Businesses, governments, and investors across Asia-Pacific must put people at the center of the energy transition if the region is to meet its climate goals, according to a recent report by the Singapore-based Asian Venture Philanthropy Network Ltd. (AVPN) and global consulting firm Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

In their study, “The People-centric Energy Transition in Asia-Pacific: A Framework for Inclusive and Measurable Solutions,” AVPN and BGC noted that Asia-Pacific accounts for more than half of global energy-related carbon emissions, making it decisive to global decarbonization, yet less than one percent of climate funding in the region currently flows to people-focused transition efforts such as worker reskilling, community support, and small-business participation.

The AVPN-BGC report, published in September 2025, warned that without stronger social inclusion, energy transitions risk public resistance, widening inequality, and delayed climate action.

The study laid out a framework for a “people-centric” or “just” energy transition, anchored on four principles—tangible impact, engagement and empowerment, inclusivity and fairness, and transparency and accountability.

It also mapped dozens of case studies across the region showing how renewable energy (RE) deployment, clean-technology financing, and climate adaptation projects can be paired with livelihood creation, skills development, and improved energy access.

While the report largely takes a regional view, it cited the Philippines as an example of how small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can be mobilized to support national energy transition objectives. One featured Philippine case is the Energy Efficiency Accelerator and Startup Acceleration Program run by New Energy Nexus with support from United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Energy Secure Philippines, which helps local clean-energy firms expand into energy efficiency and conservation services. The initiative has supported more than 50 startups across sectors such as e-mobility and energy access, equipping them with technical training, market linkages, and investor connections.

AVPN and BCG said programs like this are critical for countries such as the Philippines, where achieving RE and decarbonization targets will depend not only on large power projects but also on building a domestic ecosystem of service providers, technology firms, and community-level solutions.

The report stressed that SME capacity-building can accelerate the rollout of clean technologies while creating jobs and widening access to sustainable energy services.

The study added that scaling similar people-centric solutions will require blended finance structures, stronger policy alignment, and better impact measurement to attract long-term capital.

ABVPN and BGC urged governments, development financiers, and the private sector to collaborate more closely to ensure the energy transition delivers not just lower emissions, but also economic inclusion, resilience, and social acceptance—an approach the report said is especially relevant for fast-growing and energy-hungry economies such as the Philippines.