The global energy transition presented both opportunities and challenges, requiring approaches that prioritized equity, climate justice, and social inclusion. Just energy transitions—from fossil fuel-based systems to renewable energy—needed to ensure the active participation of vulnerable and marginalized populations, emphasizing their ownership of and benefits from the transition.

This conference—jointly organized by ADB's Energy and Human and Social Development Sector Offices with the Indonesia Resident Mission, Indonesia’s Coordinating Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, and National Economic Council—built on a series of national and subregional workshops in South Asia in 2024–2025. It extended knowledge exchange to Southeast Asia, fostering cross-regional learning and South–South cooperation by drawing on operational models, community-led innovations, and multidisciplinary approaches validated in South Asia and ASEAN. The conference served as a capstone event to consolidate lessons learned and identify scalable pathways for inclusive energy transitions across diverse country contexts.

The event was organized in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the Nossal Institute for Global Health, and it was certified by the IEEE Standards Association and the IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology (SSIT). See details of previous events.

It provides a timely opportunity to extend knowledge exchange to Southeast Asia, fostering cross-regional learning and South–South cooperation by drawing on operational models, community-led innovations, and multidisciplinary approaches validated in South Asia and ASEAN. The conference will serve as a capstone event to consolidate lessons learned and identify scalable pathways for inclusive energy transitions across diverse country contexts.

The event is organized in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the Nossal Institute for Global Health, and it is certified by the IEEE Standards Association and the IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology (SSIT).

Objectives

The conference sought to:

• Examine energy transitions in the context of broader just transition efforts, including alignment of agendas and consensus around core concepts and terminology.

• Build on the experience of integrating gender equality and social inclusion in the ADB energy portfolio in Southeast and South Asia, highlighting lessons and potential pathways for replication and scale-up.

• Facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration among government agencies, ADB project implementers, academia, civil society organizations, and other key energy stakeholders.

• Explore the risks and opportunities of transitioning to green sectors and renewable energy, including impacts on labor markets, economic diversification, fiscal planning, and social protection schemes.