Asia’s Energy Progress Is Great, But Must Pick Up Pace

UN Indonesia Solar power is widely used on the islands of Java, Madura, and Bali. Credit: UN NewsOpinion by Delia Paul (melbourne, australia)Monday, August 10, 2026Inter Press Service MELBOURNE, Australia, August 10 (IPS) - In much of the Asia-Pacific region, energy is a success story. Electricity access has greatly increased and the use of clean cooking fuels is now widespread. The region has kept pace with the rest of the world in adopting renewable energy. Many countries have made energy efficiency gains; the Republic of Korea is one of those in the lead worldwide. Progress has continued even in the face of recent energy crises sparked by the war in Ukraine and conflict over the Strait of Hormuz. Yet, this year’s High Level Political Forum on sustainable development (IHLPF) in New York— a yearly event to review progress on the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) —sounded some warning bells.With SDG 7 on energy, the international community agreed to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services. Clean cooking fuels are part of that transition. SDG 7 also set targets to increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy m...