Fighting for
a fossil-free future
About Us
Southeast Asia’s fossil fuel dependence
In the last decade, Southeast Asia confronted the major challenge of coal expansion, which, at the time, accounted for 15% of the total coal power in the global pipeline. Resistance to coal gained major wins, particularly in the Philippines, Vietnam, and, to some extent, Indonesia, and Thailand.
Replacing coal in Southeast Asia created the opportunity to move towards mainly renewable energy resources. However, a new detour is undermining this trajectory — fossil gas. Fossil gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) are falsely touted as a clean alternative to coal.
Fossil gas emits methane, which leaks into the atmosphere at every stage of its life. Methane traps heat in the atmosphere far more effectively than carbon dioxide if viewed in over 10- to 20-year time scales.
Financial institutions fueling a fossil gas future in Southeast Asia
Since 2016, Southeast Asia received at least USD 52.15 billion in loans and bonds to finance the operation and expansions of gas-related projects or activities. Banks from Japan, Europe, U.S., and Thailand are financing fossil gas projects in Southeast Asia.
Timeline
2015
Since the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015, countries in Southeast Asia at various levels of fossil gas production and dependence have been hugely investing in natural gas infrastructures across the supply chain, from liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals and regasification facilities to pipelines and power plants.
2019
While the rest of the world dropped their reported coal power generation, the SEA region grew its coal power generation by 12 percent. Altogether, SEA more than doubled its use of coal since 2010. Because of this, the region earned its notoriety as the coal industry’s “last bastion.”
2022
Coal’s last bastion is swiftly turning into Asia’s fossil gas and LNG hub. In 2022, the region has 117 GW of new fossil gas capacity in the pre-construction stage. The total estimated capital cost of pre- and in-construction projects reached up to USD 102 billion as of March 31, 2022.
2023
Civil society comes together to champion a fossil-free future, driven by a commitment to safeguard the well-being of local communities and the biodiversity in Southeast Asia.