Around the world, urban areas are racing to decarbonize while balancing tight budgets, growing populations, and pressing infrastructure demands. Southeast Asian cities are no exception: many face rising energy needs but limited ability to borrow or subsidize large-scale investments. Finding models that can attract private capital while ensuring accountability has become one of the region’s most urgent challenges.
In this edition of the Transition Toolbox Series, Marc S. Forni, Lead Urban Specialist at the World Bank, discusses the Regional Low Carbon Cities Program, a new approach designed to bridge this gap. By combining performance-based contracts, stapled lending through partner banks, and transparent crediting rules, the program creates a clear pathway for cities to mobilize investment. Piloted in Thailand, it demonstrates how proven solutions such as rooftop solar, efficient lighting, and electrified fleets can be scaled across Southeast Asia, offering a replicable playbook for urban decarbonization.
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