The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy’s Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has joined hands with The Rockefeller Foundation in a groundbreaking collaboration aimed at advancing Southeast Asia’s energy transition efforts.
Backed by a substantial grant of US$275,000 (SG$370,000) from The Rockefeller Foundation, IES is set to launch a pioneering climate policy fellowship. Over the next two years, this initiative will spearhead a series of dialogues involving national and regional leaders, with the objective of bolstering energy connectivity across Southeast Asia. The overarching goal is to fortify the capacity to deliver renewable energy across borders, particularly to areas with high energy demand. Such efforts not only promise to optimize regional energy flows but also lend crucial support to countries’ endeavors towards energy transition and sustainable development.
Professor Benjamin W. Cashore, Director of IES, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, emphasizing its significance in facilitating regional energy connectivity dialogue. He underscored the grant’s pivotal role in enhancing IES’s analytical, managerial, and technical capabilities, essential for crafting innovative policy approaches to navigate the complex terrain of climate policy in Southeast Asia. Cashore reiterated IES’s commitment to supporting climate policymakers through rigorous research and constructive dialogue.
The Rockefeller Foundation’s grant empowers IES to establish a fellowship program that will convene ministerial officials, esteemed experts, scholars, and practitioners. Aligned with IES’s mandate of fostering effective climate and sustainability policy analysis while bridging the gap between policy tools and outcomes, these dialogues aim to expedite regional energy connectivity by fostering the development and integration of more robust policies. Discussions will delve into technical intricacies, such as streamlining implementation processes for cross-border energy trade and ensuring the resilience of energy connections through equitable partnerships.
Deepali Khanna, Vice President of The Rockefeller Foundation’s Asia Regional Office, emphasized the imperative of incorporating diverse perspectives from the Global South and Southeast Asia into policy actions aimed at accelerating green transitions. Khanna highlighted the Foundation’s commitment to promoting equal opportunities for all and lauded IES as a valuable partner in championing collective stakeholder action against climate change. The grant signifies a crucial step towards fostering sustainable collaborations among academia, policy think tanks, and industries, paving the way for inclusive climate action.
This collaborative endeavor not only amplifies voices from the Global South but also aligns with The Rockefeller Foundation’s ambitious five-year, billion-dollar climate strategy announced in September. By promoting evidence-based dialogue and fostering collective climate action, the partnership underscores the shared commitment to advancing the global climate transition while ensuring inclusivity and equity for all stakeholders.