Navigating the Complexities of Energy Transitions in East Asia: Analytical Insights

Han Phoumin has more than 20 years of professional experience working at various international and inter-governmental organizations and multi-disciplinary research consortiums related to energy market and technologies, environment, integrated water resource management, governance, and economic development in the region of ASEAN and EAST ASIA. Currently, he serves as a senior energy economist at the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia. Much of his career in the past twelve years has revolved around the power sector, especially in the areas of electricity market integration, waste to energy, sustainable hydropower development, renewable energy policy research, energy efficiency and conservation, clean coal technology, energy security, carbon capture utilisation and storage, financing energy transitions technologies, gas master plan, and energy demand and supply forecasting. My works and research feed into the high-level policy forum through East Asia Energy Minister Meeting and the regular East Asia Energy Forum organised by ERIA. Dr. Han earned his PhD in economic development and policies from Kobe University, where he also specialized in applied econometrics. He also serves as guest editor for various international journal. Those included, the energy frontier, the Energy Policy journal and energy Sustainability journal and International Journal of Hydrogen Energy.

Xunpeng (Roc) Shi is a Professor of Energy and Environmental Economics and Sustainability and Research Principal at the Australia-China Relations Institute, UTS; President of the International Society for Energy Transition Studies (ISETS); and a Council Member (President, 2016-2018) of the Chinese Economics Society Australia (CESA). His research interests cover the full spectrum of energy, climate change and other environmental issues in economics, policy, and sustainable development, with regional focuses on Australia, China, ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), and Northeast Asia. He was listed in 2020 as Australia's leading researcher in the field of Environmental Law and Policy, the top 2% of the world’s top scientists in the energy field, and the top 2% of authors in the world’s largest database of economists (RePEc). He serves as a Specialty Chief Editor of Frontiers in Environmental Economics, a co-Editor of Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy (SSCI), an associate editor of China and World Economy (SSCI), Energy Economics (SSCI, A*), Journal of Environmental Economics (in Chinese), and other editorial roles for more than 10 journals. He has worked in the energy sector for more than 26 years in roles spanning industry, government and research institutes in Australia, Brunei, China, Indonesia, Singapore, and an international organisation. He has advised international organisations, including ADB, and the International Group of LNG Importers (GIIGNL). Currently, he is an advisor to Global Gas Center (GGC), APEC Sustainable Energy Center (APSEC), and UN ESCAP, a member of the UN Working Group on Transforming the Extractive Industries for Sustainable Development and frequently participates in the United Nations and other international policy debates. Roc’s ultimate aim is to promote the cost-efficient transition to a low carbon future while protecting vulnerable stakeholders through research, service and global leadership. He has received a Bachelor of Engineering from China University of Mining and Technology, a Master of Laws from the University of Dundee, a Master of Environmental and Resource Economics (MERE) and a PhD in Economics from ANU.

Fukunari Kimura is the Chief Economist for Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) and Professor, Faculty of Economics, Keio University. He was born in Tokyo in 1958. He received his Bachelor of Laws from the Faculty of Law, University of Tokyo in 1982. He then received Master of Science and PhD titles from the Department of Economics, University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1990 and 1991, respectively. He worked for the Department of Economics, State University of New York at Albany as Assistant Professor in 1991-1994, and in the Faculty of Economics of Keio University as Associate Professor in 1994-2000. In particular, he has recently been active in writing academic/semi-academic books and articles on international production networks and economic integration in East Asia.