ASEAN shifts FDI strategy toward green tech, CCS, and smart grids
canadianinquirer.netASEAN economic ministers met in Manila and agreed to refocus investment promotion away from raw volume and toward projects that generate innovation, quality jobs, and industrial capacity. Priority sectors now include solar PV equipment, carbon capture and storage, biofuels, smart-grid development, and sustainable building materials, according to trade officials. Foreign direct investment into the region hit US$243.9 billion in 2025, up 9.7% from the prior year, with intra-ASEAN investment climbing to nearly US$40 billion. The new ASEAN Regional Investment Promotion Action Plan 2025-2030 aims to market the bloc as a single destination for these higher-value sectors, though details on how member states will coordinate incentives and infrastructure remain thin.