Energy Theatre

Investing in Asia’s Fossil‑Fuel‑to‑Renewables Transition: Capital, Competitiveness and a Just Energy Shift

11 Sep (Fri) Day 2 : 12:25 – 13:15

As the world shifts towards net zero, Asia’s energy transition remains one of the most complex landscapes to navigate. The region’s energy mix is still heavily reliant on fossil fuels, while rising demand from industrial growth and AI boom, combined with geopolitically driven energy price volatility and emerging cross‑border emission‑reduction measures, intensifies the challenge of balancing decarbonisation with economic resilience. At the same time, dense populations and concentrated industrial clusters put pressure on how to manage the social and economic impacts on workers and local communities and ensure a genuinely just energy transition.

This session examines how investors are navigating these tensions in practice. It will address the on‑the‑ground realities of reducing fossil‑fuel dependence, closing the capital gap for scaling up renewable energy and enabling infrastructure, and aligning these priorities with industrial competitiveness and just transition considerations. Panellists will explore how investors can support this transition through stewardship, strategic asset allocation, de‑risking instruments and more explicit expectations of companies and policymakers.

Session Learnings:

  • Learn how the evolving global energy, industrial and climate policy landscape in Asia is reshaping investors’ expectations on fossil‑fuel‑to‑renewables portfolios.
  • Identify how investments help accelerate Asia’s transition from fossil fuel dependency to a clean energy-driven model
  • Understand how investor stewardship could help shift capital towards unlocking opportunities in the energy transition.

Post-Event Actions:

  • Identify investment and stewardship opportunities to deepen engagement efforts on just and economic-resilient energy transition
  • Strengthen capital alignment mindset as part of an integrated business strategy that considers energy transition
  • Develop a clear, time‑bound fossil‑fuel‑to‑renewables transition roadmap

Speakers

Yi Jin Guo

Manulife Investment Management

Sustainable Investment Analyst

Based in Hong Kong, Yi Jin supports the Asia based investment teams with ESG integration research and process, company engagement, and thematic research.

Prior to joining Manulife Investment Management, Yi Jin works as an ESG Analyst at Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM) in London, focusing on Private Debt, Infrastructure and Real Estate ESG research.

Yi Jin graduated from Imperial College London with MSc Climate Change, Management & Finance degree

Piers Touzel

ERM-Hong Kong Limited

Head of ESG Advisory, Partner

Piers is the head of ESG advisory services in Greater China and has over 25 years of ESG advisory experience. He has advised multinational investors on ESG risk management in relation to their investments in China, and Hong Kong-listed Chinese companies on ESG services of capital market transactions. He has served virtually all industry sectors, the major project experience includes climate risk assessments (TCFD) for various assets, ESG disclosure for listed companies etc.

Piers has advised multinational investors on managing ESG risks associated with inbound investments into Asia and listed corporates on the ESG aspects of capital market transactions, outbound M&A and investor relations. He has worked with the safeguard policies of major financial institutions including the World Bank/IFC, AIIB, ADB, EBRD, ECAs and Equator Principles Financial Institutions. He has acted as Lenders’ IESC on close to 100transactions across various industry sectors.

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