PUTRAJAYA, 1 September 2025 – The ASEAN Green Jobs Forum (AGJF) 2025 on “AI, Digitalisation and Green Jobs: Future-Proofing Skills and Talents for ASEAN” was successfully held on 27-28 August in Putrajaya, Malaysia, as part of Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship. Hosted by Malaysia’s Ministry of Human Resources (KESUMA), with support from the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC) and the Government of Australia through the Aus4ASEAN Futures Initiative, the regional event was attended by more than 450 senior officials from labour, environment, education, TVET, MSMEs, youth, and economy, policymakers, industry leaders, education providers, and social partners from the ASEAN Member States (AMS) and Australia, both onsite and virtually. The Forum was also attended by representatives of Timor-Leste as an observer.
The Forum opened on 27 August with remarks by YB Steven Sim Chee Keong, Minister of Human Resources Malaysia, who highlighted the importance of green jobs, collaboration, and the timeliness of the Forum. YB Steven Sim emphasised the relevance of ASEAN’s model of cooperation and consensus building to advance the ASEAN agenda, and cited regional progress on initiatives such as the ASEAN Power Grid and cross-border payments. Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia, Danielle Heinecke, reaffirmed Australia’s strong partnership with ASEAN, highlighting the importance of cross-sector collaboration to deliver future jobs and substantively support ASEAN’s green economy transition.
The event featured a high-level leaders’ plenary, with three esteemed speakers that include YB Datuk Gerawat Gala, Deputy Minister in the Premier of Sarawak’s Department of Labour, Immigration and Project Monitoring; Carmela I. Torres, Undersecretary, Employment and Human Resources from the Republic of the Philippines; and Jakkraphong Sumethchotimetha, Advisor to Thailand’s Minister of Labour. The high-level leaders shared their national and regional perspectives and strategies to promote sustainable industries, expand digital skills, and harness artificial intelligence (AI) to unlock green employment opportunities.
Over the course of ten sessions across the forum, participants explored various topics such as opportunities for green and digital transformation in key value chains, dived into real-world case studies to ground policymaking, and touched upon innovative partnerships and scalable models adaptable across the ASEAN region. The exchanges reinforced ASEAN’s commitment to inclusive and sustainable socio-economic growth, ensuring workers and enterprises can thrive amid digital transformation and the evolving green economy.
Mr Sutekno Ahmad Belon, Deputy Secretary-General (Operations) of the Malaysian Ministry of Human Resources, closed the Forum by reiterating the importance of a just and inclusive transition towards green workforce via regional cohesion. Additionally, Ms. Terri-Ann O’Quinn, First Secretary (Infrastructure, Energy and Climate) from the Australian Mission to ASEAN, commended the Forum for shaping practical cooperation and setting a clear direction for future action.
Subsequently, government officials from AMS discussed progress on the draft Framework and Action Plan for a Just and Inclusive Transition to Green Jobs.
For more information on the ASEAN Green Jobs Forum 2025, please visit the link here.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Corporate Communication Unit
Ministry of Human Resources Malaysia
Community Relations Division
The ASEAN Secretariat
Australia for ASEAN Futures
Photo credit: Ministry of Human Resources, Malaysia
