ICLEI Southeast Asia successfully convened a RENEW-SEA online peer-to-peer exchange last 10 July 2025, bringing together representatives from subnational governments, national governments, academe, non-government organizations, and private sector to discuss local solutions for renewable energy and energy efficiency.
The 90-minute session drew 329 participants from across Southeast Asia and beyond, highlighting strong interest in city-level energy transition strategies.
Conducted as a virtual fireside chat, it featured local government representatives from Quezon City, Philippines and Chiang Mai Municipality, Thailand, who shared their practical experiences in advancing energy policy, financing, technology deployment, and community engagement.
Quezon City emphasized its robust local policies, such as its Green Building Ordinance and commitment to mainstreaming renewable energy through the solarization of city-owned buildings. Chiang Mai highlighted how it actively engages multiple stakeholders—including universities, community leaders, and private investors—to ensure continuous improvement of its energy transition activities.
Participants had the opportunity to interact directly with panelists through a moderated question-and-answer segment after each round. Discussions spanned topics such as how policies can more directly benefit communities and households, how RE financing can be started from scratch, and practical steps to strengthening public awareness and buy-in.
The event also served as a space to surface shared challenges and explore emerging solutions. Common concerns raised included financial viability of both small- and utility-scale RE installations, smart energy consumption, and spatial planning for RE projects.
A recording of the peer exchange is available through the ICLEI Southeast Asia YouTube channel.
The peer exchange is part of the “RENEW SEA: Mobilizing and Empowering Subnational Governments in Southeast Asia for Sustainable Energy Transition” project which aims to bring together and mobilize three subnational governments—namely Yogyakarta (Indonesia), Hang Tuah Jaya (Malaysia), and Chiang Mai Municipality (Thailand)— towards sustainable energy. Through the project, ICLEI facilitates multi-level collaboration and capacity-building, and foster knowledge exchange focused on scaling up efforts in renewable energy and improving energy efficiency. The three subnational governments are supported with tailored resources, training, peer exchanges, and networking opportunities.
