ERIA Promotes Scientific Collaboration on Climate Change in Asia through SERA

Jakarta, 13-14 July 2026: ERIA co-hosted the Second Workshop of the International Research Community for Strategic Emissions Reduction in Asia (SERA) in collaboration with the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan (IEEJ). Bringing together leading climate change researchers and experts from across Asia, the 2-day workshop aimed to advance scientific collaboration and strengthen policy-relevant research on climate action in the region.

SERA is a regional research community established to strengthen scientific research on climate action in Asia. By enhancing the quality and visibility of research from the region, SERA seeks to support greater representation of Asian knowledge and experience in international scientific assessments, including those of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), as well as broader global climate policy discussions.

The workshop opened with remarks by Prof. Jun Arima, Senior Policy Fellow for Energy and Environment at ERIA and Co-Chair of the SERA Steering Group. He emphasised that the rapidly evolving global context requires climate policies to address not only decarbonisation but also broader considerations, including energy security. He also highlighted the importance of recognising various pathways - each reflecting countries' diverse circumstances - to achieve climate goals.

Organised into three working groups, SERA focuses on key areas of climate mitigation:

• Working Group 1: Energy Systems, led by Prof. Joyashree Roy, Distinguished Professor at the Asian Institute of Technology
• Working Group 2: Hard-to-Abate Industrial Sectors, led by Prof. Tae Yong Jung from Yonsei University
• Working Group 3: Transport, led by Dr Naoko Doi, Senior Research Director at IEEJ

During the workshop, participants reviewed research papers prepared by the three groups, providing expert feedback to strengthen their scientific quality. The discussions also reinforced SERA's broader objective of increasing the contribution of Asian scientific knowledge to international scientific assessments, including the IPCC, and supporting evidence-based climate policymaking in the region.