Andina

APEC Peru 2024: Energy Ministers approve Lima Declaration by consensus

Photo: ANDINA/Juan Carlos Guzman Negrini

Photo: ANDINA/Juan Carlos Guzman Negrini

10:30 | Lima, Aug. 17.

After nine years, Energy and Mines ministers from Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies on Friday approved by consensus the Lima Declaration, which promotes the use of technologies for clean, efficient, and fair energy transition across the region.

Peruvian Energy and Mines Minister Romulo Mucho explained that this document will allow the aforementioned bloc economies to access cooperation and investments so as to promote low-carbon energy projects, including clean hydrogen.

"It has not been easy to reach consensus; we congratulate one another because, after 9 years, agreements have been reached for a declaration. It will be a tool for presenting cooperation projects across APEC economies," he indicated.

Minister Mucho said one element that delayed reaching agreements was the criticism by representatives of some economies concerning Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which led to constant communications between the Russian Energy minister and his government.

"The (Peruvian) Ministry of Foreign Affairs has played a great role; we are glad. Last year, consensus was not reached at a similar meeting," he mentioned.

Contribution by Peru's Energy and Mines Ministry

In turn, Peru's Alternate Senior Official for APEC, Victor Muñoz, highlighted the technical contribution by the Energy and Mines Ministry to reach the Lima Declaration, which represents an important achievement in the political conditions faced by the world.

"This result allows us to have first-hand access to an important cooperation space such as APEC, whose work is based on promoting, formulating, and executing cooperation projects in different areas," he stated.

According to him, this declaration will also allow cooperation projects to align with the political mandate adopted by members at the Energy Ministerial Meeting in Lima on Friday.

Muñoz said that APEC has a long history of promoting cooperation and exchange of experience in the use of clean and renewable energy, in a global context, so as to move towards an energy matrix diversification.


"We have achieved a great result; the issues proposed by Peru have been reflected in this Declaration and in the Clean Hydrogen Roadmap that was also approved at APEC," he expressed.

The Peruvian government official said that APEC economies now are required to implement the Lima Declaration.

The two-day 14th APEC Energy Ministerial Meeting came to an end in Lima on August 16, bringing together ministers from member economies, as part of the APEC Peru 2024 Summit.

For the first time in APEC history, Peru proposed at this meeting the development of guidelines for the implementation of low-carbon hydrogen across the region, considering it a promising energy source to decarbonize various sectors. The document was approved.

Peru is hosting APEC for the third time after the 2008 and 2016 editions.


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Published: 8/17/2024