Wendy Lo

Thailand has raised its rooftop solar buyback quota from 90 MW to 500 MW at THB 2.20/kWh under 10-year contracts, while PEA and MEA move to consolidate permits into a one-stop service.

Taiwan expanded its DJBIC World index presence to 38 companies—48.2% of the Emerging Markets index—while new severe controversy rules mean companies that fail to respond to incidents can receive zero scores across entire question groups.

Microsoft is reportedly reconsidering its 100/100/0 hourly clean energy target as emissions rise 23.4% above its 2020 baseline and data center spending approaches USD 190 billion.

At Taipei's 2026 International Sustainability Summit, IUCN's Dindo Campilan warned that most companies remain weak on nature-regenerative strategies despite progress on climate and circular economy goals.

Nuclear power is re-entering Southeast Asia’s energy planning. At a May 5 webinar hosted by the ISEAS, experts highlighted that although Vietnam and the Philippines both seek nuclear power to decarbonize their grids, their focus remains distinct.

Since February, portable solar power station prices in Malaysia have risen 20% and monthly sales have jumped fivefold as households hedge against power disruptions and rising electricity tariffs.

Thailand's Ministry of Transport is proposing an 80% annual vehicle tax cut for new factory-built EVs and expanding the trade-in scheme to taxi fleets—targeting 300,000 additional EVs.

Vietnam’s energy storage sector is drawing growing corporate interest. However, as of early 2025, Vietnam had installed less than 100 MW of BESS, against a revised PDP8 target of 10,000 to 16,300 MW by 2030.