GCBC Logo

Financing the Managed Phaseout of Coal-Fired Power Plants in Asia Pacific

Financing the Managed Phaseout of Coal-Fired Power Plants in Asia Pacific

Year Published

2023

Contributing Organizations

Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ)

Type of Resource

Guidance
Research/Insights Report

Languages

Chinese
Korean
Japanese
English

Relevant Topics

Core Topic
Coal
Topic 2
Risks & Opportunities: The Business Case
Topic 3
Climate Policies & Frameworks

Target Audience

All

Relevant Geography

Asia & the Pacific
Global
Financing the Managed Phaseout of Coal-Fired Power Plants in Asia Pacific

Resource Description

This resource guides financial institutions on supporting the early retirement of coal plants in Asia-Pacific through a managed phaseout (MPO) approach.

Why This Matters

Phasing out coal in Asia-Pacific is critical to meeting 1.5°C goals. This resource outlines pathways for finance to drive credible, just, and scalable coal retirements.

Key Insights

  • Coal remains the largest CO₂ source, with Asia-Pacific especially dependent due to young fleets and rising demand
  • MPO finances early closures while ensuring energy security, unlike simple divestment
  • Credible plans require science-based timelines and strong policy, company, and asset-level commitments
  • Outcomes must cut emissions, expand clean energy, and support workers and communities
  • Transparent, time-bound, and measurable plans are essential for accountability
  • Financing tools include blended capital, carbon credits, and renewable bundling, with examples like Indonesia’s JETP and ADB’s Energy Transition Mechanism

Secondary File Resources

Secondary Resource Link(s)
Financing the Managed Phaseout of Coal-Fired Power Plants in Asia Pacific - (Chinese)
Video: Sectoral Pathways and Managed Phaseout of High-emitting assets
Financing the Managed Phaseout of Coal-Fired Power Plants in Asia Pacific - (Korean)
Financing the Managed Phaseout of Coal-Fired Power Plants in Asia Pacific - (Japanese)

Was this resource helpful?

We'd love to hear from you! You can share your feedback or suggest a resource below.

Share Your FeedbackSuggest a Resource

Related Resources

Rethinking the Role of Coal Power in China’s New Power System resourceRethinking the Role of Coal Power in China’s New Power System resource

Rethinking the Role of Coal Power in China’s New Power System

2025

C
AR
Transitioning Away From Coal: An orderly retirement of coal power plants in Pakistan resourceTransitioning Away From Coal: An orderly retirement of coal power plants in Pakistan resource

Transitioning Away From Coal: An orderly retirement of coal power plants in Pakistan

2024

SD
Preliminary Scoping Study "Pakistan's Clean Energy Transition: The role of Financing Institutions" resourcePreliminary Scoping Study "Pakistan's Clean Energy Transition: The role of Financing Institutions" resource

Preliminary Scoping Study "Pakistan's Clean Energy Transition: The role of Financing Institutions"

2025

SD
Asia’s Powerhouses at Risk: Physical Climate Risk Exposure and Resilience Readiness across Asia’s Electric Utilities resourceAsia’s Powerhouses at Risk: Physical Climate Risk Exposure and Resilience Readiness across Asia’s Electric Utilities resource

Asia’s Powerhouses at Risk: Physical Climate Risk Exposure and Resilience Readiness across Asia’s Electric Utilities

2025

AI
MS
Introduction to the evaluation of climate scenarios in investment portfolios resourceIntroduction to the evaluation of climate scenarios in investment portfolios resource

Introduction to the evaluation of climate scenarios in investment portfolios

2025

T
Mapping the Electric Vehicle Ecosystem in Pakistan resourceMapping the Electric Vehicle Ecosystem in Pakistan resource

Mapping the Electric Vehicle Ecosystem in Pakistan

2025

SD
How Hong Kong Could Contribute to the Green South-South Development: Opportunities, Barriers, and Recommendations resourceHow Hong Kong Could Contribute to the Green South-South Development: Opportunities, Barriers, and Recommendations resource

How Hong Kong Could Contribute to the Green South-South Development: Opportunities, Barriers, and Recommendations

2025

CE
Japan’s Ammonia Strategy: Excessive costs signal need for alternatives in the power sector resourceJapan’s Ammonia Strategy: Excessive costs signal need for alternatives in the power sector resource

Japan’s Ammonia Strategy: Excessive costs signal need for alternatives in the power sector

2025

AR
Decoding Carbon Markets: A simple guide for engaging and trading under carbon markets resourceDecoding Carbon Markets: A simple guide for engaging and trading under carbon markets resource

Decoding Carbon Markets: A simple guide for engaging and trading under carbon markets

2025

SD
Improving climate emissions accounting to accelerate the circular economy transition resourceImproving climate emissions accounting to accelerate the circular economy transition resource

Improving climate emissions accounting to accelerate the circular economy transition

2025

EM
Rethinking the Role of Coal Power in China’s New Power System resourceRethinking the Role of Coal Power in China’s New Power System resource

Rethinking the Role of Coal Power in China’s New Power System

2025

C
AR
Transitioning Away From Coal: An orderly retirement of coal power plants in Pakistan resourceTransitioning Away From Coal: An orderly retirement of coal power plants in Pakistan resource

Transitioning Away From Coal: An orderly retirement of coal power plants in Pakistan

2024

SD
Preliminary Scoping Study "Pakistan's Clean Energy Transition: The role of Financing Institutions" resourcePreliminary Scoping Study "Pakistan's Clean Energy Transition: The role of Financing Institutions" resource

Preliminary Scoping Study "Pakistan's Clean Energy Transition: The role of Financing Institutions"

2025

SD
Asia’s Powerhouses at Risk: Physical Climate Risk Exposure and Resilience Readiness across Asia’s Electric Utilities resourceAsia’s Powerhouses at Risk: Physical Climate Risk Exposure and Resilience Readiness across Asia’s Electric Utilities resource

Asia’s Powerhouses at Risk: Physical Climate Risk Exposure and Resilience Readiness across Asia’s Electric Utilities

2025

AI
MS
Introduction to the evaluation of climate scenarios in investment portfolios resourceIntroduction to the evaluation of climate scenarios in investment portfolios resource

Introduction to the evaluation of climate scenarios in investment portfolios

2025

T
Mapping the Electric Vehicle Ecosystem in Pakistan resourceMapping the Electric Vehicle Ecosystem in Pakistan resource

Mapping the Electric Vehicle Ecosystem in Pakistan

2025

SD
How Hong Kong Could Contribute to the Green South-South Development: Opportunities, Barriers, and Recommendations resourceHow Hong Kong Could Contribute to the Green South-South Development: Opportunities, Barriers, and Recommendations resource

How Hong Kong Could Contribute to the Green South-South Development: Opportunities, Barriers, and Recommendations

2025

CE
Japan’s Ammonia Strategy: Excessive costs signal need for alternatives in the power sector resourceJapan’s Ammonia Strategy: Excessive costs signal need for alternatives in the power sector resource

Japan’s Ammonia Strategy: Excessive costs signal need for alternatives in the power sector

2025

AR
Decoding Carbon Markets: A simple guide for engaging and trading under carbon markets resourceDecoding Carbon Markets: A simple guide for engaging and trading under carbon markets resource

Decoding Carbon Markets: A simple guide for engaging and trading under carbon markets

2025

SD
Improving climate emissions accounting to accelerate the circular economy transition resourceImproving climate emissions accounting to accelerate the circular economy transition resource

Improving climate emissions accounting to accelerate the circular economy transition

2025

EM
Rethinking the Role of Coal Power in China’s New Power System resourceRethinking the Role of Coal Power in China’s New Power System resource

Rethinking the Role of Coal Power in China’s New Power System

2025

C
AR
Transitioning Away From Coal: An orderly retirement of coal power plants in Pakistan resourceTransitioning Away From Coal: An orderly retirement of coal power plants in Pakistan resource

Transitioning Away From Coal: An orderly retirement of coal power plants in Pakistan

2024

SD
Preliminary Scoping Study "Pakistan's Clean Energy Transition: The role of Financing Institutions" resourcePreliminary Scoping Study "Pakistan's Clean Energy Transition: The role of Financing Institutions" resource

Preliminary Scoping Study "Pakistan's Clean Energy Transition: The role of Financing Institutions"

2025

SD
Asia’s Powerhouses at Risk: Physical Climate Risk Exposure and Resilience Readiness across Asia’s Electric Utilities resourceAsia’s Powerhouses at Risk: Physical Climate Risk Exposure and Resilience Readiness across Asia’s Electric Utilities resource

Asia’s Powerhouses at Risk: Physical Climate Risk Exposure and Resilience Readiness across Asia’s Electric Utilities

2025

AI
MS
Introduction to the evaluation of climate scenarios in investment portfolios resourceIntroduction to the evaluation of climate scenarios in investment portfolios resource

Introduction to the evaluation of climate scenarios in investment portfolios

2025

T
Mapping the Electric Vehicle Ecosystem in Pakistan resourceMapping the Electric Vehicle Ecosystem in Pakistan resource

Mapping the Electric Vehicle Ecosystem in Pakistan

2025

SD
How Hong Kong Could Contribute to the Green South-South Development: Opportunities, Barriers, and Recommendations resourceHow Hong Kong Could Contribute to the Green South-South Development: Opportunities, Barriers, and Recommendations resource

How Hong Kong Could Contribute to the Green South-South Development: Opportunities, Barriers, and Recommendations

2025

CE
Japan’s Ammonia Strategy: Excessive costs signal need for alternatives in the power sector resourceJapan’s Ammonia Strategy: Excessive costs signal need for alternatives in the power sector resource

Japan’s Ammonia Strategy: Excessive costs signal need for alternatives in the power sector

2025

AR
Decoding Carbon Markets: A simple guide for engaging and trading under carbon markets resourceDecoding Carbon Markets: A simple guide for engaging and trading under carbon markets resource

Decoding Carbon Markets: A simple guide for engaging and trading under carbon markets

2025

SD
Improving climate emissions accounting to accelerate the circular economy transition resourceImproving climate emissions accounting to accelerate the circular economy transition resource

Improving climate emissions accounting to accelerate the circular economy transition

2025

EM
Rethinking the Role of Coal Power in China’s New Power System resourceRethinking the Role of Coal Power in China’s New Power System resource

Rethinking the Role of Coal Power in China’s New Power System

2025

C
AR
Transitioning Away From Coal: An orderly retirement of coal power plants in Pakistan resourceTransitioning Away From Coal: An orderly retirement of coal power plants in Pakistan resource

Transitioning Away From Coal: An orderly retirement of coal power plants in Pakistan

2024

SD
Preliminary Scoping Study "Pakistan's Clean Energy Transition: The role of Financing Institutions" resourcePreliminary Scoping Study "Pakistan's Clean Energy Transition: The role of Financing Institutions" resource

Preliminary Scoping Study "Pakistan's Clean Energy Transition: The role of Financing Institutions"

2025

SD
Asia’s Powerhouses at Risk: Physical Climate Risk Exposure and Resilience Readiness across Asia’s Electric Utilities resourceAsia’s Powerhouses at Risk: Physical Climate Risk Exposure and Resilience Readiness across Asia’s Electric Utilities resource

Asia’s Powerhouses at Risk: Physical Climate Risk Exposure and Resilience Readiness across Asia’s Electric Utilities

2025

AI
MS
Introduction to the evaluation of climate scenarios in investment portfolios resourceIntroduction to the evaluation of climate scenarios in investment portfolios resource

Introduction to the evaluation of climate scenarios in investment portfolios

2025

T
Mapping the Electric Vehicle Ecosystem in Pakistan resourceMapping the Electric Vehicle Ecosystem in Pakistan resource

Mapping the Electric Vehicle Ecosystem in Pakistan

2025

SD
How Hong Kong Could Contribute to the Green South-South Development: Opportunities, Barriers, and Recommendations resourceHow Hong Kong Could Contribute to the Green South-South Development: Opportunities, Barriers, and Recommendations resource

How Hong Kong Could Contribute to the Green South-South Development: Opportunities, Barriers, and Recommendations

2025

CE
Japan’s Ammonia Strategy: Excessive costs signal need for alternatives in the power sector resourceJapan’s Ammonia Strategy: Excessive costs signal need for alternatives in the power sector resource

Japan’s Ammonia Strategy: Excessive costs signal need for alternatives in the power sector

2025

AR
Decoding Carbon Markets: A simple guide for engaging and trading under carbon markets resourceDecoding Carbon Markets: A simple guide for engaging and trading under carbon markets resource

Decoding Carbon Markets: A simple guide for engaging and trading under carbon markets

2025

SD
Improving climate emissions accounting to accelerate the circular economy transition resourceImproving climate emissions accounting to accelerate the circular economy transition resource

Improving climate emissions accounting to accelerate the circular economy transition

2025

EM