Asia’s RE100 Momentum: New Corporate Members Drive Renewable Energy Leadership
- Oct 1
- 3 min read
The clean energy transition is gaining pace worldwide, but regional progress remains uneven, creating space for corporate action to fill the gap. The 2024 RE100 Annual Disclosure Report, released in May 2025, shows how Asia is stepping into this leadership role. In China, RE100 members boosted their renewable electricity share from 50% to 59% in just one year, showing a clear sign of the region’s growing corporate influence in driving clean energy adoption.
RE100 Initiative Membership Growth
In 2024, RE100 welcomed 32 new members, with 75% headquartered in Asia. These Asian newcomers account for 94% of the total annual electricity demand from all new joiners, underscoring their outsized energy footprint.
By the end of 2024, RE100 counted 442 members globally, representing 583 TWh of annual electricity consumption, roughly equivalent to South Korea’s total. Collectively, members reported sourcing 53% renewable electricity, with 42% recognized through verified, transparent disclosures.
Significant Gains in Renewable Electricity Use
Several Asian markets recorded major increases in renewable sourcing. Vietnam surged from 30% to 58%, marking one of the steepest year-on-year climbs in the RE100 network. China also posted strong double-digit growth, reflecting how corporate action is accelerating clean energy adoption despite persistent policy and infrastructure barriers in many markets, including restrictive PPA frameworks and limited access to high-quality Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs). These improvements are closely tied to evolving procurement strategies
Procurement Shifts in Asia
Manufacturing remains the largest electricity-consuming sector among Asia’s RE100 members, making its renewable shift critical for decarbonizing global supply chains. As a backbone of Asia’s economy and a key driver of exports, the sector’s transition supports compliance with low-carbon trade requirements and strengthens international competitiveness.
In 2024, purchases of renewable electricity through retail contracts with suppliers in Asia grew from 56 TWh to 79 TWh, while self-generation rose 50% to 6 TWh. These trends reflect a growing preference for supplier-based solutions in markets with limited PPA access, alongside increasing investment in on-site generation to secure cleaner, more reliable energy.
Barriers That Still Hold Back Progress
Despite strong momentum, high costs and limited supply remain the most cited barriers for Asian RE100 members, particularly in the Republic of Korea (38%) and Taiwan (33%). These constraints slow market maturity, delay corporate decarbonization, and make it harder for companies to meet RE100 targets. In many markets, regulatory complexities — from caps on renewable project capacity to unclear grid access rules — also restrict the pace at which corporates can expand renewable procurement.
Scale, Supply Chains, and Systemic Barriers in Asian Market
Asia’s corporate renewable commitments matter for two key reasons. First, scale: the region’s members are among the largest electricity consumers in RE100, so their procurement choices can significantly shift market demand and accelerate renewable capacity growth. Second, supply chain impact: with much of the world’s manufacturing concentrated in Asia, decarbonization here directly influences the carbon footprint of globally traded products.
In Indonesia, where large industrial players consume substantial electricity and play a central role in global supply chains, renewable procurement could deliver impact far beyond national borders. Yet progress is constrained by limited renewable capacity in the grid mix, slow permitting for new projects, and the absence of a regulatory framework that allows unrestricted corporate PPAs. Addressing these gaps, particularly by enabling large-scale renewables integration and streamlining project approvals, would unlock faster corporate sourcing and bolster both domestic and global decarbonization.
Conclusion
The 2024 RE100 Annual Disclosure Report makes one thing clear: Asia’s pace of action will be pivotal to the global net-zero transition. Corporate leadership in the region is already reshaping energy markets and supply chains, proving that ambition paired with decisive procurement can overcome structural challenges.
At Mt. Stonegate, we help corporates turn ambition into measurable progress, from sourcing high-quality Energy Attribute Certificates and structuring corporate PPAs to designing decarbonization roadmaps aligned with RE100 targets and net-zero strategies. Our solutions ensure that commitments are delivered with speed, credibility, and tangible impact.
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