Summary
In advancing the clean energy transition, ASEAN needs to sustain economic growth while meeting the ASEAN Member States’ (AMS) climate commitments. With the regional economy projected to triple in size by 2050, mobilising approximately USD 150 billion in annual clean energy investment by 2030 has become an urgent policy priority. The Cleantech Innovation and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem (CIEE) can play a critical role in supporting this transition by enabling the development and deployment of clean technologies that are locally relevant and commercially scalable across ASEAN Member States (AMS). Although strengthening the CIEE remains a significant challenge, it also presents a major opportunity for cleantech startups and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). As local innovators, these enterprises have a strong understanding of local needs and are well positioned to develop practical, context-specific solutions.
This gender-responsive recommendation report is developed under the “Enhancement of Clean Energy Technology Ecosystem and Connectivity in ASEAN” project, supported by the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF), translates the findings of the preceding CIEE Policy Analysis (ACE, 2026) into concrete, gender-responsive policy and regulatory recommendations. The analysis is structured around four thematic pillars that together define the key dimensions of CIEE policy: (1) policy and regulatory frameworks; (2) fiscal and non-fiscal incentives; (3) human capital development; and (4) gender inclusivity and diversity.
Recommendations were informed by desktop research, focus group discussions with AMS representatives, and multi-stakeholder panel dialogues conducted through regional and international events including the CIEE workshop, the ASEAN Clean Tech Forum, and the Project Steering Committee meeting. Collectively, these consultations brought together policymakers, investors, researchers, startup founders, and cleantech experts to validate findings and refine the priorities that guide the recommendations presented herein.
Across the thematic areas, the report identifies a persistent and deepening structural gap between policy ambition and ground-level implementation, particularly for early-stage cleantech ventures. This gap reflects the issues in the foundational design of the region's policy architecture that must be addressed in order to realise ASEAN cleantech potential.