate change, global health security, sustainable development and stronger supply chains.

Global Gateway has the ambition to mobilize EUR 300 billion worldwide, building on commitments from all Team Europe partners—European Union, its member states, and finance institutions—and from the private sector.

“This year, we launched a EUR 60 million package of new connectivity projects to support the enabling environment for quality and sustainable investments in the region. Under the umbrella of this package contributing to the Global Gateway in ASEAN, we have new projects planned or starting in areas such as investment, trade, higher education, transport, energy connectivity and digitalization,” Ambassador Seam said.

“The EU has always recognized the importance of our partnership withthe private sector. The EU and ASEAN are currently each other’s third largest trading partners, and the EU is also the third external provider of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to the ASEAN region,” he added.

“The European Investment Bank plays a pivotal role in supporting ASEAN’s green transition. Through the Global Gateway strategy, the EIB reaffirms its commitment to financing sustainable infrastructure projects that drive digitalization, energy efficiency and resilient transport systems. Our investments are designed to not only tackle climate change but also to stimulate