Singapore and Vietnam expressed support for building on the Philippines’ climate agenda as Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) chair this year, calling for continuity and stronger regional cooperation on climate resilience, disaster risks and energy security.

Singapore Ambassador Constance See Sin Yuan said her country would seek to build on the Philippines’ climate initiatives when Singapore assumes the ASEAN chairmanship next year, while Vietnam Ambassador Lai Thai Binh called for stronger regional coordination on climate, energy and disaster risks.

“The task (for ASEAN) is to preserve our agency, set our own priorities and bring partners together around these priorities,” See said. “The international environment will remain difficult for many years; there will be competing demands on governments and difficult trade-offs to make but climate change will not wait for a more convenient geopolitical moment.”

“With the Philippines currently serving as ASEAN chair in 2026, there is a valuable opportunity to place climate security higher on the regional agenda,” Binh said. “We believe that ASEAN should continue to strengthen solidarity, make full use of existing mechanisms and promote cooperation on disaster risk reduction, biodiversity protection and collective resilience.”

The envoys made the remarks during a climate security forum organized by the Stratbase Group and the Embassy of Germany in Manila. They stressed the need for ASEAN to sustain initiatives despite changes in chairmanship and work more strategically with external partners.

See said Singapore would pursue a new three-year adaptation initiative, Climate Adaptation and Resilience for ASEAN’s Transformation (CARAT), aimed at helping member states strengthen adaptation policies, implement national adaptation plans and access climate financing.

The program would include adaptation road maps and the sharing of best practices among ASEAN members.

See also emphasized the importance of continuity, saying ASEAN should build on gains made under the Philippines’ chairmanship rather than repeatedly reset its priorities when leadership changes.

She added that ASEAN would need support from development banks and the private sector, but member states must first determine their needs.

“We don't want to end up with a situation where there are multiple projects that overlap and which are sometimes more in line with donor priorities rather than what is actually needed,” Binh said.

Meanwhile, Binh called for stronger information-sharing and early warning systems, particularly on energy, food security and natural disasters.

Vietnam, he said, was pursuing renewable energy and regional power cooperation with Laos, Malaysia and Singapore.

Vietnam and the Philippines had also recently signed an agreement for a renewable energy project worth more than $400 million, Binh said, in addition to a $100-million investment in renewables last year.

Stratbase Institute President Dindo Manhit said the Philippines’ experience with increasingly severe weather events underscored the need to treat climate resilience as part of ASEAN’s broader security architecture.

The Philippines ranked first among 193 countries in the 2025 World Risk Index for the fourth consecutive year, highlighting its vulnerability to disasters, Manhit said.

“Given the transboundary and increasingly complex nature of these climate-related challenges, no nation can stand alone. Strategic partnerships and alignments will remain essential to strengthening climate security and resilience,” he said.

Manhit called for a whole-of-government and whole-of-society response involving government, academe, business, civil society, the diplomatic community and the media.

The Philippines’ ASEAN chairmanship, he said, provides an opportunity to deepen regional cooperation and strengthen partnerships with countries such as Germany in addressing climate change, environmental protection and sustainable development.