Southeast Asia Climate Outlook Survey (2026): Measuring Public momentum in regional Climate transition

SINGAPORE, 1 OCTOBER 2026 —

The ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute has released the sixth edition of the Southeast Asia Climate Outlook Survey, a region-wide annual study designed to measure public momentum and perception regarding the climate transition.

Published on October 1, 2026, the report provides a critical evidence-based snapshot of how citizens across the region view the trade-offs between energy security, economic growth, and environmental sustainability.

This latest iteration marks a significant expansion of the survey’s scope, as it is the first edition to include Timor-Leste, ASEAN’s newest member, thereby broadening the geographic and demographic reach of the data collected. The survey serves as a vital tool for policymakers, businesses, academia, and civil society, offering insights into the public mood that underpins the region’s most consequential long-term challenge.

The release of this survey occurs at a difficult juncture for Southeast Asia, a region that remains heavily reliant on coal and other fossil fuels to meet fast-growing energy demand. Despite this reliance, the region ranks globally as one of the most exposed to the physical impacts of climate change. These impacts include rising sea levels, intensifying storms, and disruptions in food and water systems that threaten livelihoods across both urban and rural communities.

The survey aims to gauge whether governments, businesses, regional institutions, and extra-regional partners retain a clear and current understanding of how Southeast Asian publics perceive these complex trade-offs. It assesses whether citizens trust their institutions to manage the transition and are prepared to act, recognizing that sustaining momentum depends on more than just policy design and investment.

Geopolitical crises have further complicated the regional landscape, exposing Southeast Asia’s over-reliance and vulnerability to sudden energy shocks. The source notes that the region has felt the impact of such shocks, citing the closure of the Strait of Hormuz as a specific example of the risks associated with global energy dependencies.

Governments in the region now face the dual challenge of financing an orderly and equitable energy transition while simultaneously safeguarding energy security and economic growth. A central part of this challenge involves building public consensus around who should bear the costs of the transition. This is a delicate task, as public attention to climate issues competes with other pressing economic and developmental priorities that demand immediate government focus.

This year’s survey continues its tradition of asking respondents to weigh climate change against other pressing regional challenges. It assesses how directly citizens feel the impacts of climate change in their own countries and looks ahead at how the next decade might affect their daily lives.

Beyond capturing public sentiment on familiar terrain such as institutional trust, support for carbon pricing, and appetite for lifestyle change, the 2026 survey broadens its lens to several areas of growing regional relevance. The study probes public views on the pace of the region’s shift away from coal, attitudes toward fossil fuel subsidy reform, and the perceived role of natural gas in the transition.

It also examines perceptions of food insecurity across Southeast Asia, a topic of increasing concern as climate disruptions affect agricultural systems.

In a notable expansion, the survey asks respondents for the first time to weigh in on the environmental footprint of artificial intelligence. This addition reflects the growing intersection of technological advancement and environmental sustainability in the region. The survey also continues to explore how the region views ASEAN’s collective role in accelerating climate action and identifying leadership within its own ranks.

By including these new dimensions, the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute aims to provide a more comprehensive picture of the factors influencing public opinion on climate policy. The findings are intended to inform strategic decisions by a wide range of stakeholders who are navigating the complexities of the energy transition.

The Southeast Asia Climate Outlook Survey was initiated in 2020 by the Climate Change in Southeast Asia Programme at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. The program was established to understand the climate awareness and perceptions of Southeast Asian citizens towards climate action. The survey is designed to analyze the attitudes and concerns of citizens regarding climate change, governmental policies and actions, and the role of different stakeholders in climate action.

As the sixth edition, the 2026 report builds on five previous years of data, allowing for longitudinal analysis of shifting public sentiments. The inclusion of Timor-Leste in this edition represents a significant step toward ensuring that the survey captures the perspectives of all ASEAN member states, enhancing the representativeness of the data.

The leadership and expertise behind the survey and the institute reflect a diverse range of backgrounds in public service, academia, and industry. Mr Ng Chee Khern was appointed Director and CEO of ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute on April 1, 2026. Prior to this appointment, Mr Ng served as the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Manpower from 2022 to 2025.

His career began as a pilot in the Republic of Singapore Air Force in 1984, and he later served as the Chief of Air Force from 2006 to 2009. In 2010, he was appointed Director of the Security and Intelligence Division, becoming the Permanent Secretary for Defence Development in 2014.

He subsequently served as the Second Permanent Secretary for Health from 2014 to 2016 and as the Permanent Secretary for Smart Nation and Digital Government in the Prime Minister’s Office from 2017 to 2022.

Mr Ng currently serves as the Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and is an Independent Non-Executive Director on the boards of Hong Leong Asia Ltd, SIA Engineering Company Ltd, and NCS Pte Ltd. He is a Senior Fellow of the Civil Service College and an LKYSPP Distinguished Practitioner Fellow and Professor of Practice.

Previously, he was the Chairman of the Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech) and served on the boards of the National Research Foundation (NRF), Changi Airport Group, CAAS, Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd, and CapitaLand Mall Trust. Mr Ng is a recipient of the President’s Scholarship and Singapore Armed Forces Overseas Scholarship in 1985.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Second Upper Class Honours) and a Master of Arts in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Oxford, as well as a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University.

Ms Grace Fu, the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, is also associated with the broader context of climate policy in the region. She serves as the President of the Singapore National Olympic Council. In 2025, Ms Fu was recognized on the Forbes Sustainability Leaders List and the TIME100 Climate List for her work on climate change-related issues.

She entered politics in 2006 and is an elected Member of Parliament for Jurong East–Bukit Batok GRC (Yuhua). Her ministerial appointments have included roles in the Ministries of National Development, Education, Information, Communications and the Arts, Environment and Water Resources, and Foreign Affairs. In 2015, she was appointed Minister for Culture, Community and Youth.

Before entering politics, Ms Fu worked in the private sector, most recently as the Chief Executive Officer at PSA Southeast Asia and Japan, where she oversaw port terminals in Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, and Japan. She holds a Bachelor of Accountancy (Honours) and a Master of Business Administration from the National University of Singapore.

Prof. Cheong Koon Hean, Practice Professor and Chairman of the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities at SUTD, brings extensive experience in urban planning and sustainability. She is also the Chairman of the Centre for Liveable Cities’ Knowledge Council at the Ministry of National Development, Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador to Finland, and the Rector of NUS College.

Prof Cheong was formerly the CEO of the Housing and Development Board and the Urban Redevelopment Authority, and served as Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of National Development. She played a key role in shaping Singapore’s physical transformation, including Marina Bay and major development areas, and led the formulation of the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City master plan.

She introduced a new generation of smart and sustainable public housing estates and oversaw the management of over one million flats. Prof Cheong continues to contribute to global discourse on urban issues, serving on several local and international advisory panels. She is also the Chairman of the Nominating Committee of the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize and serves on the boards of Capitaland and SJ Groups.

Dr Elbinsar Purba, a Research Fellow at the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, focuses his research on the energy transition and decarbonization in Southeast Asia. He previously served at the ASEAN Secretariat for nearly six years, where he supported ASEAN countries in promoting inclusion and strengthening regional cooperation for sustainable development. In that role, he was in charge of research initiatives and managed the development of key reports, such as the ASEAN Development Outlook.

Dr Elbinsar obtained his PhD from Fudan University, gaining expertise in the political economy of development cooperation in Southeast Asia and the role of great power competition. Dr Sarah Chan Hian May is also identified as a Research Fellow under the Chan Heng Chee Research, contributing to the academic rigor of the survey’s analysis.

The combined expertise of these individuals underscores the depth of institutional knowledge behind the survey’s findings, ensuring that the data is interpreted through a lens that understands both the technical and political dimensions of the climate transition. The survey’s findings will continue to serve as a benchmark for assessing public readiness and institutional trust in the region’s ongoing efforts to address climate change.