KPL
(KPL/VNA) – Investing in renewable energy sources is as a palliative measure for ASEAN to mitigate climate change, according to Vice President of Infrastructure Solutions at Malaysian-based Vertiv Chee Hoe Ling.
(KPL/VNA) – Investing in renewable energy
sources is as a palliative measure for ASEAN to mitigate climate change,
according to Vice President of Infrastructure Solutions at Malaysian-based
Vertiv Chee Hoe Ling.
In Southeast Asia, for instance, energy
demand has increased an average of roughly 3% a year for the past two decades –
with fossil fuels meeting a sizeable portion of this, he said.
The International Energy Agency noted that
coal, natural gas, and oil are the largest contributors to the region’s energy
mix, adding that fossil fuel imports are key to powering the region.
The same IEA report found that the region is
undergoing a steady worsening in its energy trade balance, as fossil fuel
demand outpaces local production. It is, therefore, important if the region
could make the transition to renewable and sustainable energy faster from an
economic perspective as well as an environmental one. Furthermore, this would
also be in line with governments’ aspirations across Southeast Asia to realise
long-term plans for a more secure and sustainable future.
He said that due to the rising demand for
digitalised services, the region has seen an unprecedented boom in the market
for data centres, citing global management consulting firm Kearney’s study
which said the region’s data centre colocation market is projected to grow by
16.5% from 2019 to 2026 with a value of 6.5 billion USD.
Unfortunately, data centres come with massive
carbon footprints due to the tremendous amounts of electricity consumed, water
utilised, and carbon emissions generated.
They must prioritise technology, energy and
water efficiency, and sustainability in their operations, he said, adding key
to sustainable development of the centres is to pen strategic plans to branch
out digital infrastructure.
He stressed that the push for renewable
energy and sustainable practices in both energy and data centre sectors is
crucial to efforts for a brighter future without dampening economic growth,
adding Southeast Asian countries could make contributions to reducing
greenhouse gas emissions and shaping up a sustainable environment in the
future.
KPL
