Financing the energy transition

How must banks and governments adapt their understanding of renewables and related technologies to better support the energy transition? Xiaodong Wang, Senior Energy Specialist at The World Bank, considers the many roles they play, not just as a lender, but also as a source of knowledge and a policy adviser. In this insightful episode, Xiaodong highlights policy-making as the main driver in creating market demand to bring in investment. Focusing on Southeast Asia, she tells us that she believes we must overcome the myth that renewables are more expensive and acknowledges that investors struggle to find bankable projects in the region. Banks, she says, will come to understand that clean energy is good for their bottom line, and that after initial resistance, utilities too will get on board. Finally, Xiaodong addresses the urgency issue highlighted in DNV’s 2018 Energy Transition Outlook and The World Bank’s Climate Change Strategy. *This episode was recorded live at the Singapore International Energy Week 2018.