[Title] ASEAN PLUS THREE LEADERS' STATEMENT ON DEVELOPING OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE ECOSYSTEM

WE, the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the People's Republic of China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, gathering at the 26th ASEAN Plus Three Summit on 6 September 2023 in Jakarta, Indonesia;

RECALLING the importance of realising our collective efforts for regional integration and cooperation as well as the promotion of sustainable development, in response to emerging challenges and opportunities;

SHARING the common view that a just energy transition and carbon emission reduction in the transport sector should allow for various pathways such as zero emission vehicles towards achieving net zero emissions/ carbon neutrality/ target depending on circumstances of each country and the impact on their economic growth;

RECOGNISING the important role of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea in supporting ASEAN's efforts to reduce carbon/ greenhouse gas emission in the transport sector including the development of the electric vehicle ecosystem as referred to in the ASEAN LEADERS' DECLARATION ON DEVELOPING REGIONAL ELECTRIC VEHICLE ECOSYSTEM adopted in May 2023 (hereinafter referred to as "electric vehicle ecosystem"). Nevertheless, RECOGNISING that the importance of collaboration and coordination in the development of electric vehicles should be extended beyond the ASEAN Plus Three;

FURTHER RECALLING the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework (ACRF) and its Implementation Plan, under the Broad Strategy 5 on advancing towards a more sustainable and resilient future, calls for the facilitation of the transition to sustainable energy through greater innovation, inclusivity, cooperation, and partnerships to the deployment of emerging and inclusive technologies, including those related to electric vehicles;

RECOGNISING the continuous need for ASEAN Plus Three countries to consistently come up with its collective leadership in forging and shaping the vision for our regional architecture and to continue to maintain ASEAN central role in the evolving regional architecture in Southeast Asia and its surrounding regions;

RECOGNISING the different levels of economic development and the variety of national policies and measures relating to electric vehicles amongst ASEAN Plus Three countries;

EMPHASISING the complementarity of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with ASEAN Community building efforts to uplift the standards of living of our peoples;

REAFFIRMING our commitments to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement to pursue low-carbon and climate resilient development, while HIGHLIGHTING the importance of the transition to low-carbon and zero emission, including reducing emissions in power sectors, to support just energy transition and sustainable transportation agenda depending on the circumstances of each country;

EMPHASISING the growing importance of critical minerals in the transition to clean energy and the need to create reliable supply chains to prevent economic and security risks caused by vulnerable supply chains of critical minerals. We encourage to create open and transparent system;

EMPHASISING the importance of establishing effective policies and regulatory framework that encourages the adoption and use of electric vehicles as well as develop a hub of competitive global automobile production supply chain, including electric vehicle and hybrid electric vehicleindustries to contribute to regional socio- economic development;

ACKNOWLEDGING the role of electric vehicles in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting ASEAN initiatives to develop the regional electric vehicle ecosystem;

HIGHLIGHTING Indonesia's 2023 Chairmanship's theme of "ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth", which underscores ASEAN's commitment to ensuring that ASEAN remains resilient, effective, and responsive to future regional and global challenges, as well as intensifying efforts to strengthen ASEAN's capability as the center of economic growth and to make ASEAN a global production hub for the electric vehicles industry;

DO HEREBY DECLARE TO:

1. PROMOTE the development of electric vehicle which constitute as one of the important pathways of ASEAN Plus Three countries in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, accelerating just energy transition, and achieving net zero emissions/ carbon neutrality through various pathways, while improving energy security in each ASEAN Plus Three countries.

2. SUPPORT the development and exchange of information of the regional electric vehicle ecosystem that renders the adoption of electric vehicles concurrently with reducing emissions of the power sector through various technologies.

3. ENCOURAGE the harmonisation of regional regulation and measures to improve cooperation on standards of the electric vehicle ecosystem to strengthen the value chain for the electric vehicle industry, promote trade facilitation, and to ensure interoperability and seamless cross-border mobility, particularly on training and certification based on international standards, including but not limited to vehicle performance testing assessment, technology, safety standards as well as protection of fire risk, product specifications, infrastructure, charging stations, battery swapping, batteries electricity distribution, end-of-life disposal recycling, upcycling or disposal of EV batteries and components.

4. SUPPORT ASEAN to play an important role in the global production of the electric vehicles industry including the batteries to support a robust electric vehicle ecosystem.

5. EXPLORE cooperation and collaboration on the development of the electric vehicle ecosystem, such as: promoting trade liberalization and facilitation; improving infrastructures and charging stations; creating the enabling business environment and investment climate to attract investment, including public-private partnership; enhancing the participation of MSMEs; collaborating on research and development activities and human resources development; cooperation in cutting- edge areas such as information technology (IT), intelligent transport systems (ITS), and mobility technology innovation; promoting investment opportunities in industrial and supply chain development of electric vehicles as well as raising public awareness; encouraging technology transfer in collaboration with international electric vehicle and battery manufacturers; properly managing environmental impacts especially those related to end-of-life management of EVs as well as extraction of minerals and metals used in EV batteries; strengthening the energy security; promoting the use of renewable energy in the mobility sector; creating just and effective policy on smooth transition for gradually replacing conventional internal combustion engine vehicles into Zero Emission Vehicles; while advancing decarbonization of internal combustion engine vehicles; build more resilient supply chain of electric vehicles, and on addressing the financing agenda that will support the electric vehicles development including transition finance.

6. PROMOTE cooperation, partnerships, and engagement with private sectors to advance the regional electric vehicle ecosystem.

7. TASK Relevant ASEAN Sectoral Bodies in coordination with their counterpart in the ASEAN Plus Three Countries to follow up the implementation of this Statement and the development of electric vehicle ecosystem.

Adopted in Jakarta, Indonesia, on this Sixth Day of September in the Year Two Thousand and Twenty-Three in a single original copy in the English Language.