Southeast Asia is standing at an important moment as the global economy moves toward a low-carbon future. Countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia have recently updated their climate commitments, showing stronger intent to cut emissions and move away from fossil fuels.
While these pledges are important for protecting the environment, experts say the real value lies in strengthening long-term economic competitiveness.
Over the past year, several ASEAN nations revised their Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement.
Thailand advanced its net-zero emissions target to 2050. Malaysia announced its first absolute emissions reduction goal. Indonesia reiterated its commitment to reach carbon neutrality by 2060 or earlier. These steps signal growing urgency, but analysts caution that targets alone are not enough.
According to recent assessments, the region’s energy transition must go beyond simply adding renewable energy on top of existing coal- and gas-based systems.
