According to Daubach (2019), it is not recommended for Southeast Asia to transit to clean energy with a standardized approach as the challenges faced by each country are varied. Singapore relying on wind energy is not feasible due to limited land, while using hydrogen fuel is not cost efficient. Nuclear fusion seems to be ideal for Singapore however, it is not energy efficient (Daubach, 2019). Energy usage has to be considered too as it contributes greatly towards “climate neutrality.” The article also states that Southeast Asia is the furthest in the clean energy race despite being the most affected by climate change leaving huge room for improvement. With coal being a major issue, technology, business and policymakers will need to cooperate and innovation is necessary. Increasing energy infrastructure will be advantageous in transiting towards clean energy (Daubach, 2019). In my opinion, Southeast Asia countries like Singapore should transit toward clean energy, as fossil fuels like coal is harmful toward the environment and transiting to clean energy will benefit the environment and Southeast Asia's economy.
Firstly, relying on fossil fuels like coal is not desirable as coal causes a lot of harm. According to Apanada (2020), before COVID-19 struck Southeast Asia was experiencing huge economic growth, with the demand for energy increasing at “an average of 6% per year.” But the article also states that over half of that demand in Indonesia and Philippines was being met via the burning of fossil fuels. According to Marlin (2021), not only does coal mining require mass deforestation, the act of which is also highly dangerous for the miners. And that is only the harm of mining coal, the harm that burning coal to generate energy not only ranges from polluting the air and water, but also contribute greatly to climate change and global warming.
Secondly, Apanada (2020) also states that not only will transiting over to clean energy help ensure Southeast Asia future economic growth, it will also provide more jobs while making the world a better place to live in as doing so will not only improve public health but it will also address the big issue of climate change. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (n.d.), supports the claim by Apanada (2020) as it states that renewable energy sources not only produce no greenhouse gases but it can also help reduce “some types of air pollution” and developing clean energy will also add variety to the supply of energy sources to help reduce the dependance of imported energy. Reducing the dependence of imported energy in country like Singapore will also make the country less vulnerable in the case that the supply of imported energy is cut off.
Speaking of Singapore, according to Chan (2019, as cited in Tan, 2019), despite the efforts of transiting to clean energy, for the next 50 years fossil fuels will still be a big part of Singapore’s energy sources. Like Singapore, countries in Southeast Asia each experience challenges and a variety of pressures that hinders the transition towards clean energy alternatives (Erdiwansyah, Mamat, Sani & Sudhakar, 2019.) Hence, fossil fuel will still be necessary for Southeast Asia countries despite the need to transit to ward clean energy.
Lastly, using clean energy will benefit the environment as it does not emit any greenhouse gases and helps reduce harmful pollutants in the air and water (Buy Clean Energy, n.d.) The best part is, unlike fossil fuels clean energy sources are all renewable and hence will not harm the environment.
In conclusion, while Southeast Asia does still require fossil fuel for the near future, it also need to shift its energy sources towards clean energy as the drawbacks of not doing so and the benefits of accomplishing the transition are numerous.
Reference List
Apanada, M. J. (2020) Clean Energy Can Help Southeast Asia Recover After COVID-19. https://www.wri.org/insights/clean-energy-can-help-southeast-asia-recover-after-covid-19
Daubach, T. (2019). How can Southeast Asia's Clean Energy Transition be sped up? https://www.eco-business.com/news/how-can-southeast-asias-clean-energy-transition-be-sped-up/
Mamat, R., Sani, M. S. M., & Sudhakar, K. J. S. O. T. T. E. (2019). Renewable energy in Southeast Asia: Policies and recommendations. Science of the total environment, 670, 1095-1102. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969719312653
Marlin, L. (2021). Disadvantages of Coal: 10 Reasons Why Coal is Terrible for the Environment. https://greencoast.org/disadvantages-of-coal/
Tan, A. (2019). Singapore will continue to rely on natural gas amidst push to boost solar capacity: Chan Chun Sing. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/singapore-will-continue-to-rely-on-natural-gas-for-the-next-50-years-chan-chun
United States Environmental Protection Agency (n.d.). Local Renewable Energy Benefits and Resources. https://www.epa.gov/statelocalenergy/local-renewable-energy-benefits-and-resources
Buy Clean Energy. (n.d.). Why Clean Energy is Important. https://buycleanenergy.org/why
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