The Green Economy Tracker: A New Lens for Southeast Asia’s Growth

Southeast Asia is growing rapidly. Cities are expanding, energy demand is rising, industries are changing, and governments are setting new climate and sustainability targets.

But as the region moves toward greener growth, one question becomes more important: How can we determine if the goals of a green economy are being translated into actual policy actions?

This question is not easy to answer. Green economy progress cannot be measured only by indicators or figures related to one target, one policy, or one sector. It involves multiple sectors, including energy, transport, agriculture, finance, jobs, nature, social protection, and the circular economy, as well as governance. It also depends on whether policies are implemented fairly, inclusively, and in a manner relevant to each country's context.

Southeast Asia is growing rapidly (by Aniq Danial on Unsplash)

Measuring Green Economy Progress is Challenging

Countries have different data collection and measurement systems. Some countries may be stronger in renewable energy generation. Others may have stronger policies on social protection, sustainable agriculture, green finance, or biodiversity. Some policies may look ambitious on paper but face practical implementation challenges.

The Green Economy Tracker provides a credible way to do so.

What Is the Green Economy Tracker?

The Green Economy Tracker is a policy benchmarking platform developed by the Green Economy Coalition, with support from IIED Europe through the project Strengthening Societal Demands for Green and Circular Economies. It benchmarks the adoption of 21 key green economy policies across 50 countries, covering themes such as governance, finance, sectoral planning, just transitions, nature, and green recovery measures.

The Tracker does not focus only on climate targets. It examines a broader range of policy areas that influence a country's progress towards a more sustainable and inclusive economy. It helps users look more closely at the policy commitments and regulatory framework behind that ambition.

A Tool for Learning, Not Only Scoring

It is important to understand that the Green Economy Tracker is not only a scorecard. Scores can help simplify complex policy-related information. They make it easier to compare countries and policy areas. But a score should not be treated as the definitive answer.

A higher score should prompt questions such as: What policies contributed to that progress? What can other countries learn from it? What sources support this assessment?

A lower score may raise questions such as: What policy gaps remain? Which new policies should be introduced? What support, evidence, or public discussion is required?

The Tracker's scoring opens the conversation. It should not close it.

Like any benchmarking tool, the Tracker also has its limits. Policies can change quickly, and a policy on paper does not always mean effective implementation on the ground. This is why reviewing sources, understanding local contexts, and incorporating public feedback are important parts of using the platform.

The Green Economy Tracker should be viewed as a starting point for better inquiries, rather than as a final judgment on a country's green economy performance.

Why Southeast Asia Should Pay Attention

Southeast Asia is highly diverse region. Countries differ in their energy systems, natural resources, labour markets, governance structures, development priorities, and exposure to climate risks. As a result, there is no single green economy pathway that can simply be transferred from one country to another. Yet countries can still learn from each other.

The Green Economy Tracker provides a shared reference point for this regional learning. It enables users to compare policy ambition across countries and thematic areas while examining the evidence behind each assessment.

This is particularly relevant in Southeast Asia, where energy, trade, investment, food systems, labour markets, supply chains, and climate risks are increasingly interconnected across borders. The Tracker can help make these discussions more inclusive by supporting engagement among governments, researchers, civil society, businesses, students, and the wider public.

Several Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, and Viet Nam, are already covered by the Tracker. Their profiles offer an opportunity to explore how different national contexts shape approaches to the green economy transition.

These comparisons should be approached carefully. The purpose is not to rank countries or determine which is simply performing “better.” Rather, comparisons can help users identify useful lessons, understand different policy pathways, and recognise how national priorities, economic structures, and implementation conditions influence each country’s transition.

How to Use the Green Economy Tracker

Readers can use the Green Economy Tracker in several simple and concrete ways.

• First, visit the country profile pages to see how different countries are assessed.

• Second, explore the policy areas to understand how the green economy transition is broken down into specific thematic areas.

• Third, review the sources behind each assessment. This helps users understand what evidence supports the score.

• Fourth, users can carefully compare countries to identify useful lessons, different policy approaches, and areas of shared progress.

• Fifth, provide feedback or suggest updated information where relevant. Green economy policy is evolving continuously, so new evidence and public input can help improve the platform over time. In this way, the Tracker can support more informed public discussion. It gives users a way to ask better questions, challenge their assumptions, and identify where more evidence or stronger policy action may be necessary.

A Starting Point for Better Questions

The Green Economy Tracker assists countries, researchers, civil society, and the general public understand policy ambitions in the context of the green economy. It allows users to compare country progress and update sources. For Southeast Asia, the tool should not be seen only as a ranking system. It should be used as a learning platform. Indonesia, Malaysia, and Viet Nam already provide important entry points for regional discussion.

Viet Nam has emerged as a leader in Southeast Asia’s energy transition, accounting for nearly 70% of the utility-scale solar and wind capacity in the ASEAN region. Viet Nam’s entry in the Green Economy Tracker offers an excellent opportunity to demonstrate how a country can balance rapid growth with ambitious renewable energy goals.

A greener and fairer economy requires more than ambition. It requires evidence, discussion, comparison, and continuous learning. The Green Economy Tracker can support that process.

Your Role: Everyone Can Participate

Building a green economy isn't just a government mandate. It requires public oversight and informed discussion. Visit the Green Economy Tracker, review the sources, and share your feedback. Policy is constantly evolving, and your local insights can help keep these assessments accurate and relevant.

This article was contributed by su-re.co and IIED Europe to support public understanding and evidence-based discussion around the Green Economy Tracker, a policy platform developed by the Green Economy Coalition with support from IIED Europe. Through its research and climate initiatives, su-re.co works to connect policy insights with practical and community-based action across Southeast Asia.

Learn more about su-re.co’s sustainability research and initiatives. Stay tuned for the next article in this series.