Where should corporations focus their renewable energy procurement if they are concerned about carbon emissions?
China and India are the two most populous countries in the world, with developing economies that require increasing energy generation to keep up with demand. The problem? Both markets have the highest carbon intensity of electricity grids in the region and are projected to continue adding new coal capacity in the coming years. In fact, according to the World Economic Forum, coal consumption in China, India and other Asian nations account for approximately 75% of global coal demand. As the EU and US accelerate away from coal, their behavior will have less of an impact on the global coal industry’s future. Without significant changes, however, Asia’s coal consumption growth could have serious implications for the planet.

For corporates who are interested in decarbonizing their operations and supply chains, they are well served to understand the implications of the locations of their facilities and their supply chain partners. Utilizing the most recent publicly available data on country-level grid emissions factors (GEFs) as well as incorporating our own market research, we have mapped the Carbon Intensity of Electricity Grids in Asia to help visualize emissions intensity across Asian electricity grids.
Otto Nichols
Otto holds a Master of Science in Energy Systems Management from the University of San Francisco and a Bachelor's in Business Administration from DePaul University. With a background spanning renewable energy compliance and clean energy retail, he joined Apala Group (now Apala by E&C) in 2021, contributing to supply chain decarbonisation and renewable energy procurement analysis across Asia and the Americas.