How the Transition to Clean Energy Is Transforming Development Across Asia and the Pacific
January 24, 2025
The future of the world’s green energy transition will be significantly shaped by the decisions and actions taken in Asia and the Pacific. Home to 60% of the world’s population, this region relies on fossil fuels for 85% of its energy needs, accounting for half of the world’s CO2 emissions. Although strides have been made in investing in and expanding capacity for renewable energy sources such as hydropower, wind, and solar, the proportion of renewables in the energy mix continues to lag behind growing demand.
That’s why UNDP is working with partners—including governments, communities, businesses, and international donors—to rethink the energy transition across Asia and the Pacific. Such a transition is about more than solar panels. As Kanni Wignaraja, UNDP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, explains, "It's about rethinking who actually gets access to energy, at what cost, and with what impact on health and climate change. It is about creating opportunities today without compromising the future."
What kinds of innovations is the region producing in affordable renewable energy, and what lessons might they offer the wider world? Here is a snapshot of initiatives to keep businesses running, create jobs, keep the lights on in households and social services, and sustain local markets without the economic, social, and environmental costs of fossil fuels.
Afghanistan: Harnessing the Power of the Sun for Health and Education

Decades of conflict have made Afghanistan one of the most energy-insecure nations in the world. The country's power demand stands at 4.85 GW, but domestic generation is only 0.6 GW. With an average energy consumption of just 700 kWh per capita annually—30 times below the global average—daily life is a struggle. Frequent blackouts and high energy costs disrupt essential services like healthcare. During harsh winters, many rely on wood for heating, leading to deforestation, air pollution, and further destabilization due to flash floods and water shortages.
Over the last 3 years, UNDP has delivered clean, affordable solar energy to 3.6 million people - 42% of them women and girls - by installing solar systems in nearly 5,700 institutions across Afghanistan, including health centers, schools, and community centers. Over 700 primary schools across the country have been solarized, improving access to education.
At the community level, UNDP has been enhancing local energy production through solar and wind projects, training community members to manage renewable energy systems. For instance, in Taiwara, a village in Herat province, solar panels at Family Health Houses, together with UNFPA, UNDP has stabilized power supply for providing essential medical services to the village’s 15,000 residents. This sustainable energy solution has improved conditions for nighttime deliveries, reduced birth complications, and provided reliable refrigeration for vaccines and medicines.
Bangladesh: Solar Energy Brings Safety in Refugee Camps

Clean energy and safety are interconnected, especially in refugee camps, such as those housing many Rohingya who fled from Myanmar. For women, the situation is particularly unsafe. In the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh, UNDP installed 80 solar-powered streetlights to illuminate critical locations enhancing security. This initiative accompanies the installation of five water treatment plants, ensuring access to clean drinking water, and represents a commitment to empowering communities and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 6 on clean water and sanitation and SDG 7 on affordable and sustainable energy.
China: Policy and Technical Support for the Country’s Dual Carbon Goals

China’s ambitious dual carbon goals have the potential to transform not only the country, but the entire region: to peak carbon emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.
Across 19 demonstration sites, including Beijing Daxing International Airport, Qingdao Olympic Center, and Shanghai Huashan Hospital, UNDP has facilitated the adoption of low carbon practices and technologies in buildings. These innovations include smart devices, non-fuel electrification, and energy-efficient cooling/heating systems, resulting in a reduction of 73.0 ktCO2, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of about 56,000 households. To complement this effort, UNDP has supported vocational training in Fushan for 400 students (30% of them women) on hydrogen industry and practices. UNDP is also providing policy data and analysis to assess the impact of China’s transition to a green economy on employment, to support policymakers in ensuring that the transition is inclusive.
Iran: Promoting Renewable Uptake and Improving Energy Efficiency

Iran has high potential for renewable energy, with an estimated 60,000 MW of solar capacity and 30,000 MW of wind potential. UNDP together with the Montreal Protocol is actively supporting the country’s transition to improve energy efficiency. This includes supporting the development of a national energy efficiency certificate framework, upgrading laboratories and vocational training centers in clean energy and efficiency, updating environmental and building codes to reduce emissions and energy costs, and establishing an energy monitoring system. So far, the new certificate system has allowed energy efficiency solutions to be piloted in buildings and led to the installation of solar panels at various locations, including disaster risk reductions centers in Tehran.
Mongolia: Solar Energy to Fight Air Pollution

Over 1.6 million people live in Ulaanbaatar—more than half of Mongolia’s population. Nearly half of the city’s residents rely on coal-based heating to survive the harsh winters. The resulting air pollution reaches up to 27 times the World Health Organization’s recommended safe levels at its peak, posing severe health risks and significant economic costs. More than 7,000 deaths annually are attributed to indoor and outdoor air pollution, with the economic toll amounting to 10% of Mongolia’s GDP. UNDP intiatited a pilot project to support Mongolia’s just energy transition, a shift away from a coal-based economy to a green one, ensuring no one is left behind. The project promotes renewable energy-based heating solutions integrated with market-based incentives while creating opportunities for women to assume community leadership roles and also seeks to unlock investments for solar energy installation and creation of enabling environment for renewable energy investments to ensure financial viability of the model.
Nepal: Transforming Lives with Agrovoltaic Farming

In Nepal, a new approach to farming could expand how the country addresses the challenges of affordable access to energy in rural communities. UNDP has supported the piloting of an innovative agrovoltaic farming system, bringing clean drinking water, reliable electricity, irrigation, and enhanced healthcare facilities to residents in the small village of Tinghare. This state-of-the-art solution combines solar energy with agriculture to tackle interlinked issues of water, energy, and food security. The pilot, centered around a 43-kilowatt solar power plant, powers an integrated system that pumps water to overhead tanks, supporting an irrigation network while generating electricity for local facilities. This initiative has revitalized the village: once-abandoned farmland has been transformed into flourishing fields, and education and health facilities now enjoy uninterrupted electricity. Tinghare stands as a model for other communities across the country of how sustainable practices can transform lives.
Pakistan: Floating Solar Power Innovation and SDG Financing
The 500 MW floating solar power project at Keenjhar Lake in Pakistan exemplifies how innovative solutions can address both climate and energy challenges. This project aims to leverage innovative financing approaches to attract private sector investments. Floating solar panels on lakes not only provide renewable energy but also help conserve water by reducing evaporation—making such projects highly attractive for regions facing both energy and water scarcity.
Papua New Guinea: Leapfrogging to Renewable Energy with Decentralized Microgrids

Despite an abundance of renewable energy sources, Papua New Guinea remains reliant on fossil fuels for its primary energy supply. Yet only 18% of the country is currently connected to the grid. The opportunity is ripe for Papuans – most of whom reside either in rugged, remote, mountainous terrain or on isolated, sinking islands – to rethink the grid itself by leapfrogging to renewable energy.
In Bougainville, UNDP is building a 1 MW solar farm in Buin, in collaboration with the Government of Japan through the Pacific Green Transformation Project. This will provide power to the entire town and connect communities to the digital world. Decentralized solutions such as microgrids can effectively utilize Papua New Guinea's natural resources to promote sustainability and economic development, reducing reliance on expensive and polluting diesel generators.
Samoa: Decarbonizing Transportation, Land and Maritime

Pacific Islands face high costs from both fossil fuels and climate change. Land transportation is inefficient, with many old, energy-inefficient trucks converted to buses. To tackle this, UNDP, supported by Japan's Pacific Green Transformation Project, implemented a transport sector decarbonization strategy to import 76 electric vehicles (EVs) and 20 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) for government use, replacing outdated petrol and diesel fleets. Charging stations were installed at strategic locations and monitoring systems deployed for efficiency. While decarbonizing reduces fuel costs and improves transportation for all Samoans, nationwide campaigns to raise awareness about green energy and EV benefits specifically promoted inclusive mobility for women, youth, and persons with disabilities.
Sri Lanka: Embracing Sustainable Solutions Amid Energy Crisis

Sri Lanka has been grappling with an energy crisis exacerbated by reliance on finite fossil fuels and external factors like the COVID-19 pandemic and in the wake of its worst socio-economic crisis. To address this, the country is focusing on sustainable solutions, including the adoption of renewable energy sources and innovative agricultural practices. UNDP in Sri Lanka and China has implemented a project with the Governments of Sri Lanka and China, that aims to transition the Agro-Industry towards using sustainable energy under the South South Cooperation known as the TSSC project. The project addresses sustainable development challenges related to international cooperation, access to energy for improved service delivery, and sustainable integrated farming practices while supporting Sri Lanka to reach its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission reduction targets by 2030.
Thailand: Electrifying Transport with the SDG and EV Climate Credit Program

Thailand's transport sector is responsible for 30% of the country's total greenhouse gas emissions. To address this, UNDP, in collaboration with Thailand's Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning and with support from the Government of Japan, has launched the SDG and EV Climate Credit Program. This initiative aims to reduce carbon emissions by promoting the use of electric vehicles (EVs) and other low-emission transportation options. The program provides valuable data on vehicle emissions, supporting the development of policies to reduce the country's carbon footprint. It’s a crucial step towards sustainable transportation, helping Thailand transition to a cleaner, more sustainable future.
Viet Nam: Powering a Circular Economy on Clean Energy

Viet Nam faces climate change impacts that cost the country $10 billion annually, or 3.2% of its GDP. Without action, this could escalate to half a trillion dollars by 2050. Recognizing the interlinkages between energy, nature, and climate with human development, UNDP is supporting Viet Nam’s government through an integrated approach that accelerates a just energy transition while fostering a circular economy.
The Just Energy Transition Partnership aims to revolutionize Viet Nam's energy landscape. It seeks to reduce CO2 emissions from a projected peak of 240 megatonnes by 2035 to 170 megatonnes by 2030, and to increase the share of renewable energy in the energy mix from 47% by 2030 to 75% by 2050. Backed by $15.5 billion—including $7.75 billion in public funds—this could transform Viet Nam’s future. The circular economy further supports initiatives like Binh Dinh’s Material Recovery Facility and Quy Nhon’s waste-collecting fishing boats, which reel in over 550 tons of waste.
As Asian and Pacific countries continue to innovate and collaborate, the region is poised to become a leader in sustainable energy solutions. Continued international support and investment will be crucial in overcoming challenges and achieving a greener future.