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IEA sees growing energy appetite in Asia

SINGAPORE, Nov. 4 (UPI) -- Countries in Southeast Asia are expected to have a greater appetite for energy than the rest of the world, the International Energy Agency said from Singapore.

IEA Executive Director Nobuo Tanaka spoke at a clean energy symposium in Singapore on the energy trends developing in Southeast Asia.

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The IEA predicts energy demand from the region will expand by 76 percent by 2030, faster than any other region in the world. This, the agency warns, translates to more greenhouse gas emissions and therefore a need for an enhanced green energy agenda.

"The countries of Southeast Asia are set to play an increasingly important role in global energy markets in the decades ahead," the director said in a statement.

Energy executives said these predictions were based on a booming Asian economy where growth in gross domestic product was estimated at 7 percent per year on average for the region.

The IEA in a 2009 report said more than 60 percent of the reductions in greenhouse gas emissions could come from Southeast Asia if the region adopts more energy efficient programs.

"With only about 1 percent of the world's proven reserves of oil, energy efficiency is the future resource of Asia that will enhance energy security as well as growth and sustainability," he added.

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