Press Release

Southeast Asian Energy Transition Partnership (ETP) to focus on the Region’s pathways to a low carbon future at COP26

01 November 2021

ETP to bring together technical experts and decision makers to discuss opportunities for a low carbon pathway in South East Asia at COP26.

Looking closely at the impediments to energy transition in its current implementation countries of Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines, ETP, hosted by UNOPS in Bangkok, advocates greater international resources to help the countries transition towards net zero carbon energy systems that simultaneously ensures environmental sustainability, economic growth and energy security. 

  • Two events are organised by ETP at COP26. The first is a joint event with the OECD-ETP titled “Mobilising finance and investment for the clean energy transition”, taking place at the Indonesia Pavilion (Blue Zone) at COP 26 on 1 November 2021, 4:40-6:00 pm (GMT) / 11:40pm-01:00am (ICT). The event will also be live-streamed;

  • The second ETP COP26 Side Event Session is on “Southeast Asia Energy Transition Dialogue: Challenges and Opportunities to a Low Carbon Pathway”, taking place at the IDFC Pavilion (Blue Zone) at COP26, Glasgow, on 4 November 2021, 9:00AM-10:15AM (GMT) /  4:00PM-5:15PM (ICT). The event will also be live-streamed;

  • Representatives of ETP will be speaking at broader events to advocate for the issues faced in SEA and discuss opportunities for reducing carbon emissions and delivering on the Paris Agreement.

​​​ETP will bring light to the issues faced in energy transition in SEA to the discussions at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), as it continues to mobilize and coordinate the necessary technical and financial resources to create an enabling environment for renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable infrastructure in the region. 

In the first event, held jointly with the OECD today, the partnership will bring together experts from governments, intergovernmental organisations and the private sector to explore opportunities for further leveraging limited domestic and international public funds to mobilise clean energy finance and investment; discuss country progress and consider opportunities to enhance collaboration that catalyses greater investments in emerging economies and highlight international experience and recent developments in supporting clean energy development and mobilising capital for the private sector. 

The event will advocate for more targeted application of public funding as well as international climate and development finance to increase the pipeline of bankable clean energy projects in emerging economies. The role of international support and collaboration can help to redouble investor opportunities, de-risk projects and leverage the large amount of private capital needed to achieve clean energy and climate ambitions in emerging economies. 

The second event on Thursday will deliver a panel dialogue and discussion session by bringing together governments and international donor community on the challenges and opportunities to a low carbon energy system in the region; and the key role of international support to help the region achieve the ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions targets. The session will specifically explore the key role of international support in  (1) supporting an improved delivery environment to accelerate the energy transition in Southeast Asia, (2) improving coordination between other relevant initiatives in the region, including capital investments and technical assistance, and (3) where possible and appropriate, to promote communication and knowledge sharing among stakeholders in the region on energy transition.

Moreover, it will explore the role of regional development partners aiming to bring leadership in the region together to accelerate the energy transition and tackle the barriers to the clean energy transition in Southeast Asia.

The events will emphasize the role of development partners in unlocking the most imminent energy transition needs to achieve the ambitious climate commitment goals. As with the broader work of ETP, the discussions will facilitate donor efforts to support countries in Southeast Asia transition towards an energy system that simultaneously ensures environmental sustainability, economic growth and energy security. 

Speaking ahead of the events, Director for SEA ETP, Sirpa Jarvenpaa said: “The ETP events at COP26 reflect our broader work, of bringing the right technical and financial resources together to create an enabling environment for renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable infrastructure in the region.”

“Meeting clean energy and climate ambitions in emerging economies will require a massive increase in investments, channelling commercial capital to clean energy projects and attracting overseas investors. We are glad to be a part of these discussions, facilitating donors to support countries to unlock the most imminent energy transition needs across the region and achieve ambitious climate commitment goals.” 

Notes to the editors: 

Speakers at the first event include: 

  • Airlangga Hartarto, Minister, Co-ordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, Indonesia, National actions to unlock finance for climate action

  • Ajay Mathur, Director General, International Solar Alliance, Enabling finance and investment in solar energy in emerging economies

  • Shintya Roesli, Finance and Risk Management Director, PLN

  • Norbert Gorißen, Deputy Director General Federal Ministry for the Environment Nature Conservation Building and Nuclear Safety (BMU), “The climate finance from bilateral and international donors to accelerate low carbon economy”

  • Mason Wallick, Director, Southeast Asian Clean Energy Facility, “Private sector fundings and BF instruments to support public fundings in the energy transition (Indonesia story)”

  • Michael Hugman, Director Climate Finance of Children Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), “Role of philanthropy in energy transition in Southeast Asia”

Speakers at the second event include: 

  • Ms. Manelle Ait Sahlia, Deputy Head of Energy Department and the Chair of Southeast Asia Energy Transition Partnership (ETP), AFD

  • DG Dadan Kusdiana, Director General, New Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Indonesia

  • USEC William Felix Fuentabella, Undersecretary, Planning, Renewable Energy, Power, Investment, Media Affairs, Department of Energy, the Philippines

  • Nguyen Hong Dien, Minister HE, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Viet Nam

  • Edwin Syahruzad, President Director of PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur (Persero)

  • Lloyd Bautista, Academic Researcher and Lecturer,  Ateneo School of Governance

  • Nhien Ngo, Executive Director of Vietnam Initiative for Energy Transition

  • Simon Rolland, Energy Programme Director, GIZ

  • Liz Mckeon, Head of Portfolio, Climate Action, IKEA Foundation

  • Sirpa Jarvenpaa, Fund Director, Southeast Asia Energy Transition Partnership

Live streams of the events can be found here:

Event 1: Live streamed through this link

Event 2: live streamed through this link

Press contact details:

  • For media inquiries, and to arrange interviews with authors please contact:

    Yuchong Nam, Energy Transition Partnership - yuchongn [@] unops.org

About Southeast Asia Energy Transition Partnership: 

The Southeast Asia Energy Transition Partnership is a five-year, multi-donor partnership formed by governmental and philanthropic partners to accelerate sustainable energy transition in Southeast Asia in line with the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals. We combine the best of the public and private sector with the UN to help mobilize and coordinate technical and financial resources to build the foundations for renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable resilient infrastructures. With an initial focus on Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines, ETP helps countries to transition towards an energy system that simultaneously ensures environmental sustainability, economic growth and energy security. UNOPS is the fund manager and host of ETP Secretariat. Read more about ETP here and about UNOPS here.

UN entities involved in this initiative

UNFCCC
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
UNOPS
United Nations Office for Project Services

Goals we are supporting through this initiative