Building Back Better in Post-Pandemic Southeast Asia

SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL ENERGY WEEK 2021
THINKTANK ROUNDTABLES

About the Roundtable

In 2020, as countries suffered major economic losses and grappled with exacerbated social vulnerability, global renewable energy capacity hit record growth. The case for a low-carbon energy transition has never been stronger, not just as a pivotal move in climate action, but also as a key economic strategy in post-pandemic recovery. This roundtable will feature discussions on Southeast Asia’s green recovery efforts in the energy sector, and how those efforts can be bolder, and more socially just.

• How are Southeast Asian governments taking advantage of this multi-layered opportunity to build back better?
• How is stimulus spending in the region geared towards changing investment behaviour and creating green growth opportunities?
• In pursuit of economic recovery, how can an energy transition empower vulnerable communities who bore the brunt of the pandemic’s effects, and ensure a just transition for all?

We are proud to join Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) 2021 as a Thinktank Roundtable Host! Organised by the Energy Market Authority of Singapore, SIEW is an annual platform for energy professionals, policymakers and commentators to discuss and share best practices and solutions within the global energy space.

Register for this event under the Thinktank Roundtable Session 4 here.

For more information on the panellists and event agenda, please click here.

About the Speakers

Opening remarks: Mr Choi Shing Kwok is currently the Director and Chief Executive Officer of the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, a research institute that studies developments in SE Asia. He is also Chairman of SP Services, an energy services company. Before his retirement from the civil service in 2017, he was the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) for 5 years. He also served 7 years as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and 9 years as Director of the Security & Intelligence Division in the Ministry of Defence. He obtained his Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Engineering Tripos from Cambridge University in 1981 and 1985 respectively. He also received a Master of Public Administration degree from Harvard University in 1994 as an Edward Mason Fellow.

During his military career, Shing Kwok held a variety of command and staff appointments in the SAF. Promoted to Brigadier-General in 1996, he took early retirement from the SAF in 2000 and was absorbed into the Administrative Service. Shing Kwok has also held a variety of board appointments in public and private sector entities in the past. While in the SAF, Shing Kwok received the SAF Command Appointment Award in 1989 and the Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 1993. For his distinguished service in the Ministry of Defence, he received the Meritorious Service Medal in 2000.

Moderator: Ms Sharon Seah is the Senior Fellow and the Coordinator of ASEAN Studies Centre (ASC), ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore. Her research interest lies in Climate governance in ASEAN; survey of climate attitudes in Southeast Asia; understanding the rule of law in ASEAN. Prior to joining the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, Ms Seah was Associate Director of the NUS Centre for International Law. She has spent 14 years in the National Environment Agency and Ministry of Foreign Affairs prior to entering academia, including a diplomatic posting to the Singapore Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand from 2003 to 2007. Ms Seah maintains an interest in climate change and environmental issues; multilateralism and ASEAN development. Ms Seah graduated with a Master in Public and International Law from the University of Melbourne in 2018.

Panellists:

Ms Melinda Martinus, Lead Researcher (Socio-cultural) of the ASEAN Studies Centre, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute

Mr Deo Gabinete, Regional Manager, NDC Partnership

Ms Junice Yeo, Executive Director, Eco-Business

Mr Simon Wilson, Head of Utility Scale Renewables Business Development, Singapore and Southeast Asia Market, Sembcorp

Mr Min Yih Tan, Senior Vice President, Global Mobility Network, Shell

Professor Lorraine Elliott, Professor Emerita in the Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs at the Australian National University