Representatives of ASEAN, EU Delegations and EU Member States marked the occasion with a symbolic trip from the ASEAN Secretariat to the EU Delegation in Jakarta on August 13. SUPPLIED
ASEAN Secretary-General Dato Lim Jock Hoi and the Ambassador of the European Union to ASEAN Igor Driesmans officially launched the Bike45Ride cycling event on August 13 in Jakarta, as ASEAN and the EU celebrate 45 years of strategic partnership. .
Representatives of ASEAN, EU Delegations and EU Member States marked the occasion with a symbolic trip from the ASEAN Secretariat to the EU Delegation’s premises in Jakarta.
Before flagging off the start of Bike45Ride, Dato Lim Jock Hoi in his opening remarks said that the event not only serves as a reliable platform to create public awareness of the work of the ASEAN-EU but is also an important effort to encourage more people to switch to sustainable transportation, according to the August 13 joint press release of the EU and ASEAN.
Of the ASEAN population of more than 650 million, nearly 300 million people live in urban areas and more than 25 percent live in cities with more than one million inhabitants. In the next 15 years, ASEAN cities are expected to accommodate another 100 million people, it added.
With $5.2 million in support from the EU for 2021-2024, the Smart Green ASEAN Cities (SGAC) program will help ASEAN Member States find smart green solutions to high urbanization rates through digitalization and the use of technology .
In his opening remarks, Driesmans said that green growth and the environment are key strategic sectors of the EU’s cooperation with ASEAN. The event marked not only 45 years of ASEAN relations but also the EU’s commitment to continue working together towards a greener future, according to the press release.
“In the 45 years of cooperation between our two regions, we continue to work to meet our common challenges and create a better future for the citizens of ASEAN and the EU. This bike ride aims to encourage all ASEAN and EU citizens in the region to participate in making our future greener,” he said.
“Increasingly we have become partners in sustainability. Together, we have established an important program to protect biodiversity throughout the region to maintain the management of wetlands – an important program,” said Igor Driesmans in a virtual press conference on August 13.
The Bike45Ride event is a virtual cycling competition organized from 13 August to 11 September 2022 for all ASEAN and EU citizens living in the ten ASEAN Member States. Participants can participate as individuals or in groups of up to five to complete a total distance of 45km during the race.
Cities are major sources of greenhouse gases, and an analysis of the state of the atmosphere in the ASEAN region reveals that air pollution levels are increasing, with the energy and transportation sectors responsible for the largest emissions of carbon dioxide, the press release quoted Fakri Karim, acting manager of ASEAN’s Smart Green ASEAN Cities Programme, as saying.
Kin Phea, director of the International Relations Institute of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, told The Post that this is an excellent initiative to work together to promote the green agenda because the world is currently facing many challenges including -global warming and climate change related to natural disasters. . These environmental challenges have many consequences, especially food insecurity.
“Environmental issues transcend borders, so a collective effort and commitment is very important to meet these challenges. It is time for all groups to work together more strongly for all people and on our planet,” he said.
