Empowering Southeast Asia's Energy Transition Journey

On October 2, 2024, key players from the public, private, and philanthropic sectors gathered at the AsiaXchange Forum, organized by The Rockefeller Foundation in Bangkok, Thailand, to discuss a pivotal challenge: accelerating Southeast Asia’s energy transition through partnerships. With the clock ticking toward the UN 2030 targets, particularly SDG7, which aims to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy, the stakes have never been higher. 

The event, Building Effective Partnerships for Accelerating Energy Transition in Southeast Asia, underscored that the transition is not just a technical feat, but a deeply human challenge. It requires collaboration across Public-Private-Philanthropy Partnerships (4Ps), where financiers, governments, businesses, and civil society align to create actionable solutions. A highlight of the event was the Solution Demo of the Southeast Asia Information Platform for the Energy Transition (SIPET), presented by Maximilian Heil from GIZ and Project Coordinator at CASE. SIPET exemplifies how shared data can drive alignment and transparency in the region’s energy transition efforts. 

Moving from MoUs to MoDo's: The Need for Action 

While agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) have set the foundation, it’s time to move from MoUs to MoDo’s—from promises to actions. Innovation is urgently needed, especially in the philanthropy sector, which, despite its relatively short 120-year history, is crucial for mobilizing finance and fostering projects that de-risk investments. As Kitty Bu, Vice President for Asia ex-India at the Global Energy Alliance for the People and the Planet (GEAPP), aptly noted, “We have a system failure.” Carbon costs are not priced into business operations, creating a market imbalance that needs correcting if we are to meet global climate targets. 

The Capital Paradox: No Shortage of Funds, But a Lack of Bankable Projects 

One paradox highlighted during the dialogue is that while there is no shortage of capital, the real challenge lies in the lack of bankable projects. This is where the collaboration across sectors becomes critical. Financial instruments need to be designed to reduce risk, making energy projects viable. However, finance alone cannot drive change. Close alignment with governments is essential to create an enabling environment for policy shifts and infrastructure development. 

Innovation and Partnership: The Way Forward 

Throughout the event, the recurring theme was partnership. The 4Ps are key to ensuring that Southeast Asia does not fall behind in the global race for a low-carbon future. SIPET, for example, is designed to facilitate this coordination by offering a robust platform for information exchange and regional collaboration. This tool empowers stakeholders to work more effectively by breaking down silos and enhancing visibility into project pipelines and funding opportunities. 

As we face the next six critical years in the global energy transition, the alignment of all stakeholders is imperative. With initiatives like SIPET, Southeast Asia has a unique opportunity to seize its renewable energy potential and shape a sustainable future. However, the time to act is now—otherwise, the region risks being left behind. 

By focusing on concrete actions, and through innovation in both finance and partnerships, Southeast Asia can leapfrog and become a model for the rest of the world. Align, act, and accelerate—this is the only way forward if we want to ensure a just and equitable energy transition for all. 

The Southeast Asia Information Platform for the Energy Transition (SIPET) participated at the Deep Dive Workshop, “Digital Innovations in Energy Sector Supporting Clean Energy Transitions: Real Stories from the Ground,” on June 16 at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Headquarters in Manila, Philippines. The deep dive session, organized by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, emphasized how digital innovations catalyze clean energy transitions.

Sascha Oppowa, Project Director of CASE for Southeast Asia, GIZ Thailand, introduced SIPET, expounding on its utility and potential to expedite the energy transition in the region. Oppowa’s remarks likened the collective understanding of energy transition to the ancient parable of blind monks encountering an elephant.

“Each monk, like those grappling with the energy transition, touched a different part of the elephant, forming unique, incomplete impressions,” explained Oppowa. “Yet through dialogue, they could collectively create a more comprehensive image, filling in gaps of understanding rather than only having partial perspectives.”

Oppowa extended this metaphor to SIPET, describing it as a space for “energy transition blind monks” to share insights and create a complete picture of the energy transition process. This collaborative approach, facilitated by digital innovation, aims to yield more holistic, effective strategies for clean energy transitions.

Oppowa provided a quick walkthrough of SIPET, showcasing its tools and resources, namely the Project Mapping Tool, the Power Transition Progress Tool, the GEM Power Plant Trackers, the Power Sector Data Browser and its complementary Power Sector Snapshots, and the Knowledge Hub. These tools and resources are aimed at helping clean energy professionals and stakeholders drive the region’s t

The Southeast Asia Information Platform for the Energy Transition (SIPET) launched its Power Sector Data Browser and Power Sector Snapshots during a webinar on March 10, 2023. The event, titled “Data-driven Energy Transition”, introduced the platform to energy transition professionals in Southeast Asia and highlighted its key features.

SIPET aims to provide comprehensive and accurate data on Southeast Asia’s power sector, which is essential for developing sustainable and efficient energy systems. The event featured Sascha Oppowa, Project Director at Clean, Affordable and Secure Energy for Southeast Asia (CASE) , who updated participants on SIPET developments since its launch in September 2022. Jephraim Manansala, Chief Data Scientist at Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC), stressed the importance of data and information for driving the energy transition.

Samart Kumar, program manager at Agora Energiewende, and Judit Hecke, climate policy analyst at NewClimate Institute, introduced SIPET’s Power Sector Data Browser and complementary Power Sector Snapshots. Samart explained the database-building process, which used primary data sources from ministries, governments, utilities, and generation companies. Judit provided a virtual walkthrough of the Data Browser and Snapshots.

Moderated by CASE Project Advisor Warisa Sihirunwong, two energy experts shared how to use the resources in the browser. Ngoan Nghiem Thi, energy advisor at GIZ Vietnam, said that he found the data browser’s validated data sets and visualization helpful in conveying information to colleagues and government partners. Dr. Siripha Junlakarn, a researcher at the Energy Research Institute  (ERI) at Chulalongkorn University, praised the database’s standardized approach to data, which increased data conformity and enabled efficient comparative analysis.

A recording of the webinar can be found on SIPET’s Knowledge Hub.

IISD is a technical partner in the ASEAN Low Carbon Energy Programme (LCEP), which aims to drive inclusive growth and poverty reduction through increased energy efficiency and the adoption of low-carbon energy. The ASEAN LCEP is a GBP 15 million overseas development program under the auspices of the United Kingdom’s Prosperity Fund, which is targeted specifically at six countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. The program seeks to help these countries reap the sustainable development opportunities that can arise from the deployment of low-carbon energy, in particular through green finance and energy efficiency. The main project partners are Ernst & Young, IMC worldwide, and the Carbon Trust. The ASEAN LCEP program runs until 2022.

Manila, June 28, 2021—The U.S. government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), launched on Monday, June 28, its flagship project to support a more competitive, secure, and resilient Philippine energy sector.  The five-year, Php1.6-billion ($34 million) Energy Secure Philippines (ESP) project will promote the country’s key energy sector priorities and support its climate mitigation goals.