South-east Asia’s green transition has the ‘hardware’ – but who will operate it?

RECENT geopolitical developments have taught us an expensive lesson: our economies are vulnerable to disruption in fossil fuel supply chains. Volatile oil and gas prices have strained public finances, disrupted industries and increased the cost of living around the world.

It has also shifted the tone in the global conversation on energy transition. Replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy is not simply about reducing emissions or acting out a moral statement. It is now about economic resilience and energy security.

The need for an energy transition has prompted the world to enter a new race in the fields of electric vehicles, advanced batteries, robotics and renewable-energy technologies.

But technology – the “hardware” – is only the visible outcome. Behind every breakthrough is a scientist, an engineer, a technician, a teacher and an entrepreneur, working behind the scenes to make the technology possible.

Yet, most of the current conversation is focused on the “hardware” of energy transition: the gigawatts, the grids, the manufacturing. What we talk about far less is the “software”, which determines whether any of this actually works, or even gets invented: the people.

Without a workforce equipped to design, build, operate and maintain these new systems, the hardware risks being left idle, and the investment thesis inevitably falls apart.

The green talent gap

China perhaps offers the best lessons in this space. Over the past two decades, it has invested not only in manufacturing capabilities and infrastructure, but also in research and talent.

Today, Chinese companies are setting global benchmarks in EVs, battery technologies, renewable energy and robotics. Their success is not the product of a single technological leap, but of sustained investment in the workforce and long-term industrial strategy.

For South-east Asia, these lessons are profound. The region has many of the ingredients needed for it to become a global growth engine: abundant renewable-energy resources, critical minerals, expanding domestic markets and one of the world’s youngest populations.

Yet, natural resources alone have never guaranteed prosperity. History consistently rewards countries that prepare their people before opportunities fully materialise.

South-east Asia could generate up to 30 million green jobs by 2030 and unlock about US$1 trillion in green market prospects.

Indonesia intends to build a national EV industry, with a supply chain running from nickel through battery cells to finished vehicles, with a stated ambition of 140 gigawatt-hours of battery capacity by 2030.

Singapore’s bet is different in kind, but identical in nature. Its Green Plan 2030 targets at least 2 gigawatt-peak of solar, and it plans to import around six gigawatts of low-carbon electricity by 2035, roughly a third of projected supply.

In neither country is this a technological or financing consideration alone. Someone has to manufacture the cells, install the panels, wire the interconnectors and maintain all of it for decades.

Indonesia’s energy ministry projects its electricity plan alone will absorb more than 1.7 million new workers; Singapore’s Green Skills Committee has found that sustainability reporting and energy alone will need roughly 5,000 additional workers by 2030.

Hence, there is a clear need for more people who are trained in these sectors and possess specific technical knowledge. Demand is rising for roles such as battery systems engineers, solar photovoltaic installers, grid integration specialists and ESG compliance officers.

Yet, supply remains low: One report shows that 51 per cent of the future demand for workers in green jobs may go unmet without significant upskilling efforts.

The South-east Asian population can fill this gap. Many workers in the region today work in sectors undergoing the green transition, such as agriculture work or machine operations. This provides a strong base for upskilling towards green jobs.

Three solutions to the problem

How can South-east Asia nurture more green talent and build a stronger foundation for the energy transition?

First, enhance sustainability-related training and upskilling. South-east Asia has world-class universities and schools that can provide industry-relevant curricula.

Beyond classrooms, students can be placed with solar power plants, battery manufacturers or waste-to-energy plants for direct industry exposure.

The training should not stop at students. It should also reach professors and teachers: a programme delivered to a student reaches one student; a module delivered to an educator reaches every cohort that they will ever teach.

Second, recognise credentials across Asean. The bloc has yet to have a Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) for green professionals, despite having MRAs in other areas such as accountancy and medicine, and sustainable jobs creation being a priority for the organisation.

Third, allow greater freedom of movement for recognised green talents. Following an MRA, companies in Asean can hire professionals from the region, expanding the pool of talent.

An ESG compliance specialist certified to practise in Indonesia should be equally employable in Jakarta, Johor Bahru or Jurong.

With Singapore’s Asean chairmanship in 2027, the country can provide the leadership and influence necessary to make these initiatives a reality.

The green transition is not just about energy, but also talent. The future belongs to nations that recognise the most valuable resource they possess is not in mines or the seabed. It is the human potential they choose to develop.

The writer is executive director of TBS Foundation.

The commentary is based on the writer’s own experiences, observations and argument. Artificial intelligence tools were used for research, polishing and proofreading. The writer remains fully accountable for the commentary’s accuracy, originality and final form.