The OML Center was invited to speak at the International Conference on Politics and Policies of Climate Change and Energy in Southeast Asia held last 6-8 December 2013 at the Himawari Hotel, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The main objective of the conference was to make young politicians aware of how climate change, environment and energy issues are affecting the region and to build consensus on the need for incorporating these issues in their respective party platforms and adapting mitigation measures.

Forty participants from Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines attended the three-day conference. Majority of the participants are young leaders of their respective countries and some are currently holding office in parliament and government.

OML Center’s Researcher Rafaela Jane Delfino gave a lecture entitled “Climate Change: Understanding the Consequences for South East Asia”. The presentation focused on the manifestations of climate change, the factors that drove those changes, the projected changes in climate in the future and its potential consequences in the SEA region. Specific examples from individual countries, particularly the Philippines, were highlighted.

A combination of lectures and workshops were conducted for the participants to learn how to mainstream the issues on environment, energy and climate change (EECC) of the respective countries and region on their parties’ political agenda and platforms.

The event was a part of a series of events of the Konrad Adenauer School for Young (KASYP) based in Singapore. The programme started in 2010 with young politicians from various countries in Asia and has successfully completed four batches.