ASEAN Regional Workshop on Carbon Pricing and Carbon Markets

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region is entering a critical phase in its transition toward low-carbon, climate-resilient development, with carbon pricing instruments gaining increasing attention as a key policy tool. Globally, these instruments already cover around 28% of emissions and generate over USD 100 billion annually, signaling their growing importance in shaping investment flows.

This trend is increasingly visible across ASEAN, where several Member States are taking steps to develop and implement carbon pricing approaches:

• Indonesia has launched its Emissions Trading System (ETS), with plans to expand it further
• Singapore has introduced a carbon tax, currently set at USD 45 per tonne
• Thailand and Vietnam are preparing for ETS implementation in the coming years
• Malaysia has announced plans to introduce a carbon tax starting in 2026.

At the same time, countries are exploring voluntary carbon markets and other mitigation mechanisms. However, progress across the region remains fragmented, with varying levels of policy readiness, measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) capacity, institutional development, and private sector engagement.

The ASEAN Regional Workshop on Carbon Pricing and Carbon Markets aims to bring together policy-makers, experts, and partners to exchange practical experiences and lessons learned, explore policy design options suited to national contexts, and strengthen readiness for participation in international carbon markets, including under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

Co-organized by the European Union (EU) through the Technical Assistance Facility to the Green Team Europe Initiative (TAF-GTEI), Government of Brunei Darussalam, the ASEAN Secretariat, and the International Institute for Sustainable Development, the workshop will also draw on international experience, including insights from the EU ETS, to inform discussions on market design, governance, and implementation.

Agenda

Day 1: Domestic Carbon Pricing

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Module 1: Carbon Pricing Instruments in ASEAN Context

Module 2: EU ETS and ASEAN relevance

Day 2: Carbon Markets—Article 6 of Paris Agreement

Keynote Address

Module 3: Article 6 Readiness and Validation Workshop

Synthesis and Way Forward

Closing Remarks