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APP

Overview

In January 2006, the Australian Government was instrumental in establishing the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (APP) bringing together Australia, China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea and the United States (US) of America to address the challenges of climate change, energy security and air pollution in a way that encourages economic development and reduces poverty.  In October 2007, Canada was also welcomed as an official member.

The APP represented approximately half of the world’s emissions, energy use, GDP and population, and was an important initiative that engaged, for the first time, the key greenhouse gas emitting countries in the Asia Pacific region.  With its focus on the development, deployment and transfer of cleaner, more efficient technologies, the APP was also unprecedented in the way business, government and researchers agreed to work together.  The APP was also the first time that industry was afforded an opportunity as equal partners in global climate change discussions.

  1. The APP Partners established eight public-private sector Task Forces covering:
  2. Aluminium: chaired by Australia, co-chaired by United States of America;
  3. Buildings and Appliances: chaired by Republic of Korea, co-chaired by United States of America
  4. Cement: chaired by Japan, co-chaired by Canada;
  5. Cleaner Fossil Energy: chaired by Australia, co-chaired by China;
  6. Coal Mining: chaired by United States of America, co-chaired by India; and
  7. Power Generation and Transmission: chaired by United States of America, co-chaired by China;
  8. Renewable Energy and Distributed Generation: chaired by Canada, co-chaired by Australia;
  9. Steel: chaired by Japan, co-chaired by India.

The Australian Government committed $100 million in funding over five years (2006-2011), which has provided support for 54 projects across all Task Forces.  This substantial commitment helped to drive the APP in the early years and built a momentum that would result in the APP undertaking over 180 projects across all APP partner countries.

Policy responsibility for the APP was shared between the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism and the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency.

In the five years of its existence, the APP enhanced partnerships between the public and private sectors, promoted best practices and technologies across a range of key sectors, and deepened cooperation among its seven partner countries. The APP achieved considerable success and benefited all partners, and the Partnership has become a model of public-private partnerships to drive the development of clean technologies. 

Following the launch of APP in 2006, a number of partnerships have emerged which are undertaking public-private cooperation involving APP countries and other partners.  APP Partner Countries share the view that the APP’s activities may be further enhanced, expanded, and shared with a broader group of countries by incorporating them into the work of these other multilateral and bilateral efforts.  The APP has agreed that the most efficient and effective way to help these efforts grow and prosper and expand to a broader group of partners would be to transition the active programming into other relevant partnerships or bodies.

As such, the APP Task Forces held their last meetings during 2010 and 2011, and the Policy and Implementation Committee held its final session 5 April 2011 in Bangkok, Thailand.  However, Australia and other APP Partner Countries remain committed to current and ongoing APP projects that will continue and transition to new international fora.

For more information please visit the APP website:  http://www.asiapacificpartnership.org/english/Default.aspx