ASEAN climate leaders face the challenge of countries in the region being vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change due to their long coastlines, dependency on agriculture and forestry, and land-use sectors.
As a response, the ASEAN Climate Leadership Program, on its third run (ACLP 3), recognizes the importance of strengthening leadership in climate change dialogue at the international level.
ACLP 3 officially started with its opening session and first module lectures held virtually from Jan. 22 to 23. This six-month program is designed to increase knowledge, strengthen skills and foster attitude shifts in leadership, particularly in the thematic areas of climate policy, climate-smart agriculture (CSA) and inclusivity.
This is the first time that ACLP has offered a blended learning modality through online and face-to-face sessions held in Bali, Indonesia, and Bangkok, Thailand, following its successful implementation of the previous runs in 2020 and 2021.
Twenty-nine official participants representing Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam were selected out of over 100 applicants across the ASEAN member states.
According to Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEAMEO SEARCA), participants will enhance their leadership skills by initiating ideas and facilitating change through personal change projects that will benefit their chosen sector or community.
SEAMEO SEARCA provides technical and knowledge management support to ACLP 3. Its projects will drive collective and cross-sectoral transformative actions in agriculture, forestry, rural development, food security and climate policy.
During the ACLP 3 opening, senior officer Dian Sukmajaya of the Agriculture, Food and Forestry Division of the ASEAN Secretariat said, "It is indispensable to have a concerted effort and same understanding on how to strengthen the ASEAN position as a group to push forward the climate action in the region, particularly for the agriculture and forestry sector."
Growth catalysts
Associate Prof. Joselito Florendo, deputy director for administration of SEAMEO SEARCA, urged the participants to "become better climate leaders who can deliver transformative, relevant and effective programs and policies to their respective communities, countries and the ASEAN region."
Shameer Kanal, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit ASEAN cooperation area coordinator, encouraged them to leverage the ACLP 3 opportunity to be "the catalyst for professional growth and make it a stepping stone toward a more sustainable and equitable future not only for the ASEAN but also for the world."
Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, minister of Malaysia's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, acknowledged that the ASEAN is one of the most vulnerable regions exposed to the climate change crisis. He said that its complexity and scale "demand us to be empowered at every level of leadership. Our collective ability to lead and shape the future of climate action is more critical than ever."
ACLP 3 Module 1 focused on deepening the participants' understanding of the status of climate actions concerning the Paris Agreement, the integration of sustainable agriculture and food systems into enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions, the ACLP leadership model, leadership development plans and an introduction to Theory-U and Systems Thinking.
Aside from the technical lectures, it had small group learning sessions, Q&A dialogues and other online interactive activities.
Andre de Wit, dean of Amsterdam Leadership Academy, and Gaynor Tanyang, managing director of Lumina Ventures, are the lead facilitators of ACLP 3 with other resource persons in the first Module.
Fahmuddin Agus of the National Research and Innovation Agency in Indonesia presented innovations in climate policy and implementation, such as concerns on global warming, the need for emission reduction, agricultural systems and main sources of emissions, and CSA as a strategy for adaptation and mitigation.
Vong Sok, head of the Environment Division of ASEAN Secretariat, tackled the ASEAN Policy Framework, the institutional framework for addressing climate change, ASEAN's Climate Action initiatives and its priorities.