The ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) participated in the plenary sessions of the 13th Asia-Pacific Forum for Sustainable Development (APFSD) to give insights on social inclusions of the energy transition. During the Forum, ACE contributed to discussions at the APFSD Young Feminist Forum and a side event focused on the role of indigenous people in clean energy.
On 21st February 2026, ACE shared regional perspectives to the APFSD Young Feminist Forum through the plenary session “Feminist Analysis of the SDGs under Review.” Hosted by the Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW) and in collaboration with regional youth-led conveners, APFSD is an annual intergovernmental platform aimed to monitor and review the progress of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the regional level.
Nathania Azalia, Junior Associate Research Analyst of ACCEPT, delivered insights in addressing the integral role of women and girls as part of the Just and Inclusive Energy Transition (JIET). JIET have become a central focus in ASEAN’s regional energy cooperation, with the official endorsement of the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) with the theme “Advancing Regional Cooperation in Ensuring Energy Security and Accelerating Decarbonisation for a Just and Inclusive Energy Transition.” In her intervention, Nathania highlighted that only 8% of women work in the conventional energy sector in ASEAN, while women’s representation in the global renewable energy sector is merely 32% of the workforce. She underscored the challenges of achieving gender balance in the journey of achieving JIET, which includes underrepresentation of women and marginalised communities, critical gender-disaggregated data gaps, siloed conversations, insufficient awareness, and limited budget allocation.
Photo 1. Nathania Azalia, Junior Associate Research Analyst of ACE, highlighted the importance of integrating gender equality and social inclusion into ASEAN’s sustainable energy transition.
Nathania also shared the active role of ACE in advancing gender balance in the pursuit of achieving JIET. This encompasses ACE’s commitment through the signing of the ACE Inclusivity Pledge, its role as a knowledge hub that strengthens research and data accessibility through the ASEAN Energy Database System (AEDS), its role as a catalyst that holds various capacity-building initiatives that bring together diverse stakeholders to enhance GEDSI awareness. Additionally, ACE serves as a think tank by publishing studies that identify existing gaps while offering insights and policy recommendations to support a more inclusive energy transition.
Moreover, on 27th February 2026, the 13th APFSD also held another side event upholding the theme “From Voices to Action: Indigenous Leadership in Achieving Affordable and Clean Energy for All.” The session discussed challenges and highlighted initiatives and innovations with a particular focus on the role of indigenous women and youth in advancing SDG 7 and a just energy transition. The event was organized by Right Energy Partnership with Indigenous Peoples (REP) with UN Women, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and Heinrich Boll Stiftung Southeast Asia.
Photo 2. Auliya Febriyanti, Energy Modelling and Policy Planning, ACE.
Auliya Febriyanti, Research Analyst of Energy Modelling and Policy Planning, ACE highlighted the official document guiding regional energy planning through the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC), which has been endorsed by energy ministries across all ASEAN Member States. She explained that the framework includes several action plans, one of which is the need to promote the inclusion of gender equality, disability and social inclusion into action planning.
To foster inclusive governance, she outlined ongoing initiatives led by ASEAN Centre for Energy, including regional dialogues that bring together government representatives, think tanks, and other organizations, as well as workshops aimed at identifying practical social gaps in the energy transition. She also highlighted a multi-stakeholder dialogue in the ASEAN Energy Gender Week 2026, which contribute to strengthening partnerships and capacity building in the region’s energy transition. In addition, ACE is conducting research on a disaggregated data framework to better identify gaps in energy planning and to track indicators related to energy access, affordability, education, and governance, with the goal of translating data insights into more effective and inclusive policies.
Building on the momentum of the newly updated APAEC, ACE reaffirms its commitment to ensure that the transition toward cleaner energy systems leaves no one behind. It will advance targeted action plans to integrate Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) into energy policy and planning, supporting a more inclusive energy transition while improving access to energy for all.
