Boao Forum for Asia 2025
Special Event
Enodo Economics’ Chief Economist, Diana Choyleva, moderated the panel ”Promoting Energy Transition in Asia” at the Boao Forum for Asia on 27th March 2025.
Description
The Boao Forum for Asia 2025 brought together influential leaders in government, business, and finance to address one of the most pressing global challenges – Asia’s green energy transition. Held under the theme, “Asia in the Changing World: Towards a Shared Future,” this high-level roundtable focused on how Asia’s diverse economies can collaborate to accelerate the green transition through technology integration, policy alignment, and innovation. With Asia playing a critical role in the global energy landscape, the session underscored how the region can scale solutions, mobilise investments, and overcome existing barriers to drive sustainable energy transformation.
Moderator Participation:
Diana expertly steered the conversation, providing both economic rigour and visionary insights. She began her remarks by framing the green transition as “the most important question for our children”, stressing its existential nature for future generations. Against the lush backdrop of Boao, Diana highlighted the urgency of addressing the region’s energy needs, noting that Asia’s energy transition is proceeding unevenly. She drew attention to Southeast Asia, which is expected to account for 25% of global energy demand growth by 2035, surpassing the EU’s energy consumption by 2050. Diana emphasized that how Southeast Asia addresses energy transition challenges will shape the world’s climate future, and urged participants to offer practical, scalable solutions that address both environmental and economic realities.
Keynote Introductions:
Diana Choyleva provided personalized introductions for three distinguished keynote speakers, setting the stage for a thought-provoking dialogue:
- Henry Paulson: Former U.S. Treasury Secretary and current leader of the Paulson Institute, where he focuses on sustainable development, especially US-China cooperation
- Zhou Xiaochuan: Former Governor of the People’s Bank of China, whose expertise in systems engineering and his role during the Global Financial Crisis uniquely positioned him to discuss systemic aspects of energy transition
- Xie Zhenhua: China’s former Special Envoy for Climate Change, whose tireless work on climate policy helped advance President Xi Jinping’s “Beautiful China” vision and global climate goals
