Investing in a healthier and cleaner energy future

Asia is about to embark on a green growth spurt with growing acceptance of the need to switch from fossil fuels to cleaner energy which will provide at the same time widespread economic, social and environmental benefits. There is a readiness by the private sector to play a leading role in this clean energy revolution along with the realisation by many Governments that they need to create the enabling environment for green growth through appropriate regulation and incentives.

This was my take from the Green Growth and Business Forum held in Singapore earlier this month, where speakers from Europe and from Asia pointed out the need for all countries to acknowledge the realty of climate change and avoid the huge costs that unabated climate change will impose.

It became clear from presentations by public and private sector speakers that green growth will not just help countries get onto a lower emissions trajectory, it will help them do so in a way which is consistent with continued, sustainable economic growth.

For our part, I was able to tell the forum a little the Armstrong journey where renewable energy investments have created jobs in Southeast Asia, led to avoided CO2 emissions, provided clean, healthy and more sustainable energy, as well as led to the implementation of international environmental, social and governance standards.

So it is not business as usual in the sense of maintaining economies in the fossil-fueled, high emissions trajectory which we’ve seen for some time, but introducing the new green business revolution – public and private sector together – to transform economies by investing in a healthier and cleaner energy future.    – Andrew Affleck