Lin Bo-yu

U.S. President Donald Trump attended the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Oct. 26, where he signed critical minerals agreements with Thailand and Malaysia.

To ease concerns over potential price surges and volatility in the carbon market, the European Commission has pledged to design additional safeguards for the upcoming Emissions Trading System 2 (ETS 2).

Vietnam’s plan to ban fuel-powered motorbikes in central Hanoi has triggered alarm among Japanese manufacturers, who say the policy could trigger mass layoffs and bankruptcy.

Singapore is taking cautious but concrete steps toward evaluating nuclear energy as part of its future power mix, while Vietnam may bring private companies into its revived nuclear program to accelerate the development of small modular reactors (SMRs).

The rapid growth of renewable energy in Malaysia is transforming the nation’s power consumption patterns. Due to the intermittent nature of solar power, the country’s peak electricity demand has shifted to nighttime.

The ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM) opened in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Oct. 16, where ministers endorsed three regional cooperation initiatives aimed at strengthening the ASEAN Power Grid (APG).

Indonesia has reopened its carbon market to international buyers after a four-year hiatus. President Prabowo Subianto signed a presidential regulation on Oct. 10 allowing the cross-border sale of Indonesian carbon credits.

The Bursa Malaysia carbon exchange, established by the Malaysian stock exchange, hosted the ASEAN Carbon Market Forum on Oct. 15 under the theme “Empowering Regional Climate Actions Through the ASEAN Common Carbon Framework.”