Webinar: Can China’s Belt and Road Accelerate ASEAN’s Shift to Renewables?
Host: Dialogue Earth (dialogue.earth)
Language: English
For most Southeast Asian nations, the road to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emission goals is a rocky one. Clean energy investment continues to lag due to policy and regulatory inconsistencies, financing bottlenecks, land-use challenges and grid limitations. While the recent withdrawal of the United States from global climate financing has further weakened Southeast Asia’s momentum towards a fossil fuel phase-out, it has also presented an opportunity for a new actor to catalyse the region’s energy transition: China.
With massive financing backing, world-leading solar and wind manufacturing know-how, technical expertise in grid modernisation and policy experience in overcoming fragmentation and curtailment, China appears well-positioned to help Southeast Asian nations realise their renewable energy transitions. But should Southeast Asian nations bank their net-zero hopes on China’s financing and technical expertise? Will this lead to faster coal and gas phase-outs—or will it deepen the region’s dependency on China, raising concerns over growing political leverage and strategic influence? This webinar will bring together leading regional experts to explore the opportunities and trade-offs of China's growing role in ASEAN's renewable energy future.
Panellists:
Putra Adhiguna, Managing Director, Energy Shift Institute
Supachot Chaiyasat, Member of the House of Representatives in Thailand for the People’s Party
Thanida Lawseriwanich, Head of Research, Climate Finance Network Thailand (CFNT)
Amira Aisya Abd Aziz, Johor State Assembly Member & Acting President, Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA)
Moderator: Surasak Glahan, Southeast Asia impact editor, Dialogue Earth