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ASEAN BUILT: Flagship Regional Platform to Accelerate Investment Mobilization for Sustainable Buildings
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 17 October 2025 — The Asia Low Carbon Buildings Transition (ALCBT) Project officially launched the ASEAN BUILT (Building Investment for Low-Carbon Transition) Platform at the 25th ASEAN Energy Business Forum (AEBF-25), held under Malaysia’s 2025 ASEAN Chairmanship. Spearheaded and developed by the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) in collaboration with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), the platform serves as a flagship regional product for ASEAN’s low-carbon transition.
The platform is the first regional one-stop shop of its kind, dedicated to unlocking investment in sustainable buildings by providing data-driven tools and connecting stakeholders across ASEAN’s building sector, and is funded by the Government of Germany through the International Climate Initiative (IKI).
YAB Datuk Amar Haji Fadillah bin Haji Yusof, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation of Malaysia, stated during his opening remarks at the Joint Opening Ceremony of the 43rd ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM-43) and its Associated Meetings and the 25th ASEAN Energy Business Forum (AEBF-25): “I am happy to inform on the Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship, the 43rd ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting (AMEM) has successfully achieved its 2025 priority economic deliverables and several important initiatives.” Among those priorities, he mentioned the launch of the ASEAN Energy Efficiency Database and Investment Platform (ASEAN BUILT).
“The ALCBT project is a crucial initiative to substantially reduce sectoral greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and catalyze Thailand’s transition towards low-carbon buildings. The ASEAN-BUILT platform will accelerate the achievement of these goals by mobilizing financing for low-carbon buildings and addressing systemic and technical barriers not only in Thailand, but also ASEAN,” said Nanthika Thangsupanich, Director-General of Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency (DEDE), Ministry of Energy, Thailand.
“I am delighted to officially launch the ASEAN BUILT Platform. The transition to low-carbon buildings is essential and we must close the investment gap that continues to hinder progress. This platform helps close this gap by connecting project developers the investors, accelerating the flow of capital toward energy-efficient solutions. Through this initiative, ASEAN takes a concrete step toward achieving the APAEC 2026–2030 target of reducing energy intensity by 40% and realising our shared vision of a sustainable and resilient region,” said Dato’ Ir. Ts. Razib Dawood, Executive Director of ACE.
With buildings accounting for 22% of the region’s energy consumption in 2022, a figure projected to rise by 56% by 2050, the platform will serve as a key enabler in advancing the goals of the newly endorsed ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC) 2026-2030, which includes a target of reducing energy intensity by 40% by 2030.
ASEAN BUILT offers four key features:
- Project Database: A database for low-carbon building projects in the ASEAN region
- Low Carbon Calculator: Assessment tools to calculate potential energy savings, carbon reductions, and key financial metrics like Return on Investment.
- Investment Matchmaking: A function connecting building owners with a network of financial institutions to attract investment and secure financing.
- Knowledge Sharing Hub: A resource center featuring best practices, a directory of technology and energy service providers.
“Transitioning to low-carbon buildings is not only critical for reducing emissions, but also for lowering operational costs and enhancing comfort for building users. Strengthening regional collaboration and engagement across the enabling ecosystem — from policymakers and financiers to technology providers and building owners — is essential to accelerate sustainable transformation in the region,” said Dr. Vandeluxe Yan, Deputy Director General of Construction, Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning, and Construction of Cambodia.
A Regional Milestone and Pathway to Lasting Impact
ASEAN BUILT began in 2024 with groundwork and consultations. In the next two years, it will focus on developing a pipeline of bankable projects across ASEAN. By 2028 and beyond, it aims to evolve into a self-sustaining ecosystem that continuously attracts capital, expertise, and innovation for low-carbon buildings.
Its launch at AEBF, the region’s premier annual energy platform, highlights ASEAN’s collective drive to meet its energy and climate goals. It also signals the region’s readiness to mobilize green investment at scale, with sustainable buildings elevated as a priority deliverable of ASEAN’s agenda.
Start exploring the ASEAN BUILT platform here.
About ALCBT
The Asia Low Carbon Buildings Transition (ALCBT) Project seeks to significantly reduce GHG emissions by catalyzing nationwide transitions towards low-carbon buildings in Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Funded by the Government of Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), through the International Climate Initiative (IKI), the project is implemented by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) in partnership with the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), and HEAT GmbH.
For more information, visit: https://alcbt.gggi.org.
About ACE
The ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) is an intergovernmental organization within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) structure that represents the 10 ASEAN Member States’ (AMS) interests in the energy sector.
About GGGI
The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), headquartered in Seoul, Republic of Korea is a treaty-based international, inter-governmental organization dedicated to supporting and promoting strong, inclusive and sustainable economic growth in developing countries and emerging economies.
