Since 1900, Southeast Asia has been struck by over 1,575 hydro-meteorological disasters—floods, storms, and rising sea levels disasters alone have surged dramatically in the past 30 years, losing more than 202,000 lives, signaling a worsening climate crisis in the region. Those numbers reflect more than just statistics—they represent the impacts of climate change that grow more severe, and the call for change becomes impossible to ignore.
One of the most critical solutions lies in the transition to clean energy, a powerful force for both climate resilience and sustainable development.
The term “clean energy” is defined as energy coming from many renewable sources such as hydropower, solar, wind, geothermal, nuclear, and many more, different from fossil fuels. Clean energy does not pollute our atmosphere by emitting carbon and other greenhouse gases.
The shift to clean energy has yielded clear and impactful results, such as:
Stabilizing energy supplies & prices
Clean energy strengthens energy security and reduces reliance on fossil fuels, which have recently faced unstable & surging price issues. With renewable-sourced power, we can ensure consistent energy availability and protect consumers from price shocks due to the global energy market fluctuations.
An affordable option to power daily energy expenses
In this economy? Clean energy is no longer a premium choice—it’s becoming the most affordable one. It offers a cost-effective alternative for middle- and low-income households looking for energy independence and saving your pockets.
Boosts economic & social growth
The green transition to using clean energy is a powerful drive for economic development. Clean energy innovation opens new markets, attracts investment, and creates jobs across various innovative industries. Not only that, shifting to clean energy improves air and water quality, supporting access to essential services like clean water, reliable food supply, and reducing public health burdens—directly enhancing overall quality of life.
Clean Energy in Southeast Asia
As the United Nations' SDG aims, a much cleaner and renewable energy creates life. Jobs, replenish our and the earth’s well-being, and recharge the economy.
With high numbers of population and economic activities, Southeast Asia reigns supreme in setting its role in balancing rapid regional development with environmental duties by transitioning to clean energy.
Responsible for 25% of global energy demand, Southeast Asia is playing a pivotal role in clean energy shifts with infrastructure developments and the ASEAN Power Grid as a commitment form of regional cooperation. The region also implements clean energy initiatives in cross sectoral initiatives, such as: ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint 2025, ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) Phase II: 2016-2025, and ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) objectives of achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 7: Affordable and Clean Energy and SDG 13: Climate Action.
Aligned with these regional frameworks for clean energy transition, ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), representing the 10 ASEAN Member States' (AMS) interests in the energy sector, created ASEAN Sparks, partnering with United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and powered by Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF).
It is a strategic accelerator programme to turn innovation and entrepreneurship into powerful engines for climate action, especially by investing in the next generation of climate tech leaders.
ASEAN Sparks is tailored to empower aspiring startup founders and innovators across Southeast Asia who are committed to tackling climate and energy challenges—with the knowledge, mentorship, and cross-border networks while championing gender inclusivity and scalable impact in clean energy innovation. ASEAN Sparks takes startups through a results-driven journey across three distinct phases: Ignite, Catalyse, and Elevate—each crafted to accelerate growth and amplify regional impact.
Innovation Factory and BLOCK71 support ASEAN Sparks as strategic partners, delivering the full ASEAN Sparks experience: connecting stakeholders, enabling collaborations, and ensuring a seamless, impactful programme execution.