Plot twist in Asia’s energy story

Asia’s energy story is one of persistent energy poverty, while communities grapple with the health, climate, and economic impacts of fossil fuels.

- Lidy Nacpil

The rise of renewables may prove to be a transformative plot twist in the making. Asia’s shift to renewable energy is already underway, and progressing faster than many realise. From rooftop solar panels in suburban Pakistan, to vast offshore wind farms along China’s coast, to utility-scale projects electrifying farms in Bangladesh, renewable energy is showing potential to redefine energy security across Asia.

Asia’s energy landscape has been and continues to be dominated by coal, the most polluting fossil fuel and increasingly a strategic and economic liability. China's power sector accounted for 58% of global coal consumption. Countries such as India, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines also leaned heavily on coal to drive rapid economic growth, urbanisation, and industrial development.

A crucial arc for Asia's energy story are the strategic decisions taken by Asian countries. China ramped up its solar and wind capacity, directing more than half of its new energy investments towards renewables. It now leads the world in total installed solar power capacity of 1,100 GW, the first time a country has surpassed 1,000 GW. Its offshore wind capacity grew from less than 5 GW in 2018 to 42.7 GW by March 2025. India set an ambitious target of 450 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030 driven primarily by solar and wind. It increased its solar power capacity from 2.82 GW in 2014 to 100 GW in 2025 and initiated large-scale onshore wind projects across Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. Remarkably, both China and India have reached their 2030 renewable energy installation targets at least five years ahead of schedule.