RECCESSARY’s “ASEAN Weekly” highlights Southeast Asia’s new energy and carbon market updates. (Image: RECCESSARY)
This week’s ASEAN sustainability highlights span electric mobility, energy governance, and carbon market regulation. Vietnam’s electric motorcycle competition is heating up, with VinFast and Honda expanding charging and battery-swap infrastructure. On the policy front, Thailand’s election-driven pledges for cheaper power have raised concerns over the energy transition, while Vietnam has formally unveiled its carbon trading framework, putting regulatory details firmly in the market spotlight. Below are ASEAN’s key stories from Jan. 19–25.
VinFast launches battery-swap e-scooters, expands charging stations across Vietnam
As major cities such as Hanoi weigh bans on gasoline motorbikes to curb air pollution, Vietnam’s leading EV maker VinFast on Jan. 15 unveiled three new battery-swappable electric scooters.
The models will allow riders to exchange batteries at some 45,000 swap stations nationwide. Also, Japan’s Honda has recently rolled out its third electric motorbike and pledged to step up investment in charging infrastructure. Read more here
How Shizen Energy navigates corporate clean energy demand and evolving policy in Southeast Asia
Shizen Energy has been operating across several Southeast Asian markets after expanding from Japan. Speaking with Rei Ushikubo, Head of Carbon Free Solutions, the focus is on practical considerations: how to gauge the maturity of local regulations, how to work with on-the-ground partners, and how to match project development timelines with corporate demand. That approach is illustrated in Shizen’s first major corporate power purchase agreement (PPA) in the region. Read more here
Malaysia’s Khazanah bets on grid resilience to power AI, semiconductor growth
Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd plans to deploy more capital into strengthening the country’s power system and supporting domestic semiconductor firms, as artificial intelligence accelerates a new investment cycle.
Rising AI computing demand is reshaping what qualifies as “investable” in the current technology boom, placing energy supply and grid resilience at the core of national competitiveness, Khazanah Managing Director Amirul Feisal Wan Zahir said on Monday at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Read more here
Indonesia sues 6 companies over alleged links to deadly floods, landslides
In the wake of the deadly floods and landslides that struck Indonesia in late 2025, the nation’s environment ministry has sued six companies, seeking 4.8 trillion rupiah ($284 million) in environmental damages linked to the disasters.
Following devastating floods and landslides triggered by Cyclone Senyar in November, which killed more than 1,100 people across Indonesia’s main western island of Sumatra, the ministry launched an investigation into 70 companies operating in the region to examine possible links between corporate activities and the disasters. Read more here
Thailand’s election pledges for cheaper power risk energy transition, experts warn
With Thailand’s general election less than a month away, electricity prices have taken center stage. As candidates promise to lower power bills to win public support, economists warn that broad electricity subsidies could slow the country’s energy transition and ignite a fiscal crisis.
The push for electricity price caps reflects politicians’ efforts to respond to a subdued economic outlook. Thailand’s economy is expected to grow by only 1.5 to 1.6% in 2026, the weakest in Southeast Asia, according to Kriengkrai Thiennukul, chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries. Read more here
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As candidates promise to lower power bills to win public support, economists warn that broad electricity subsidies could cause long-term harm. (Photo: iStock)
Vietnam unveils carbon trading framework, eyes market launch by 2026
Vietnam has officially released its long-awaited regulatory framework for carbon market trading on Jan. 19, defining institutional responsibilities across government agencies and financial market operators.
Under the new rules, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is designated as the lead authority overseeing carbon commodities and the national registry system, while the Vietnam Stock Exchange (VNX), the Hanoi Stock Exchange (HNX), and the Vietnam Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation (VSDC) will be responsible for operating the trading market. Read more here
From landfill crisis to power policy: Can waste-to-energy work in the Philippines?
A landfill in Cebu collapsed on Jan. 8, burying 36 people under tons of waste. As rescue teams dug through the debris, the tragedy exposed weaknesses in the Philippines’ waste management system.
Despite years of policy efforts to improve waste segregation and disposal, the country remains reliant on landfills and dumpsites. The incident has renewed scrutiny of whether the current waste management approach is sustainable, and whether part of the waste stream can be diverted away from landfills and put to productive use. Read more here
Philippines hosts new Asia-Pacific hub for sustainable agriculture, cuisine
More than 2,000 farmers, chefs and policymakers met last November in the Philippines to explore food systems rooted in biodiversity conservation, Indigenous knowledge and local food security. The gathering signaled a pushback against industrial agriculture, including GMOs, and a move toward regional cooperation on “good, clean and fair” food. Read more here
Prime Infra bets $9 billion on gas, hydropower to shape Philippines’ energy future
The Philippines has identified its first new natural gas field in more than a decade, a development that could provide a transitional energy buffer for the country’s low-carbon shift. The project is being spearheaded by Prime Infra Group, one of the Philippines’ leading energy conglomerates.
Beyond its investment in natural gas, Prime Infra is also ramping up its hydropower portfolio. Combined spending in the two sectors is expected to reach nearly USD 9 billion. The group is also expanding into power infrastructure, waste-to-energy, and biofuels, reinforcing its position as a major player in the country’s energy landscape. Read more here
Prime Infra has discovered a new gas field, helping ease upward pressure on electricity prices caused by the country’s growing reliance on imported natural gas. (Photo: Prime Infra)
Malaysia to set national UCO reference price as biofuel demand tightens supply
The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) is set to launch an official national reference price for used cooking oil (UCO) in the first quarter of this year, as demand for UCO surges amid expanding biofuel markets.
The pricing mechanism aims to improve market transparency, promote fair trading, and protect smaller industry players from price manipulation, Plantation and Commodities Minister Noraini Ahmad said on Tuesday. Read more here
Singapore expands emissions database as carbon tax set to nearly double
To bring corporate carbon reporting closer to on-the-ground realities, the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) announced on Jan. 22 an expansion of the national emissions factors database, adding 94 new emission factors across the services, information and communications technology (ICT), industrial and energy sectors.
Meanwhile, as Singapore prepares to raise its carbon tax to SGD 45 (about USD 35) per tonne from 2026, the government has planned to provide subsidies to households to cushion the impact of rising electricity prices. Read more here
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