Southeast Asia's Clean Energy Transition

The leading platform for the region's journey of transformation

As Southeast Asia eyes regional power trading to accelerate decarbonisation, veteran solar entrepreneur Frank Phuan unpacks the political, economic and logistical hurdles of moving clean energy across borders.

China's withdrawal of export rebates for solar PV and battery products, alongside rising raw material costs, have pushed prices up in the region. But the impact could be mitigated by the capacity of Southeast Asia’s solar manufacturers, which were affected by US tariffs last year.

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The Philippines’ ambition to become a data centre hub is running up against high electricity prices and a coal-heavy grid.

Though not the most widely deployed solution, floating solar farms bypass land and social constraints, making efficient use of available space to potentially help achieve Malaysia’s renewable energy target – one that would otherwise be difficult or too costly to reach.

Google will also buy renewable energy for its Malaysian data centres from another solar project in the northern Kedah state from Japan-based firm Shizen Energy.

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But the majority SGX-listed firms polled have begun adopting the ISSB standards already, which they say can attract investors and improve corporate reputation, an industry study finds.

The sustainability leadership burnout of 2026 looks very different from that of 2024. What has changed is not just magnitude, but the nature of the pressures: endless reporting, fractured authority, reputational minefields, and moral burden.

Burnout among sustainability professionals isn’t just persisting – it’s deepening, shaped by new pressures.

The Briton moves on after almost a decade with the Hong Kong-based conglomerate, which recently trimmed its workforce amid economic headwinds in China.

Google will also buy renewable energy for its Malaysian data centres from another solar project in the northern Kedah state from Japan-based firm Shizen Energy.