ADB's energy policy

Energy demand is projected to almost double in the Asia and Pacific region by 2030. There is an urgent need for innovative ways to generate power in a socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable manner. Compounding the problem is widespread energy poverty across Asia and the Pacific, in 2018 over 200 million people still had no access to electricity, around 5% of the region’s population, and around 1.8 billion people, or nearly 40% of the population, relied on polluting and unhealthy cooking fuels and technologies.

ADB's 2009 Energy Policy aims to help developing member countries provide reliable, adequate, and affordable energy for economic growth in a socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable way. A review of the 2009 policy is underway to align ADB’s energy operations with Strategy 2030, recognizing the changing contexts and increasing needs of ADB’s developing members while mindful of the impacts of increasing energy use to the climate and environment.

Updates

This section is the source of important information in the policy development and consultation process. Interested individuals and organizations have the opportunity to join stakeholder consultations, provide online inputs throughout the review process and provide inputs on the draft energy policy which was published on 7 May 2021.

Read the Q&A: A new energy policy to accelerate Asia’s energy transition

History of ADB’s energy policy

The below timeline reviews key highlights of the policy development and consultation process.