Charting the course: Powering Asia’s energy transition through maritime decarbonisation

Singapore stands at the forefront of Asia’s energy transition—leveraging its role as a global maritime hub and LNG bunkering leader to drive decarbonisation in one of the hardest-to-abate sectors. As the city-state pursues its net-zero target by 2050, low-emissions liquefied natural gas (LNG) offers the potential of cleaner energy and fuel to accelerate progress toward Singapore’s and the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2050 net-zero goals, provided that methane emissions and other LNG supply chain emissions are effectively managed.

Decarbonising the LNG supply chain will thus be central to these efforts. Leading LNG importers such as Japan and South Korea have initiated the Coalition for LNG Emission Abatement towards Net-zero (CLEAN), which aims to improve methane emissions management and transparency within LNG supplier operations. The possible participation of countries such as Singapore and other Asean LNG importers will contribute significantly to advancing low-emissions LNG.   

Singapore LNG Corporation, alongside national energy companies in Asean, are further pushing for a progressive, collaborative and inclusive approach to methane emissions reduction – a key decarbonisation lever for the sector.

'Certified' natural gas with lower methane intensity, which assesses the decarbonisation of the full LNG supply chain, will play a pivotal role in validating these efforts. By ensuring transparent methane tracking and credible lifecycle emission accounting across the supply chain, certification frameworks build confidence among stakeholders and attract the capital needed to scale cleaner fuel solutions.  

Decarbonising maritime shipping remains a complex challenge given its importance to trade, energy security, and economic growth. Asia’s fragmented regulatory environment — marked by differing CO2 and methane emissions accounting standards and infrastructure readiness — is creating uncertainty and slowing investment in vital solutions such as low-carbon fuels, port readiness, vessel efficiency, and LNG lifecycle assessment.

Singapore’s pilot projects in low-carbon alternatives, including bio-LNG through the Rotterdam–Singapore Green Corridor and ammonia partnerships with Sembcorp, showcase the country’s commitment to innovation and collaboration. 

This invitation-only roundtable hosted by Eco-Business in partnership with global non-profit EDF in the same week of Singapore Maritime Week 2026 offers a timely platform to examine Singapore and the region’s evolving policy and market landscape for low-emissions LNG, methane management, and maritime decarbonisation. By convening policymakers and industry leaders, the session aims to identify tangible opportunities for collaboration that deliver near-term emissions reductions while building the foundation for a fully decarbonised maritime sector.