Malaysia has been steadfast in its commitment to building a sustainable future for the nation, setting ambitious targets to reduce its carbon footprint as well as achieving 70% renewable energy (RE) in its energy mix by 2050. Businesses and corporations have also been quick to come on board this environmental, social and governance (ESG) journey, aligning with global efforts to combat climate change and finding ways for the ecosystem to work together to realise this goal.

For the first time, the growth in China’s clean power generation has caused the nation’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to fall despite rapid power demand growth. The new analysis for Carbon Brief shows that China’s emissions were down 1.6% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025 and by 1% in the latest 12 months. Electricity supply from new wind, solar and nuclear capacity was enough to cut coal-power output even as demand surged, whereas previous falls were due to weak growth.

The Japanese government hopes to conduct Japan's first field test of a power plant generating electricity from a nuclear fusion in the 2030s, Nikkei has learned. The country's Fusion Innovation Strategy, which was first released in 2023, will be revised shortly.

Tenaga Nasional Bhd and Malakoff Corp Bhd are expected to benefit most from Malaysia’s first power plant tender in over 10 years, as demand rises sharply due to data centres. Malaysia hasn't had a power plant award since 2016, but TNB has already signed 5.9 gigawatt (GW) in power deals with data centre operators, with demand projected to grow 5% a year.

Malaysia has called on ASEAN member states to take bold, collective action to close the financing gap in the region's clean energy transition, emphasising the need for trillions of dollars to avoid jeapordising climate and development goals.

China has taken the lead in terms of moving towards green energy production. This has become more evident since China has launched a state-of-the-art hydrogen production project in Daye City, Hubei Province, that aims to produce 1,800 tons of green hydrogen per year. Although this hydrogen output isn’t quite sufficient to power the entire Earth, it does represent a crucial milestone for China’s ambitions to become a dominant force in the global clean energy market. This project is deemed one of the most sophisticated in the world due to advanced electrolyser technology with deep underground storage and large-scale renewable power integration.

In the face of climate change, increasing adverse global weather conditions, a rising global population and the ever-changing geopolitical dynamics, the urgency to drive environmental sustainability while ensuring equitable socioeconomic advancement has never been greater.

In recent weeks, Japan has stepped up its clean energy collaboration with ASEAN nations, highlighted by former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visits to Indonesia and Malaysia on behalf of the Asia Zero Emissions Community (AZEC). Prior to this, current Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba also toured Southeast Asia, where he reaffirmed commitments to jointly develop low-carbon energy with partner countries.

Malaysia and Singapore together drew over 60 per cent of the US$8 billion in green investments made in Southeast Asia in 2024, according to a study released on Tuesday by consultant Bain & Company and Singapore state investor Temasek.

AmBank Group has approved a financing facility totalling RM408.2 million to MSR Green Energy Sdn Bhd (MSRGE) to partially fund its working capital requirements for a landmark 100-megawatt (MW)/400 megawatt-hour (MWh) battery energy storage system (BESS) project. In a joint statement today, both parties said the BESS project, valued at RM644.6 million, was awarded by Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) in September 2024 and is located in Lahad Datu, Sabah.

In a landmark move to boost decentralized renewable energy adoption, Malaysia’s Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA) has launched the Community Renewable Energy Aggregation Mechanism (CREAM) — the nation’s first structured rooftop solar aggregation program.

Southeast Asia stands at a crossroads in its energy transition. Rapid economic growth, volatile fossil fuel markets and intensifying climate risks are pushing governments to rethink their energy strategies. Rising trade tensions between China and the US are also disrupting global supply chains and markets, adding urgency for countries in the region to secure more resilient, locally anchored energy systems. And now the US has slapped massive tariffs on solar products being exported from Southeast Asia.