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ASEAN electricity demand grew by approximately 50% between 2013 and 2023 and is projected to rise by up to 41% by 2030. While the IEA's Announced Pledges Scenario (APS) targets 100,000 km of transmission line expansion for Southeast Asia between 2021 and 2030, the combined plans of Indonesia, Viet Nam, Thailand, and the Philippines total 45,078 km, covering only about 45% of that target. The document argues that grid planning must shift from merely meeting peak demand to managing the intermittency of wind and solar power, which saw cost reductions of 55% and 85% respectively in the decade to 2020.

The report argues that ASEAN's transmission grid expansion must roughly double to align with IEA pathways, as current national plans for Indonesia, Viet Nam, the Philippines, and Thailand cover only about 45% of the required expansion. It highlights that 30 GW of solar and wind potential is located along planned interconnection routes in countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Brunei. To support this transition, the report proposes a six-pillar framework for future-ready grid planning—including smart modernisation, strategic expansion, and market reforms—and suggests learning from the integrated power systems of Europe and Southern Africa to move from bilateral to multilateral power trade.

The report outlines the necessity for ASEAN countries to shift from reactive grid expansion to proactive system transformation to support variable renewable energy. It proposes a six-pillar framework for future-ready grid planning—covering smart modernisation, strategic expansion, flexibility, regional integration, regulatory reform, and sustainable finance—and draws comparative lessons from the integrated power systems of Europe and Southern Africa to advocate for a more connected and resilient regional market.

The report examines the need for grid modernisation and policy alignment in ASEAN to support the transition to renewables. It highlights the current dominance of fossil fuels, the risk of curtailment seen in Vietnam, and the potential of clean flexibility options such as pumped hydro, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and demand-side management (DSM) to ensure grid stability and enable cross-border energy sharing.

The report finds that the cumulative aligned GSS+ market reached USD 5.7 trillion by the end of 2024. Green bonds remain the dominant theme, while sustainability-linked bonds (SLBs) saw a significant decrease in aligned volume. Europe continues to be the largest source of aligned GSS+ debt, and the report highlights the growth of sovereign issuance and the development of national taxonomies.

In 2024, fossil-powered capacity fell below half of the total electricity mix for the BRICS group, driven by renewable growth in China, India, and Brazil. However, new BRICS members—including Indonesia, Kazakhstan, and Nigeria—show a stark gap between net-zero pledges and action, currently constructing ten times more fossil fuel capacity (25 GW) than wind and utility-scale solar (2.3 GW). Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are central to this expansion, backing 62% of all power capacity under construction in new member geographies, with particularly high involvement in hydropower (93%) and coal (88%).

The document examines the gap between legal frameworks and the actual implementation of environmental procedural rights in Southeast Asia. It identifies challenges such as ambiguous disclosure requirements, lack of enforcement in public participation during Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), and barriers to judicial remedies. The brief highlights community-driven alternatives like counter-EIAs and the role of legal networks in strengthening the judiciary to protect vulnerable groups and environmental defenders.

The document examines the transition to a sustainable bioeconomy in the tropics, focusing on the institutional, business, and technological environments of specific bioresources in Thailand, Kenya, and Colombia. It highlights a systemic gap where public policies prioritize economic growth and productivity over environmental and social sustainability, particularly for smallholder farmers. While Thailand leads in high-value bioproducts like bioplastics from cassava, it faces challenges with soil degradation and labor shortages. In contrast, Kenya and Colombia primarily use cassava for food security, with nascent industrial sectors. The paper also explores non-timber forest products (NTFPs), such as croton in Kenya and açaí in Colombia, noting that while they offer high value and conservation potential, they are hindered by complex regulatory permits and a lack of scaled investment. The authors recommend shifting from monocultures to sustainable production systems, strengthening smallholder cooperatives, and streamlining biodiversity regulations to ensure an inclusive and ecologically sound bioeconomy.

The document identifies significant gaps in the implementation of procedural rights necessary to uphold the right to a healthy environment (RtHE) in Southeast Asia. It highlights how ambiguous disclosure requirements, lack of enforcement in environmental impact assessments (EIAs), and resource-constrained judicial bodies hinder environmental justice. The brief showcases emerging community-led assessments and judicial capacity-building efforts as potential solutions, while noting the ASEAN Declaration on the Right to a Safe, Clean, Healthy, and Sustainable Environment as a key regional entry point for improvement.

The document outlines a comprehensive approach to reducing methane emissions from solid waste, which accounts for approximately 20% of global anthropogenic methane emissions. It proposes a policy matrix categorized into legislative/regulatory, market-based, voluntary, and information/education approaches, mapped across the integrated solid waste management (ISWM) chain. The guide emphasizes that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius requires the global implementation of solutions across all three categories of the ISWM chain: waste prevention/minimization, source separation/treatment of organics, and improved landfill engineering. It provides detailed case studies from Colombia, Germany, India, Italy, Peru, the Republic of Korea, and the United States to illustrate how different policy combinations are applied based on national contexts.

The waste sector accounts for approximately 20% of global anthropogenic methane emissions, equivalent to 5.4 Gt CO2e annually. This guide proposes a policy matrix organized by the solid waste management (SWM) chain to help policymakers implement a combination of legislative, market-based, voluntary, and educational tools. Key strategies include waste prevention, organic waste diversion (composting and anaerobic digestion), and improved landfill engineering (gas capture and biocovers). The document emphasizes that meeting the 1.5 degrees Celsius warming limit requires a comprehensive approach across the entire SWM chain rather than isolated solutions. It provides case studies from Colombia, Germany, India, Italy, Perú, the Republic of Korea, and the United States to illustrate how different nations layer these policy tools to reduce emissions.

Bangkok faces extreme light pollution, with inner areas reaching level 9 on the Bortle Scale, which disrupts human circadian rhythms and nocturnal wildlife behaviors. Despite the Thailand Enhancement and Conservation of National Environmental Quality Act (1992) recognizing light as a pollutant, there are no specific provisions to regulate excessive artificial lighting. The author advocates for smart lighting solutions, public awareness, and the adoption of light curfews similar to those in Paris and Hong Kong to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect public health.

The report examines the implementation of the EU and UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (CBAMs) and the preliminary findings of Australia's Carbon Leakage Review. It highlights the shift from free allocation of emissions permits to border adjustments to prevent carbon leakage, where emissions reductions in one country are offset by increases elsewhere. The EU CBAM is set for full implementation by 2026, and the UK CBAM by 2027. Australia is considering a BCA as a 'robust underpinning' to its Safeguard Mechanism. The document also analyzes WTO discussions from 2020 to 2024, noting a transition from general concerns about protectionism and WTO compliance toward specific discussions on cooperation and interoperability.

The document highlights the critical role of Indigenous Peoples in Southeast Asia as environmental stewards, noting that their lands overlap with 40% of global protected areas and that deforestation rates on their lands in Southeast Asia are half those on other lands. It criticizes the ASEAN declaration on environmental rights for omitting Indigenous Peoples, arguing that this lack of recognition leads to 'development aggression,' criminalization of land defenders, and the erosion of traditional knowledge. The brief specifically notes the vulnerability of Indigenous women and the overlooked contributions of marine-based 'Sea Nomads.' It concludes by recommending that ASEAN and its Member States formally adopt the terminology and protections of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) to improve biodiversity and climate outcomes.

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) examines the complex nexus of climate change, migration, and justice. It argues that climate change acts as a risk multiplier that interacts with socio-economic and political factors rather than being a sole driver of migration. The document identifies eight key challenges—including the oversimplification of the climate-conflict-migration link, the risks of instrumentalizing migration as adaptation, and the impacts of slow-onset events—and proposes interdisciplinary, rights-based solutions. SEI highlights its strengths in analyzing transboundary climate impacts, conducting grounded comparative research to shift power dynamics, and fostering global cooperation for sustainable livelihoods through tools like AidAtlas and Trase.

The document highlights the critical role of Indigenous Peoples in Southeast Asia as stewards of biodiversity and climate stability, noting that deforestation rates on their lands are half those on other lands. It criticizes the current draft of the ASEAN declaration on environmental rights for omitting Indigenous Peoples, which the authors argue leads to human rights violations, land dispossession, and the marginalization of traditional ecological knowledge. The brief provides specific recommendations for the declaration, including the recognition of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) and the protection of Indigenous Environmental Human Rights Defenders.

The document details the hazards of offshore oil and gas transportation, highlighting that 40 percent of maritime trade involves fossil fuels. It argues that the expansion of this sector, particularly liquefied natural gas (LNG), increases greenhouse gas emissions, the risk of catastrophic oil spills, and the spread of invasive species. The report emphasizes that climate change creates a feedback loop, where extreme weather and sea-level rise heighten the likelihood of infrastructure failure and subsequent ecological disasters.

The report identifies opportunities to reduce direct emissions from the food, agriculture, and land use (FALU) sector in Southeast Asia by 1.9 billion tons of CO2-eq per year. It highlights that FALU is responsible for 54% of the region's total greenhouse gas emissions, with deforestation and peatland degradation acting as the primary drivers. The analysis emphasizes 'hotspots' where targeted interventions—such as protecting 20% of carbon-dense forests or improving rice cultivation on 20% of farms—can yield disproportionately high emissions savings. Key solutions include legal forest protection, non-continuous flooding in rice paddies, and improved nitrogen fertilizer management. The report also discusses indirect solutions like shifting diets toward the EAT-Lancet planetary health diet and reducing food loss and waste, while detailing co-benefits such as improved air quality, water security, and enhanced farmer incomes.

The document outlines how commercial banks, institutional investors, and insurers can use the NPOP framework to shift financial flows toward nature-positive outcomes in the blue economy. It details four primary entry points for financial institutions: exclusions policies, sector policies and due diligence, corporate engagement, and sustainable finance products. The briefing provides real-world case studies from institutions such as ING, BNP Paribas, and Standard Chartered to illustrate the application of the AR3T mitigation hierarchy—Avoid, Reduce, Restore & Regenerate, and Transform—across sectors including shipping, seafood, offshore wind, and coastal tourism.

The 2025 Progress Report details WWF's global initiatives to safeguard threatened species. Key achievements include the establishment of pangolin monitoring in southern Africa, the launch of the Elly Allies Initiative for Asian elephants, and the development of Shellbank, a DNA-based toolkit for sea turtle traceability. The report also highlights a 74% increase in wild tiger populations since 2010 and the formation of the Tribal Buffalo Lifeways Collaboration to restore bison to Native lands in the Great Plains.