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This week in Southeast Asia, renewable energy, carbon governance, and marine sustainability take center stage. Indonesia’s Danantara fund backs PLN to speed up green projects, while the government cracks down on illegal palm oil and mining.

South Korea’s LS Group announced on Dec. 17 that it will invest in Vietnam’s rare earth sector, committing KRW 25.8 billion (USD 17.6 million) to expand related facilities at its plant in Ho Chi Minh City.

Hanoi is stepping up efforts to fully transition to green transportation by 2030, with the city government pledging to expand low-carbon public bus services and roll out supporting measures.

The European Union has confirmed plans to weaken its landmark 2035 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars on Dec. 16, easing one of its most ambitious climate policies for the automotive sector.

Southeast Asia is rapidly emerging as a new global hotspot for electric vehicle (EV) adoption. A recent analysis by Ember finds that Thailand's EVs accounted for 20% of new car sales in 2025.

Starting in 2026, hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) in Vietnam will be subject to an excise tax rate equivalent to 70% of that applied to conventional gasoline and diesel cars.

The COP30 climate summit has brought these minerals, and China’s central role, to the fore of just transition debates.

Government members from Germany and Italy have announced that their countries will forge closer ties in a bid to loosen EU climate policy regulations, including the phase-out of internal combustion engine cars.

Malaysia’s automotive giant Perodua has formally entered the electric-vehicle market with the launch of its first fully electric model, the QV-E, on Dec. 1. The company is also introducing a battery-leasing scheme to lower upfront purchase costs.

Atlante, one of Europe’s largest EV fast-charging operators, and a subsidiary of Taiwan’s TCC Group Holdings, has unveiled plans for expansion in 2026, including the deployment of more than 200 integrated storage-and-charging systems.