MALAYSIA COMBINES POLICY, INVESTMENT & HUMAN CAPITAL TO POWER SOUTHEAST ASIA’S ENERGY FUTURE - SEDA

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 (Bernama) -- Malaysia aims to lead the development of a secure, affordable, and low-carbon energy system in Southeast Asia (SEA) by combining stable policies with investable projects, modern infrastructure, and skilled human capital.

Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA) Malaysia chief executive officer Datuk Hamzah Hussin said that energy transition is no longer a trade-off between growth and sustainability, but an effort to align both in pursuit of shared progress. 

“We must work together to ignite the energy shift — powering Malaysia’s progress, strengthening ASEAN’s resilience, and lighting the path toward a sustainable future for all,” he said during a session titled “Global Lessons to Accelerate Malaysia’s Energy Roadmap” at the Malaysia Pavilion at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) held in Belem, Brazil.

Hamzah, who led the Malaysian delegation during the session, said Malaysia is progressing from pilot projects toward system-wide integration, bringing policy, finance, and infrastructure into one cohesive ecosystem.

“Cross-border initiatives such as the ASEAN Power Grid and potential hydrogen and carbon dioxide corridors will further accelerate regional collaboration. With the support of the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, the Regional Project Preparation Facility under the ASEAN Centre for Energy is transforming regional plans into bankable projects,” he said.

He emphasised that the challenge is not merely to set higher targets, but to translate global lessons into local action — bridging the gap between policy and implementation, and between ambition and actual deployment.

“Malaysia’s commitment to the Paris Agreement and our target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 form the cornerstone of our National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR) which envisions a 70 per cent renewable energy (RE) capacity mix by 2050, with an interim target of 31 per cent by 2025,” he said.

Hamzah said the NETR, which outlines six key transition levers, namely RE, energy efficiency, hydrogen, bioenergy, green mobility, and carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), has projected RM1.2–1.3 trillion (US$284–307 billion) in cumulative investment needs. 

“The roadmap projects RM1.2–1.3 trillion in cumulative investment needs, signalling not just a financial challenge but a transformative opportunity to stimulate economic growth, create high-value green jobs, attract quality investments, and strengthen Malaysia’s overall energy security and competitiveness,” he said.

At the High-Level Dialogue, Malaysia reaffirmed its commitment to learning through a range of strategic global collaborations aimed at advancing sustainable progress. These partnerships bring investment, technology and long-term market access for hydrogen, biofuels and carbon-capture initiatives.

“Malaysia is putting these lessons into practice by expanding Green Sukuk, cross-border cooperation through the ASEAN Power Grid, investing in grid modernisation and storage, and expanding reskilling and upskilling through strengthened technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions. These steps reinforce capacity, market readiness, and investor confidence over time,” he said.

Among the thought leaders who contributed to the session were moderator Kate Hughes, Asian Development Bank senior climate change specialist; Tenaga Nasional Bhd chief distribution network officer Mahathir Nor Ismail; Energy Transition Commission chair Lord Adair Turner; and World Economic Forum head of sustainable finance Derek Baraldi. 

-- BERNAMA