In the aftermath of the 1970s and subsequent oil shocks, Europe may have taken a global lead in strategies and development of renewable energies and technologies, but faces continuing hurdles in achieving its own objectives in this sector and in pulling Asia and other partners in the same direction to help deter climate change consequences.

Policies and practices of various Asian and European parties came into sharp focus during the meeting of the signators of the Biodiversty Convention to protect the world‘s endangered species and biological heritage in Kuala Lumpur in February.

The large Southeast Asia region of more than 500 million inhabitants was spotlighted this summer as a potential zone of priority need and growth for renewable energies in the near future at a conference in August in Bangkok organised by the Greenpeace chapter there and other organisations.