Philippines has taken the lead among major Southeast Asian economies in adopting renewable energy policies

PH leads race for clean energy among emerging SE Asia countries — study

Ted Cordero
GMA News
30 September 2026

Over six months after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a national energy emergency, a new study revealed that the Philippines has taken the lead among major Southeast Asian economies in adopting renewable energy policies during the peak of the Strait of Hormuz crisis.

In a news release, international climate and energy research organization Zero Carbon Analytics said it conducted a study on six fastest-growing Southeast Asian markets — the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore, alongside Vietnam — “all of which have committed to accelerating their shift to green technology amid historic oil market volatility.”

In its report, Zero Carbon Analytics said crude oil experienced greater volatility during the first six months of the conflict than 95% of all six-month periods since 2007, marking one of the most turbulent episodes for oil markets in nearly two decades.

In response, the research group said the Philippines adopted 13 clean energy policies between February and August 2026, representing the highest number among the tracked countries, which collectively announced 37 clean energy policies.

Across these nations, short-term clean energy policies outpaced the 29 fossil fuel policies passed during the same period, while long-term initiatives on renewables and electrification outpaced fossil-based efforts by a ratio of four to one, with 24 policies compared to six, according to Zero Carbon Analytics.

The research group cited key developments in the Philippines such as the proposing of the Sariling Kuryente Act, fast-tracking at least 250 megawatts of solar capacity to the grid, mandating energy storage systems for new renewable energy developers, and expanding electric vehicle adoption under the national energy emergency directives.

Despite its clean energy leadership, the group said the Philippines also adopted nine fossil fuel-focused policies, accounting for 40% of the energy policies tracked in the country.

These included accelerating up to 5 gigawatts of coal capacity and establishing the country's first government-managed Strategic Petroleum Reserve facility.

In a Facebook post, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin welcomed Zero Carbon Analytics’ findings.

“Who has introduced the most fossil fuel and renewable energy policies in the region? The Philippines has introduced the most energy policies since the start of the conflict, with 22 in total, leading in both fossil fuel and renewable energy policies,” Garin said.

“This is likely due to its declaration of a national energy emergency on 24 March 2026. The declaration included a list of emergency relief measures, such as directly procuring oil and increasing government control over fuel prices, as well as longer-term steps to accelerate renewables, EVs and energy efficiency across all sectors,” she said. — BAP, GMA News