The drive towards sustainable and new energy must be an inclusive one that takes into account the development goals and aspirations of developing nations, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Monday.
Noting that hydrocarbons, especially natural gas, will continue to play a vital role in the development of many countries, Anwar said the commitment to transitioning to clean energy and lowering carbon emissions must not come at the expense of economic growth, in his keynote address at the opening ceremony of the Energy Asia 2023 conference here.
Anwar said the transition to net zero does not need to be a zero-sum equation, adding that “Asia must take every opportunity to further dialogue and actions around how we can responsibly plan to enable every country its right to development and lower carbon aspirations.”
Anwar explained that this realistic approach of acknowledging the role of hydrocarbons in development should not be an obstacle to making rapid progress towards clean energy technology and Asia will be at the forefront of this sustainability drive.
He encouraged investors and financiers to turn towards Asia as the region is endowed with rich natural resources and potential renewable energy.
Malaysia will launch two major initiatives towards these goals in the second half of 2023, namely the National Energy Transition Roadmap and the Hydrogen Economy and Technology Roadmap, according to Anwar.
Hosted by Malaysia’s state-owned oil and gas firm Petroliam Nasional Berhad and co-created with its knowledge partner CERAWeek by S&P Global on June 26-28, Energy Asia 2023 is the inaugural edition of the conference aimed to drive actionable solutions that will result in a just and responsible energy transition across the region.
More than 100 renowned speakers share their insights with the world’s leading industry leaders, experts, investors, and policymakers on how Asia can accelerate low-carbon pathways and unleash new potentials for the region’s energy sector.
