“Once again, global instability is driving up fuel prices, hurting economies, and placing the greatest burden on ordinary people. Asean will remain vulnerable to these recurring shocks as long as governments continue to rely on imported fossil fuels instead of pursuing real energy transformation,” said Anj Dacanay, lead campaigner of Energy Shift Southeast Asia, a Southeast Asian group of civil society advocates from Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam pushing for just energy transition in the region.
“The region must treat this crisis as a wake-up call to rapidly expand renewable energy and invest in energy efficiency and community-led decentralized energy systems that directly benefit consumers,” she added.
Critical ecosystems
The group reminded Asean leaders to put an end to the region’s overreliance on imported fossil fuels, which threatens the region’s biodiversity, by rapidly and decisively scaling up renewable energy.
“Continued fossil fuel expansion threatens critical ecosystems across the Coral Triangle, where existing and proposed oil, gas, LNG, and gas power projects overlap with vital coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass habitats. Asean cannot claim to pursue energy security while deepening dependence on the very fuels driving instability, economic volatility, and climate destruction. More fossil fuels will not solve a crisis caused by fossil fuel dependence,” said Dacanay.
