Forum for the Future: Responsible Energy Initiative to support Renewable Energy in Asia

Scaling renewable energy (RE) is critical to the rapid transition to a low carbon economy. RE has the potential to expand access to affordable, clean energy; create jobs and help economies to thrive by increasing resilience; and reduce air pollution, among many other opportunities.




At the same time, adverse environmental and human rights impacts across RE value chains are becoming more pronounced. As the industry grows, these risks - including land and labour rights abuses, habitat impacts, toxic waste and unsustainable use of raw materials - could also grow.




In Asia, where RE has the greatest potential to scale, tackling these adverse social and environmental impacts will be critical to ensuring that sector thrives in ways that deliver just and regenerative outcomes. Equally, if ignoring these impacts means that irresponsible practices become entrenched in business models and value chains, we will miss the opportunity for the RE sector to meet its potential.