Alistair Ritchie is director of Asia-Pacific Sustainability at the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI). He leads and oversees activities on Asian carbon market development and clean energy transition.
Sustained and major investments are needed to help Southeast Asia’s energy sector provide renewable energy at affordable prices. An approach that supports rapid, off-grid deployment of renewable projects with project-specific support can lead to more investment.
China, Japan and South Korea can be leaders in the fight against climate change if they ensure policies align with their ambitious goals. Emissions trading systems with progressively tightening emissions caps are likely to play a central role.