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Key Metrics

China: Decarbonizing Supply Chains

Indonesia: Mainstreaming the Adoption of Renewable Energy Solutions

Vietnam: Supporting Clean Energy Generation and Storage

India: Expanding Solar-Powered Healthcare

Catalyzing Energy Finance

Nowhere in the world is as critical for the clean energy transition as Asia. The continent accounts for 43% of the world’s population and almost half of global energy demand, and is today the world’s highest emitting region, overtaking historical heavy emitters in North America and Europe.

With Asia’s energy usage set to almost double by mid-century against the backdrop of rapid climate change, governments in the region must take swift action to transition to zero-carbon energy sources and slash greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. But governments alone cannot solve the problem; corresponding action by the private sector will also be necessary to secure a swift and complete transition to an economy fueled by clean energy.

The Climate Solutions Partnership (CSP) is working to accelerate clean energy transitions across China, India, Indonesia and Vietnam, focusing on research and pilot projects that will drive GHG reductions in the private sector through renewable energy deployment and increased energy efficiency.

Working with companies and utilities,  WRI research teams develop solutions that can meet commercial consumer demand for clean energy. At the same time, each WRI country office partners with local and national governments to enhance policy support for clean, renewable energy deployment and investment. Results from the research and pilot projects can help level the playing field by expanding access to information about renewable energy procurement, helping to ensure an equitable transition to clean energy throughout the region.

 

Key Metrics

Since its inception in 2020, the CSP clean energy project has resulted in:

  • 87 businesses investing in renewable energy solutions.
  • 7,823,459 kWh saved through energy efficiency and procured through renewable energy.
  • $16,005,305 in additional investment raised for renewable energy projects.
  • 2,635 stakeholders, such as manufacturers and government officials, benefitting from improved capacity and expertise.
  • 6 policy changes in progress at the national and local levels embedding renewable energy into long-term plans.

 

China: Decarbonizing Corporate Supply Chains

Emissions from a company's supply chain can be as much as 11.4 times higher than emissions from its direct operations, which means decarbonizing supply chains is a critical component of any clean energy plan. But the small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that make up a large company's supply chain often lack the technical and financial resources to reduce their carbon footprint on their own.

WRI China partners with major private sector actors in the country to create a replicable model that can achieve ambitious sustainability targets. By aggregating their demand to secure affordable renewable energy, SMEs can improve their operations to align with sustainability targets set by large companies that buy their products.

A forthcoming case study based on collaboration with those companies will highlight where financial institutions can direct their resources to help spur rapid decarbonization across the private sector.

Locations

6 Provinces

  • Fujian
  • Jiangsu
  • Zhejiang
  • Shandong
  • Guangdong
  • Shanghai

Experts

Media Contacts

Resources (in Chinese)

Corporate RE procurement capacity building:

Scope 3/Supply Chain decarbonization:

 

Indonesia: Mainstreaming the Adoption of Renewable Energy Solutions

Efforts to reduce Indonesia’s GHG emissions must start with the industrial sector. Industry is the country’s biggest emitter by far, with accounting for 74.5% of its total emissions in 2019, according to WRI calculations based on Indonesia’s NDC.

WRI Indonesia partners with key players in industry and business to increase their ambition and capacity to decarbonize their operations. This includes implementing reliable standards such as the GHG Protocol for emissions accounting and the Science-Based Target framework for climate targets; scaling the deployment of innovative clean technology, such as rooftop solar, energy efficiency, and powering operations with biomass instead of coal; developing innovative green product solutions like green tariffs with the local utility companies; and enhancing policies for clean energy deployment.

For example, one pilot project with PT. Kahatex Majalaya (an H&M supplier) models the use of new technologies to produce clean industrial heat using waste biomass as an alternative to coal. The project aims to demonstrate the business case for switching to renewable energy, charting a path that other companies and private sector actors can follow.

Locations

  • Jakarta
  • West Java Province
  • Bali Province

Experts

Media Contacts

Resources

 

Vietnam: Generating and Storing Renewable Energy

As countries shift toward affordable, clean energy, they must also consider how to ensure reliable access to it so that early adopters can maintain productivity during the transition. In Vietnam, consistent access to renewable energy will be especially important in the apparel manufacturing sector, which accounts for 16% of the country’s gross domestic product.

The CSP has identified two areas of focus for clean energy deployment in Vietnam: battery energy storage solutions (BESS) and rooftop solar. The initiative works to bridge the gap between renewable energy service providers and the brands that use them, helping ensure that industrial energy users can access support, tools and guidance to enhance their green procurement journey. The CSP is also establishing a replicable model to aggregate demand for rooftop solar, allowing small businesses to acquire cheap, clean energy that was previously out of reach.

Through Clean Energy Investment Accelerator webinars, the CSP team disseminates its findings to public and private partners, which so far has helped mobilize an additional $4 million in investment for clean energy.

Locations

  • Tay Ninh Province, Vietnam

Experts

Resources

 

India: Expanding Solar-Powered Healthcare

Locations

The Indian states of:

  • Jharkhand
  • Maharashtra
  • West Bengal
  • Assam

Experts

Resources

 

Catalyzing Energy Finance

A full-scale shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy will require the financial sector and industry to develop viable, scalable clean energy finance models. It will also require engagement with policymakers to design and implement policies and regulations that are conducive to private investment in clean energy technologies.

The CSP’s energy finance project aims to increase awareness of feasible industrial clean energy solutions for both heat and electrification, identify business models that can increase investment in these areas, and build the capacity of local financial institutions to select and develop bankable clean energy projects.

On the ground, the CSP team is assessing unmet demand for clean energy in key industrial sectors to identify opportunities for increased private investment. WRI-led consultations with local and international banks, as well as manufacturers, investors and policymakers, will identify potential business models for financing specific clean energy solutions in Vietnam and Indonesia.  The team will use these findings to inform policymakers, including those designing JETP initiatives, about critical policy needs for mobilizing private investment in industrial clean energy.

Locations

  • Indonesia
  • Vietnam

Experts

 

Cover image by Angie Warren/Unsplash