Solar panels and wind turbines are often criticised for creating a future waste problem. But the reality is very different.

In this episode of Energy Insights, host Stephen explores why renewables are among the most recyclable energy technologies in the world. With up to 95% of solar and wind materials already recoverable, clean energy is moving towards a circular model where value is reused rather than discarded.

The episode looks at how recycling renewable infrastructure can create jobs, strengthen supply chains, and reduce dependence on imported raw materials. It also compares renewable end-of-life materials with the permanent pollution left behind by fossil fuels, showing why the scale and impact are often misunderstood.

The takeaway is clear: renewables are not creating a waste crisis. They are creating an opportunity to build cleaner, more resilient energy systems through circular design.

In this episode of Energy Insights, host Stephen is joined by Ziqun Jia, Junior Consultant at Perspectives Climate Group, to explore China’s rising influence in Southeast Asia’s energy sector.

Ziqun dives into how China’s leadership in clean technologies, from solar to batteries and EVs, is reshaping energy systems across the region. The discussion also covers how China’s investments and energy diplomacy are impacting Southeast Asia’s clean energy future and what opportunities and risks lie ahead.

Tune in to hear how China’s clean-tech drive is creating new dynamics in the region and what it means for Southeast Asia’s path to a sustainable energy transition.

LinkedIn: Ziqun Jia

In this episode of Energy Insights, host Stephen speaks with Zhou Yu, Program Manager at New Energy Nexus, to explore China’s fast-growing clean-tech ecosystem and what it means for Asia’s energy transition.

Zhou explains how China’s leadership in solar, batteries, EVs and energy storage is reshaping regional supply chains and driving down global technology costs. He discusses the policies, innovation networks and startup support systems powering this growth, and why other Asian countries are looking to China as both a model and a critical partner.

The conversation examines the opportunities and risks for Southeast Asia, the role of cross-border collaboration, and whether China’s clean-tech engine can accelerate the region’s shift away from fossil fuels.

LinkedIn: Zhou Yu

In this episode of Energy Insights, host Stephen speaks with Sam Reynolds, Research Lead for LNG and Gas at IEEFA, to unpack how a global turbine shortage is slowing Southeast Asia’s LNG expansion.

Sam explains how long delivery backlogs, higher costs and supply constraints are delaying major LNG projects in the Philippines and Vietnam. This slowdown is raising doubts about gas as a reliable bridge fuel and opening more space for renewables to grow across the region.

The discussion highlights what this means for investors, energy security and long-term planning, and why Southeast Asia’s future power mix may shift more quickly toward solar, wind and storage.

Profile: Sam Reynolds

In this episode of Energy Insights, host Stephen sits down with Wai-Shin Chan, Director of Research at Asia Research and Engagement (ARE), to unpack what COP30 really means for climate finance, investment signals and economic decision-making across Asia.

COP30 was expected to be an implementation COP, yet countries left Belém with weak NDCs, unclear finance arrangements and no fossil fuel transition roadmap. Wai-Shin explains how this uncertainty raises costs, delays investment and leaves Asian economies exposed to growing climate and financial risks. He also clarifies what tripling adaptation finance actually means, why the NCQG still lacks delivery pathways and how vague fossil language shapes capital flows.

We explore how policy clarity, risk-sharing mechanisms and transparency will shape the region’s competitiveness, and why markets “reward clarity” when it comes to climate ambition. Wai-Shin also reflects on what Southeast Asia needs next, from stronger grids and carbon pricing to meaningful support for adaptation and resilience.

LinkedIn: Wai-Shin Chan

In this episode of Energy Insights, host Stephen sits down with Joel Chester (Cheng) Pagulayan, Climate Justice Portfolio Manager at Oxfam Pilipinas, to explore what COP30 means for climate justice in Southeast Asia and the growing gap between community needs and global delivery.

Despite years of warnings from frontline communities, the region continues to face stronger storms, rising seas and widening inequality. Cheng explains why climate justice must sit at the centre of COP30, how vulnerable countries are pushing for fair finance and loss and damage support, and why a just transition requires real participation from workers, Indigenous peoples and affected communities.

We explore the barriers that keep climate finance slow and uneven, the political tensions shaping the talks in Belém, and what Southeast Asia needs from COP30 at a critical moment for resilience, equity and long-term climate security.

LinkedIn: Joel Chester (Cheng) Pagulayan

In this episode of Energy Insights, host Stephen sits down with Katherine Hasan, Analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), to unpack Indonesia’s latest power plan — and the widening gap between climate ambition and reality.

Despite strong public messaging on renewables, Indonesia’s RUPTL 2025–2034 places fossil fuels at the centre of the next decade, delaying meaningful renewable expansion until the 2030s. Katherine explains why this “fossils first, renewables later” approach risks locking the country into high emissions, stranded assets, and rising power costs — and what it means for Indonesia’s net-zero commitments.

We explore the policy barriers slowing renewable scale-up, the financial consequences of continued coal and gas investment, and the opportunities Indonesia is missing at a decisive moment for the energy transition.

LinkedIn: Katherine Hasan

Across the world, wind and solar power are often accused of harming public health and disrupting communities — but the science tells a different story.

In this episode of Energy Insights, host Stephen takes a closer look at one of the most persistent myths in the energy debate: that renewable projects threaten wellbeing. Drawing on studies from health authorities and real-world data, the discussion reveals how wind and solar actually improve public health by reducing air pollution, cutting respiratory illnesses, and easing pressure on national healthcare systems.

Beyond health, the episode also explores the economic and social benefits of renewables — from lower public spending to revitalised rural economies and new local jobs. The evidence is clear: clean energy doesn’t just power homes; it powers healthier, more resilient communities.