Companies in East Asia and the Pacific used the most electricity but sourced only 18.5 per cent from renewables, versus 68 per cent in North America, the International Telecommunication Union found.

The region must strengthen grids and clean energy capacity to incorporate AI for efficiency, experts say. But in China, the technology is no silver bullet for decarbonising energy systems.

EB工作室 From toxic haze and extreme heat to flooding and shifting disease patterns, climate-related risks are placing growing pressure on public health systems across Asia. Experts say stronger prevention, better data and deeper cross-border cooperation will be critical to building resilience.

As Malaysia targets greater renewable energy penetration and data centres drive up electricity demand, experts say the country will need a more flexible, transparent and digitally enabled grid by 2035.