Launch of the ISEAS Climate Outlook Survey 2026 - Ms Grace Fu

Mr Ng Chee Khern,

Prof Cheong Koon Hean,

Distinguished Colleagues,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1.         Good morning. It is a pleasure to be here with all of you for the launch of the sixth edition of the Southeast Asia Climate Outlook Survey. The Survey gives policymakers, researchers, and civil society an objective assessment of how ordinary Southeast Asians think and feel about climate change.

2.         I also want to say a personal word of welcome to Chee Khern in his new role as Director and CEO of ISEAS.

A Survey That Speaks to Our Moment

3.         This year's Survey arrives at an inflexion moment in history. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has sent shockwaves through global energy markets, and Southeast Asia has not been spared. For a region heavily reliant on imported energy, higher fuel prices ripple quickly through everyday life. Businesses face rising costs and growing uncertainty, putting jobs and livelihoods at stake. For households already watching their daily expenses closely, further increases in energy costs show up in electricity bills and in every trip to the supermarket. Some supermarkets are also lacking in food because transportation and logistical support are affected.

4.         The findings of this Survey reaffirm these concerns. Economic challenges such as unemployment and recessionary fears are the region’s leading concern, cited by 55.3% of respondents, narrowly ahead of climate change and extreme weather at 53.6%. Rising energy prices and cost-of-living pressures are also the leading concern about the transition. Lower-income respondents are concerned that cutting fossil fuel subsidies will deepen poverty and widen inequality, while those with higher incomes are more concerned about increases in energy and food prices.

5.         We therefore have to manage climate action carefully – keeping in mind cost concerns, providing support where costs fall most heavily, and remaining clear about the longer-term gains.

The Energy Crisis as a Test of Resolve

6.         Let me start with the energy situation. The disruption to global energy supply chains has exposed the vulnerabilities of economies that are dependent on imported fossil fuels, and it has reignited debates about the pace of energy transition.  Singapore is not insulated from these shocks, but thankfully, our energy resilience measures have helped us mitigate its impact.

7.         Some have argued that this is a moment to pause — to consolidate, to protect the status quo, and to revisit climate commitments when conditions are more favourable. I understand this instinct but pausing the transition might be the wrong response.

8.         In fact, the energy crisis is a good reason for the transition to renewable energy. For Southeast Asia, the shift to clean energy is not just a climate imperative. It is an energy security, economic resilience and social equity imperative.

9.         Pursued pragmatically, mitigation can help reduce costs, strengthen competitiveness and build resilience today. The rapid deployment of solar energy in countries such as China and Pakistan has reduced their exposure to imported fossil fuels, therefore restricted exposure to volatile fuel prices. Greater energy efficiency can lower electricity consumption and utility bills, while the electrification of transport can help businesses reduce fuel costs.

10.         For ASEAN, the task is therefore to translate these opportunities into deeper, region-wide resilience. This means accelerating renewable energy deployment, electrifying households and transport, as well as investing in stronger and more interconnected grids and energy storage. Particularly, advancing the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) will enable countries to better harness the region’s rich energy resources and reduce dependence on any single source. Together, these efforts can strengthen collective energy security, lower emissions, and support a more secure, affordable and sustainable future.

What the Survey Tells Us About Our People

11.         The Survey points to three priorities for a sustainable Southeast Asia on people: build trust in climate policy, share transition costs fairly, and strengthen resilience to threats such as food insecurity. Good policy can cut emissions while supporting communities. Regional cooperation will be essential, and Singapore remains committed to an equitable and resilient transition across ASEAN.

12.         First, public support depends on trust. People understand climate risks, but support specific measures only when policies are fair, credible and well implemented. Encouragingly, 62.0% of respondents support a national carbon tax, while 19.6% oppose it.

13.         Governments must earn that trust. We must engage people early, explain trade-offs honestly, respond to concerns and be accountable for results. Above all, climate policies must deliver tangible benefits and share costs and opportunities fairly.

14.         Second, fairness must be built into climate policy. Higher-income respondents are more likely to support carbon taxes and fossil fuel subsidy reform, partly because they can better absorb near-term costs. Without adequate support for lower-income households and affected communities, climate policy could deepen inequality and weaken public support.

15.         Singapore addresses this directly. Alongside the carbon tax, utility rebates (U-Save) are given out in a targeted way to help eligible households with utility bills. Climate Vouchers are given to households to purchase appliances that are energy and water efficient. For businesses, the Energy Efficiency Grant co-funds investments in energy-efficient equipment. Other grant schemes are also available to help companies manage their energy usage, such as the Green Mark Incentive Scheme for Existing Buildings which provides outcome-based funding support for energy-efficiency retrofits in eligible privately-owned existing buildings. These measures are integral to a just transition.

16.         Third, we must respond to climate impacts already being felt. Food security is a sobering example. Across ASEAN, concern about climate change affecting food availability and affordability ranges from about 10% to almost 50%. National circumstances differ, but our supply chains—and our vulnerabilities—are shared.

17.         Climate change already affects livelihoods and food systems across Southeast Asia. Food-system resilience must therefore be central to adaptation: strengthen climate-resilient agriculture, diversify food sources and trade routes, improve early warning, and build more resilient logistics and supply chains. Regional cooperation can help keep food reliable and affordable as extreme weather grows more frequent.

Singapore's Climate Journey in 2026

18.         Singapore has designated 2026 as the Year of Climate Adaptation, placing adaptation alongside mitigation at the centre of our climate agenda.

19.         We are developing a National Adaptation Plan covering infrastructure, public health, water, biodiversity and urban planning. We are also stepping up coastal protection, because rising seas pose an existential challenge to our low-lying island and require long-term planning and investment.

20.         On food security, Singapore Food Story 2 adds a Global Partnerships pillar to strengthen food trades and resilience. We are also studying climate change’s impact on Southeast Asian agriculture, drawing on Singapore’s Third National Climate Change Study. We will share the findings with ASEAN partners later this year to support better monitoring, stronger food systems and more coordinated adaptation planning.

Singapore's ASEAN Chairmanship and the Road Ahead

21.         As Chair of the ASEAN Senior Officials on Environment from 2026 to 2029, Singapore is committed to advancing the region’s climate and environment agenda. The Survey shows a confidence level of 77.3% among Singaporeans in the country’s leadership in the region. We take this as a responsibility. For Singapore’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2027, we will prioritise practical cooperation on energy security, adaptation, food resilience and an equitable transition.

22.         From our perspective, ASEAN should focus on three areas.

23.         First, energy connectivity. The ASEAN Power Grid can strengthen regional energy security, and the Lao PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project has shown that multilateral electricity trade is feasible. The next phase requires clearer rules for cross-border trade and practical norms for submarine power cables.

24.         Second, climate finance. Since 2023, Singapore’s Financing Asia’s Transition Partnership (FAST-P) has mobilised US$510 million in blended finance for green and sustainable infrastructure in Southeast and South Asia. On the carbon markets front, Singapore has Article 6 cooperation agreements with Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam, and signed an Implementation Agreement with Lao PDR last month. The priority now is implementation: align frameworks, ensure robust accounting and environmental integrity, and develop high-quality projects. We hope to establish similar arrangements with other ASEAN Member States.

25.         Third, climate resilience. ASEAN has advanced mitigation and the energy transition, but adaptation still lags even as climate risks intensify. Investing in resilience is essential to protect our economies, communities and long-term development.

A Word on Climate Leadership

26.         The Survey shows that people judge climate leadership by credibility and consistency. They notice when words and actions diverge. ASEAN cannot afford a gap between ambition and implementation; our actions must match our commitments.

27.         Credibility also strengthens ASEAN’s voice in regional and global climate discussions. We must help shape the decisions that affect us—by speaking coherently, deepening cooperation and delivering on our commitments.

28.         The Southeast Asia Climate Outlook Survey thus gives us a reality check. It tells us if we are meeting our people’s expectations and building trust with our people.

Closing

29.         Ladies and Gentlemen, the energy crisis and cost-of-living pressures have made the path harder, but they have not changed our destination: a low-carbon, more resilient and prosperous Southeast Asia. That future remains necessary—and achievable—if we manage the transition with equity and resolve.

30.         I thank ISEAS and LKYCIC for producing this Survey.