Enabling Brunei’s Green Economy: From Strategy to Implementation

Confer
6d
3 min read

Brunei’s green economy ambitions are entering a more practical phase, with policymakers, industry leaders and financial institutions increasingly focused on implementation, investment readiness and long-term economic resilience. Drawing on insights from the recent UK mission to London and Aberdeen, discussions throughout the session explored how partnerships, financing and policy alignment can help accelerate Brunei’s transition towards a more sustainable and diversified economy under Wawasan 2035.

Key Takeaways

Financing and investor confidence will be critical in accelerating Brunei’s green economy transition, with speakers stressing the importance of regulatory clarity, stable policies and commercially viable projects.
Scaling renewable energy requires a broader “systems thinking” approach involving infrastructure, grid readiness, technical planning and workforce capabilities.
Stronger collaboration between government, industry, financial institutions and international partners will be essential in turning Brunei’s green economy ambitions into practical and scalable implementation.

Strengthening the Green Economy Framework

H.E. Ken O’Flaherty highlighted how the green economy is creating major opportunities across Asia through investments in renewable energy, sustainable industries and energy transition initiatives. He stressed the importance of stronger UK-Brunei collaboration under the UK-Brunei Green Economy Framework, noting that international partnerships and coordinated action will be essential in supporting Brunei’s sustainability ambitions.

Nick Ash of ARUP also highlighted how Brunei can leverage its existing strengths in oil and gas, industrial expertise and skilled workforce to support long-term green economic growth. He noted that economic diversification works best when aligned with decarbonisation and commercially viable investment opportunities, while identifying opportunities in renewable energy, hydrogen, carbon capture and recycling industries.

Shirley Sikun from the Department of Energy further outlined Brunei’s balanced and pragmatic approach towards energy transition, integrating traditional oil and gas strengths with cleaner energy solutions to support energy security, sustainability and long-term economic growth. She also highlighted initiatives such as the Sungai Bera Energy Efficient and Solar-integrated (E2S) Industrial Park and the S.C.A.L.E (Skills and Capacity for Alternative Low Carbon Energy) framework to strengthen implementation and capability building.

Financing, Infrastructure and Skills

During the panel discussion moderated by Sharon Tan of Standard Chartered Bank, speakers highlighted that financing and investor confidence will play a critical role in accelerating Brunei’s green economy transition. While interest in green investment continues to grow, investors still require regulatory clarity, commercially viable business models and stable policy environments before committing to large-scale projects. Renewable energy initiatives, particularly rooftop solar, were highlighted as areas where financing could help accelerate adoption.

The discussion also stressed that scaling renewable energy requires more than simply installing solar panels. Shirley Sikun repeatedly highlighted the importance of “systems thinking,” noting that infrastructure, grid readiness, workforce capabilities and operational sustainability must evolve together for the green economy to scale effectively. Workforce development was also identified as a key enabler, particularly as many skills from Brunei’s oil and gas industry are transferable to renewable energy and industrial decarbonisation sectors.

Collaboration and Moving Towards Delivery

Throughout the session, speakers repeatedly emphasised the importance of stronger collaboration between government agencies, industries, financial institutions and international partners in helping de-risk projects, attract investment and accelerate innovation. Brunei’s stable political environment and strong institutional support were also viewed as important advantages in attracting long-term green investment.

The discussion concluded with a shared view that Brunei’s green economy journey is now moving from strategy towards implementation. While strong foundations are already in place, future progress will depend on delivering practical, scalable and commercially viable projects through continued collaboration, investment and execution.