Singapore–IRENA High-Level Forum: Partnerships for an Interconnected and Renewable Tomorrow

The transition towards sustainable energy systems demands collaboration and investments. At the Singapore–IRENA High-Level Forum, the Ministerial Dialogue gathered senior officials from the Philippines, United Arab Emirates, and United Nations ESCAP to share perspectives on enabling cross-border energy trades and unlocking capital for regional projects.

Moderated by Gurbuz Gonul, Director of Country Engagement and Partnerships at IRENA, the panellists discussed how policies, regional interconnection and capacity building can strengthen investor confidence and support a resilient, people-centred energy transition in Asia.

• H.E. Sharon S. Garin, Secretary of Energy, Philippines, emphasised that flexible and transparent policies are key to attracting renewable energy investments. She shared how the Philippines will continue to refine its renewable energy certificate (REC) and auction mechanisms to reflect evolving market needs.
• Outlining how energy efficiency remains a powerful but underused lever, H.E. Sharif Al Olama, Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs, United Arab Emirates cited the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) power grid as a model for enhancing energy resilience while reducing overall system costs.
• Lin Yang, Deputy Executive Secretary for Programme, United Nations ESCAP, noted that investor confidence begins with predictable regulations and a long-term vision to address policy gaps.

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