April 8th, 2024 by Muyi Yang and Alistair Ritchie

The following is an excerpt of an op-ed in the South China Morning Post from Dr. Muyi Yang, Non-Resident Senior Policy Fellow of Asia Society Australia, and Alistair Ritchie, Director of Asia-Pacific Sustainability of Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI). 

Southeast Asia and China are committed to closer cooperation in climate action and transitioning to clean energy, as reaffirmed at the 26th ASEAN-China summit last year. The question is how China can support the region’s transition towards such a future. For answers, one needs to first understand Southeast Asia’s changing energy landscape. With growing climate commitments, Southeast Asia’s energy sector is at a critical juncture, faced with the need to ensure the provision of sufficient and reliable clean energy at affordable prices while advancing the decarbonization agenda.

Among the many essential factors required to achieve these goals, securing significant and sustained investments in renewable energy projects emerges as a crucial factor.

Although opinions vary on the scale and scope of the required investment, there is a wide consensus that the investment needed for the progress of the region’s energy transition is substantial, far exceeding what the public sector can provide, despite traditionally being the main source of funding.

Read the full op-ed in the South China Morning Post.