Singapore’s 2027 ASEAN chairmanship to prioritise green and digital cooperation
ASEAN official Satvinder Singh said energy security and cross-border electricity links would be major issues as Singapore takes the chair.
Sustainability and digital cooperation are expected to be priorities when Singapore chairs ASEAN in 2027, according to Satvinder Singh, deputy secretary-general for the ASEAN Economic Community. He pointed to the forthcoming Green Economic Framework Agreement and implementation of the Digital Economy Framework Agreement as key items.
Speaking at the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants’ annual conference on Oct 9, Singh identified energy security as a pressing regional challenge. He urged ASEAN countries to use the supply crisis to speed up the shift towards cleaner energy, rather than focus solely on finding alternative fuel suppliers.
Singh said higher oil and gas prices were expected to add close to US$200 billion to the region’s energy import bill in 2027. He expressed hope that Singapore would play a stronger leadership role in encouraging green investment during its chairmanship.
The ASEAN Power Grid, which is intended to support electricity trade across borders, could help countries balance their energy needs, he said. Singh suggested that hydropower resources in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar could potentially provide cleaner electricity to more industrialised regional economies.
The green framework seeks to steer cooperation in emerging green industries. The digital agreement, scheduled for signing at the 49th ASEAN Summit in November 2026, aims to align digital trade rules, including requirements for cross-border data flows. Singh also called for fewer barriers to professional mobility, saying differing national requirements still restricted professionals’ ability to work across ASEAN.
