ASEAN–Korea Cooperation for Methane Mitigation (AKCMM) is a regional initiative designed to support methane emissions reduction across ASEAN Member States, including Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam. The project aims to establish a strong institutional, technical, and financial foundation for large-scale methane mitigation in the region. This will be achieved through a comprehensive package of activities, including methane emissions measurement and monitoring, the development of regional guidelines, the promotion of regional cooperation, and support for the preparation and implementation of methane reduction projects.

In Lao PDR, the project is led by the Department of Environment of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and funded by the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund (AKCF).

–  Institutional Foundations: Establish governance, committees, and policy roadmaps for systematic methane reduction.

–  Technical Foundations: Build technical capacity, promote knowledge sharing and technology transfer among ASEAN Member States and the Republic of Korea (ROK)

–  Financial Foundations: Design, fund, and implement pilot projects to prove the viability of methane mitigation.

–  Promote Regional Dialogue and partnerships through knowledge sharing, research, networking, and communication initiatives.

– Policy & Institutional Capacity: Strengthening national framework and technical capacity to enable methane emission mitigation at scale through the development and execution of the National Methane Reduction Plan in alignment with the ASEAN Roadmap.

– Data-Driven Transparency (MRV): Enhance methane emissions measurement by identifying inventory gaps, bottlenecks, and upgrading Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems, including providing training for local officers to monitor emissions independently.

–  Tech Transfer & Pilot Projects: Conduct feasibility studies and pilot one methane emission reduction project to demonstrate real-world emission cuts in high-impact sectors (Agriculture and Waste).

– Regional Cooperation: Use insights from Lao PDR to contribute to broader ASEAN dialogues, fostering knowledge-sharing and alignment across all 9 participating nations.

The MRR serves as a strategic regional methane reduction framework for ASEAN member states, enabling methane mitigation interventions through regional knowledge exchange, technology transfer, policy alignment, joint capacity-building programs, financing, dialogue, and partnerships.

These efforts will help ASEAN countries, including Lao PDR, accelerate methane mitigation, strengthen climate commitments, and advance a more sustainable and climate-resilient future.

Methane is the second-largest contributor to global warming after carbon dioxide, with atmospheric concentrations increasing by 162% since pre-industrial times. Globally, more than 100 countries have joined the Global Methane Pledge, recognizing methane reduction as one of the fastest ways to slow near-term warming.

In ASEAN, methane emissions are driven mainly by agriculture (44%), followed by waste (30%) and energy-related fugitive emissions (12%). However, many countries still face challenges in developing policies, improving methane measurement, and mobilizing investments for methane mitigation. The ASEAN-Korea Cooperation for Methane Mitigation (AKCMM) project addresses these gaps through a USD 19.96 million regional initiative implemented from 2024 to 2027.

For Lao PDR, methane mitigation presents an opportunity to advance climate action while supporting sustainable development. As an agriculture-based economy and a country vulnerable to climate change, Lao PDR can benefit from strengthened policies, improved methane measurement and reporting, and innovative methane mitigation solutions in priority sectors such as agriculture, waste, and energy. Under AKCMM, Lao PDR will develop a Methane Reduction Plan, strengthen institutional capacities, and pilot practical methane reduction approaches that can inform future investments and scale-up efforts.

Through these efforts, Lao PDR is expected to lay a strong foundation for long-term methane action, accelerate progress toward its climate goals, and contribute to a more resilient and low-carbon future. By combining national action with regional cooperation, the country can unlock new opportunities for sustainable agriculture, green growth, and climate resilience.

This project will strengthen methane mitigation efforts across ASEAN through the development of enabling policies and institutions, improved methane emissions measurement, implementation of methane reduction projects, capacity building, and regional knowledge sharing, contributing to emissions reductions at scale and supporting national climate commitments.

– National Methane Reduction Plan to be developed for Lao PDR

– Government officials, experts, and farmers to be trained on methane mitigation and sustainable practices.

– Pilot projects to demonstrate practical methane reduction solutions.

– Expanded partnerships and knowledge sharing to accelerate climate action.

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