Ma. Carmela D. Locsin, Director General of ADB, said in her opening remarks of the Clean Energy Leaders' Dialogue that if governments, businesses, and investors collaborate to resolve the technical and policy barriers to clean energy adoption, addressing the energy issues in Asia will not be such an uphill task. Panellists said that policymakers need to focus on developing strong regulatory frameworks and attractive prices for intermittent sources of renewable energy to be integrated into the grid. Ms Locsin said, “We need to work together to set the stage for a more inclusive, resilient, green, and sustainable century”. The panelists also identified energy storage, demand response, and data analytics as solutions with the most potential in the sector, with David Walker, CEO of DNV GL, saying that demand response could be a “game changer” for energy. 

Businesses also need to develop the right business models and regulations for the clean energy sector to develop further, panelists said. For example, fossil fuels subsidies are preventing more investment in clean technology, and to counter these low prices, governments can offer subsidies and other strategies to support the growth of cleantech markets.