The growth of the transportation sector in Southeast Asia (SEA) is associated with several factors linked to regionspecific development patterns. Improved consumption capacities as a result of increasing incomes have also led to an increasing rate of motorisation in the subregion. With the International Transport Forum projecting a quadrupling of the demand for passenger transport in the subregion between 2015 and 2050, the risk of neglecting decarbonisation would be high. Active mobility means like walking and cycling had got a significant push during the pandemic. Although if the policies do not retain this approach after the pandemic dies down, emissions from the transport sector are likely to double between 2015 and 2050 in SEA.

Decarbonisation efforts need strong policy support as well as cooperation from stakeholders.

Public investments directed towards creating a systemic change have been underutilised, with a meagre 1.5 per cent allocation for improvement of active transport globally and only 13 per cent directed towards the stabilisation of public transport systems. A look at measures taken by some of the SEA countries for decarbonising their transport sector and the challenges faced by them…

Singapore

As of September 26, 2022, the classification society Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a three-year collaboration to develop carbon-neutral initiatives for decarbonisation and digitisation in the maritime sector. The MoU engages DNV’s Maritime Decarbonisation and Autonomy Regional Centre of Excellence with SIT’s Sustainable Maritime Engineering Strategic Translational Research programme. The initiative has targeted improved research and development on net zero and autonomous ships along with a simulation centre, future fuel bunkering infrastructure, shore remote control and charging.

Singapore is also planning to address climate change in the local and global aviation sector by reducing the air-conditioning carbon footprint at its Changi Airport along with the possible installation of solar panels near the runway. As of September 23, 2022, a panel comprising 20 industry, technology and knowledge partners from Singapore and across the globe discussed these two initiatives with the government along with 15 other measures for airports, airlines and air traffic management. The government will incorporate the discussions in a published blueprint in 2023 after careful study.

These initiatives bring their own set of challenges. These include the three to five times higher cost of sustainable aviation fuel as compared to conventional jet fuel, the need for more coordinated work through cross sectoral collaborations, public-private partnerships, state actions and climate mitigation planning by corporates.

Vietnam

An action plan for green energy transformation in Vietnam was approved by the government on July 22, 2022 as its commitment for COP26. The main focus area of the plan is to reduce carbon and methane emissions in the transport sector to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. As part of the plan, a green transport system will be developed, which will include a 100 per cent electrified or greenfield road transport network, including public transport vehicles. The Vietnam component of the NDC Transport Initiative for Asia has helped support this action plan by providing expertise to its execution and strengthening the national legal framework.

Besides, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) will find technical support from the project to create guidelines for their e-mobility framework along with the national road map. On March 8, 2022, the first e-bus route was launched in HCMC with a total of 77 e-buses that will run on this route as well as four other pilot routes. The buses have an automatic lowering mode for easy boarding and deboarding by the elderly, people with disabilities, and pregnant women. Apart from discouraging the use of private vehicles, the operation of the route promotes clean energy transportation with smooth movement.

Indonesia

Indonesia has taken large leaps in its decarbonisation efforts with the improvement of its public transport system in the capital city of Jakarta. As of September 14, 2022, the coverage of public transport has doubled to 90 per cent from 40 per cent in 2016. Recognised as the first city in the region for the globally acclaimed Sustainable Transport Award in 2021, the city administration has been successful in reducing carbon emissions by 26 per cent. This has also motivated the transport sector to move towards improving its network of buses and trains.

Despite these initiatives, the country’s challenges to achieve net zero by 2060 include the lack of climate governance and availability of viable schemes for adequate public transportation. Besides, the cost of alternative green transport modes is high, with the price for electric vehicles (EVs) in Indonesia at $40,500 per unit, which is around the price of three conventional cars.

Malaysia

On September 26, 2022, Thailand’s Energy Absolute Public Company Limited (EA) signed an agreement with Computer Forms Malaysia Bhd (CFMB) to form a joint venture company (JVC) for the development of electric buses. An investment of RM 5 billion by the company will be used to create charging platforms, develop energy storage systems, and produce lithium-ion batteries to support the Malaysian EV ecosystem. This initiative also supports the transformation of Malaysia’s public transport infrastructure by developing electric buses, cars, bikes, trains and boats. It aligns with the national plan to reduce its carbon footprint. The JVC will also sell 200 units of EV buses to Gemiland International Limited, a Hong Kong-listed bus and coach manufacturer, which is estimated to cost around RM 200 million.

Moving forward

As SEA’s economies become the fastest growing in the world, the focus on its longterm transport planning is essential. Decarbonisation efforts need strong policy support as well as cooperation from stakeholders. The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific’s Review of Developments in Transport in Asia and the Pacific in 2021 launched the “Electric Mobility Initiative for Asia and the Pacific”, which supports four pilot countries including Thailand for the development of its operational strategies on electric mobility. Thailand’s government plans to deploy around 1,000 electric buses in Jakarta by 2023, which will be increased further to 3,000 by 2025 as per its public transportation plans.

The Singapore Green Plan 2030 has initiated the steps towards enhancing decarbonisation with specific vehicle-related goals that include all new cars and taxis registrations with cleaner-energy models from 2030. Indonesia has also had the foresight to strategically build green fuel bunkering centres for ammonia and hydrogen for its shipping industry. Similar road maps drawn up by other SEA countries will help policymakers and decision makers realise a sustainable future for the transport sector in their respective countries