Asia entered 2026 with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projecting the region to contribute around 60% of global growth during the year. Sustaining that economic momentum carries significant energy needs, even as governments and businesses work to reduce emissions and advance the transition.

The context in which those ambitions are being pursued has changed considerably. Geopolitical tensions were already reshaping trade and investment when the year began, and the subsequent disruption in the Strait of Hormuz brought the vulnerability of global energy flows into sharper focus.

For Asia, this reinforces the need to advance decarbonisation while recognising that developing economies still require secure and affordable energy to sustain growth. How that transition unfolds will matter just as much as its pace, particularly for the workforce and communities whose livelihoods are most exposed.

Questions about balancing these priorities were already taking shape before the latest energy-security shock. Developed in 2025, Economist Impact’s From Intention to Action: Navigating a Just Transition in Asia, supported by Energy Asia by PETRONAS, examines how businesses across China, India, Indonesia, Japan and Malaysia were approaching a just transition in practice.

Drawing on a survey of 500 senior executives across eight industries, together with expert interviews and wider research, the paper provides a view of business preparedness at the time. It explores the barriers companies faced and the conditions that could help turn commitments into meaningful progress.

The events this year have heightened the relevance of this report. Asia must now consider how to advance its transition while protecting energy security and managing the effects of change more equitably.

Download the paper to explore what businesses were already saying about these issues and why those perspectives matter even more today.