• Professor Nikita Sud of the Oxford Department of International Development at University of Oxford has visited the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) office and discussed with ACCEPT II teams on August 18th 2023. 
• The ACCEPT II team was represented by Muhammad Shidiq (Senior Researcher), Indira Pradnyaswari (Researcher), Bianca Natasha Prasetya (Research Intern), and Nuriza Zharifah Arsyanti (Research Intern). 
• The meeting has discussed about the energy transition and its impact in Southeast Asia, and highlighted on crucial aspects, especially the intricate social and political dimensions, which often overshadowed by technical considerations on the region’s energy transformation. 

Prof. Nikita has been interested in Global South and Southeast Asia since the flow of earth’s energy passes both places and the relationship between the history of countries gaining independence and energy development.  Prof. Nikita also highlighted the correlation between well-built infrastructure and energy. As nations seek to progress and develop, energy becomes the foundation of growth. She is currently working on green energy transition research in the global South and Southeast Asia focusing on its political and social impact. One of the central concerns discussed during the meeting was the challenge of energy infrastructure development from a social perspective such as disruption for local communities, leading to demolition their household and displacement on livelihood. This issue requires a holistic and comprehensive approach that involves technical aspects of energy transition and social aspects of human well-being. As Prof. Nikita said, energy isn’t solely about the generation of power, it also portrays the power dynamics and politics.  

Shidiq explained that an example of southeast Asia regional development of energy infrastructure, in large-scale projects is the Lao PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project (LTMS-PIP). The project has delivered an electricity from Lao to Singapore through Thailand and Malaysia which benefits for all stakeholders.

Furthermore, the meeting digs deeper into the implications of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP). This collaborative framework has the potential to guide the global energy transition. However, concerns were raised about its universal applicability and potential unintended consequences in social aspect. Prof. Nikita Sud warned of a one-size-fits-all approach, highlighting that the impact of JETP can vary significantly depending on local contexts. For instance, phasing out coal might be a thread for employees or workforce who are working in the sector. Shidiq has also noted that phasing out coal may affect the workforce sector, but there is lack of analysis on how and what impact of workforce from social perspective. In contrast, Shidiq explained that JETP can be the catalyst for energy transition to use more renewable energy in the region, as well as a way of knowledge & technology transfer among countries inner region and with other international partner and countries outside the region.  

In the end, the meeting paves the way for a more holistic and inclusive approach to the green energy transition—one that respects the past, empowers the present, and secures the future for all. It reinforced the idea that the journey toward sustainability involves not only technological advancements but also a deep understanding of the intricate social, historical, and political landscapes that shape the region’s future. 

Moving forward, the discussion has interacted to unlock potential collaborations among the parties, ACCEPT and the University of Oxford. The professor would like to engage further with the researchers on collecting and obtaining data related to southeast Asia energy and climate context and possibilities to have joint research related to technical and social analysis. In advance, notifying that the 8th ASEAN Energy Outlook (AEO8) will be kicked off and will provide technical analysis, the Professor is also interested in having possible involvement on any related energy modeling study

Further details about ACCEPT II can be found at https://accept.aseanenergy.org/.  

We welcome any future collaboration, please feel free to contact us at [email protected]