Public Attitudes Towards Energy Policy and Sustainable Development Goals in ASEAN

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Member States (AMS) have taken on ambitious policy goals in relation to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). But, like many other countries, they have also been severely affected by COVID-19 and high energy prices. A rapid rise in clean electricity will be one of the keys to achieving SDG 7 but is challenging from the perspective of willingness to pay (WTP). This report summarises the results of Stakeholder surveys on WTP conducted in Myanmar, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Viet Nam, and Indonesia. Eighty-five percent of respondents in the countries indicate that they are willing to pay at least 7%–10% more than normal energy prices. The econometric analysis indicates that income, education, age, and gender, as well as public awareness and concerns about climate change, are significant factors influencing WTP. Respondents who are more knowledgeable and more concerned about the adverse effect of climate change show higher WTP. Policies toward SDGs and public reflections are scant in AMS and this study contributes to a better understanding of the public perspective on energy and climate change policymaking in ASEAN.

Full Report

Public Attitudes Towards Energy Policy and Sustainable Development Goals in ASEAN 

Contents

Title page

Foreword and Acknowledgements

List of Project Members

Contents

List of Figures and Tables

List of Abbreviations and Acronyms

Executive Summary

Chapter 1 Introduction

Chapter 2 Review of Energy Policies in Surveyed Countries

Chapter 3 Methodology: Survey Design

Chapter 4 Sampling Strategy

Chapter 5 Descriptive Results

Chapter 6 Analysis of Survey Results on the Willingness to Pay for Renewable Energy in Indonesia and Malaysia

Chapter 7 Attitude Survey on CDR in Malaysia

Chapter 8 Seven-Country Comparison

Chapter 9 Policy Implications and Conclusions

References

Appendices