ABSTRACT
Sustainable energy has become a major topic on the international agenda. The United Nations (2012) initiative Sustainable Energy for All and the inclusion of energy in the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) underline the increasing importance of this policy field. Providing sustainable energy to developing countries has also become a core element of a global commitment against global warming as outlined in the 2015 Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). With increasing climate change impacts, growing energy demand, aging infrastructure and energy security concerns linked to rising fuel prices, new and alternative models for energy paths are urgently needed. While some developing countries hope to leapfrog into the low-carbon era, others are trapped in fossil-intensive lock-ins relying on coal and oil. Although growth of renewable energy capacities and investments in recent years has been strongest in countries outside the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), research related to energy transitions in developing regions is still scarce. Understanding the role of energy-related governance systems and the conditions required for a shift towards renewables in the developing world is urgently needed to tap the full potential of low-carbon energy supply around the world. Southeast Asia is one of the most vibrant and fastest-growing developing regions in the world. Economic progress is mainly driven by fossil fuels, leading to environmental degradation, negative health impacts and a massive increase in greenhouse gas emissions. Energy transitions in Southeast Asia could significantly reduce worldwide emissions and thus effectively combat climate change. Yet, these transitions are a challenging endeavor in a region with substantial coal and oil resources and ever-increasing energy demand. Energy systems are dominated by fossil fuels, incentives for renewables are rare, and skepticism towards modern renewables is high. Above all, the political systems are anything but consolidated; changes in power structures, societal transformations and political developments are almost impossible to predict. A better understanding of the complex governance systems and power relations will thus make an important contribution to the quest for energy transitions in Southeast Asia.
