The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) launched the first ASEAN Energy Awards (AEA) starting with energy efficient buildings on the occasion of the 18th Senior Officials Meeting on Energy/ ASEAN Ministers of Energy Meeting (SOME/ AMEM) held in Hanoi, Vietnam on 2 July 2000. The AEA is a joint undertaking of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation-Sub-sector Network (EE&C-SSN) of the ASEAN Energy Cooperation and the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE).
The objectives of the ASEAN Energy Awards are: to promote regional cooperation in various fields of energy such as energy efficiency and conservation and to serve as a platform to generate opportunities and interests of the private sector to be involved in energy development of the ASEAN region in partnership with the public sector.