The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
Encouraging the use of sustainable renewable energy in southeast Asia
The Southeast Asia Energy Transition Partnership aims to help countries in the region transition from using fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy, in line with the Paris Agreement on climate change.
A group of governmental and philanthropic donors have launched the new Southeast Asia Energy Transition Partnership, which aims to support sustainable energy transition in southeast Asia while helping to create socio-economic opportunities.
UNOPS is the fund manager and supports the partnership's secretariat.
I commend the donors of this partnership for establishing a new and forward-looking, dynamic and agile platform to support southeast Asia in its efforts to achieve climate and sustainable development goals."
Southeast Asia's economic growth has generated new opportunities, raising the standard of living for many across the region. However, this has come at a high cost. Growth has largely been fueled by an enormous increase in the use of fossil fuels, leading to steeply rising greenhouse gas emissions, persistent environmental pollution, increased local health risks and heightened climate vulnerabilities worldwide.
In order to meet the rapidly growing demand for energy in the region, the partnership will work with governments and philanthropic organizations to encourage the integration of renewable energy into the energy mix for southeast Asia. It will initially focus on Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam – countries with significant coal consumption.
“The Southeast Asia Energy Transition Partnership is a bold initiative at a crucial time. It will provide policymakers in Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines with the evidence and expertise required for the first step to net zero: the clean energy transition. This transition will bring green jobs, cheaper electricity and cleaner air to southeast Asia,” said Kate Hampton, Chief Executive Officer, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation.
The partnership will work to boost leadership in and financing for energy transition in southeast Asia by providing financial support for technical assistance projects aligned with ongoing programmes in the region. It will also encourage dialogue and help expand knowledge to support the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals.
“The innovative approach of the Southeast Asia Energy Transition Partnership can make a real difference. Its members’ funds and projects are pooled and aligned, thus maximizing their effect. We highly value the partnership’s contribution as a forum for exchange and coordination with engaged stakeholders. For these reasons, we have supported the partnership as a founding member from the very start,” said Svenja Schulze, Germany's Federal Minister of Environment.
“By gathering diverse stakeholders willing to collectively support Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines to unlock their potential of renewable energy, this coalition also builds on the Finance in Common Summit and fosters partnership-oriented initiatives to scale-up green finance,” said Rémy Rioux, Chief Executive Officer, Agence Française de Développement (French Development Agency).
Members of the partnership include: Agence Française de Développement; Bloomberg Philanthropies; Environment and Climate Change Canada; the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation; Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety; the High Tide Foundation; and the United Kingdom’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
For more information on the partnership, click here.
