The harnessing of renewable energy is seen as an integral component within the development plans of countries across the globe. Increasing carbon footprints, agricultural pollution, deforestation, as well as the release of excessive chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) into the atmosphere are among the issues that have necessitated a collective effort to protect the environment from further degradation and destruction. Such an initiative is the International Sustainable Energy Summit (ISES) 2018.

Norway, Germany, France and the United Kingdom (UK) have already announced an end date for the sale of gasoline and diesel cars. Norway has set its deadline as 2025 earliest, Germany and India in 2030 while France and the UK are planning to end the sale of gasoline and diesel cars in 2040. Meanwhile, other countries are also mulling doing the same thing.

Imagine a skyline of futuristic high-rise buildings with 21st century robots assisting us in the workplace. On the roads, sleek two door sports cars cruise past without much audible noise. At the very most you hear just a soft whir of the electric motors that power the 700-brake horsepower beasts beneath their hoods. Electric cars have always been associated with the future but the future has arrived.

Last month, the United Nations Committee for Development Policy announced that Lao PDR had fulfilled the criteria to graduate from Least Developed Country (LDC) status for the first time. The Indochinese nation’s per capita Gross National Income (GNI) of US$ 1,996 exceeded the graduation threshold of US$ 1,230 or above. Besides that, Lao PDR scored 72.8, more than the 66 or above rating on the Human Assets Index.

Last year marked a significant milestone for renewable energy in Thailand where a total of 3 GW of solar installations were deployed in the country. This amounts to 50% of the 2036 target under the country’s current 20-year energy roadmap.Thailand’s share in solar energy exceeds 60% of total installed capacity in the Southeast Asian region, followed by the Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore.

According to the Energy Transition Index (ETI) published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) recently, the world’s 114 countries are not making the transition to sustainable energy systems fast enough to tackle the issue of climate change.

Members states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have turned to renewable energy as the most sustainable way to ensure energy security. The shift to renewables can be expensive and arduous. However, thanks to the geography of this region, Southeast Asian nations are not short of options when it comes to generating energy form a myriad of sources ranging from solar and hydro to wind and bioenergy.

In tandem with a renewable energy policy, energy efficiency will be key to building a reliable and sustainable energy system for the future of Southeast Asia. Energy efficiency refers to the reduced rate of energy consumption in order to produce the same amount of output.

Lowering its carbon footprint has always been a priority for the Singapore government, which recently passed its Carbon Pricing Bill to reduce carbon emissions intensity by 36% between 2005 and 2036. A carbon footprint refers to the full quantity of greenhouse gases, or CO2 emissions that can be attributed to an individual, a plant, a company, a product or a whole economy, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Biofuel is simply fuel made from biological matter. Contrary to popular belief, biofuels are not a 21st century creation. It has been around since the start of the previous century. Founder of Ford Motor Company, Henry Ford even experimented with the idea of fuelling his Model T’s with ethanol.However, the discovery of fossil fuel deposits completely overhauled the landscape of energy use in the transport sector.