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Posted by David Sexton
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9 October, 2025
A REGIONAL pact is required to hasten the transition to clean energy and reinvent port infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific, according to Asian Development Bank president Masato Kanda.
Mr Kanda spoke at the Science and Technology in Society forum in Kyoto, Japan, ahead of the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) World Ports Conference in Kobe.
He emphasised the need to align science, policy and finance to address regional development challenges, including collective action to ensure clean energy solutions that were “technically viable, financially accessible, and supported by governments”.
“Ports are critical hubs of trade and connectivity but must evolve to meet the demands of a net-zero future,” Mr Kanda said.
“Reinventing them means reducing emissions from maritime transport, strengthening climate resilience, and enabling greener supply chains.”
Mr. Kanda said the bank was prepared to support nuclear power, arguing it was “an important option for countries that want to shift away from coal and gas baseload and cut emissions”.
He reiterated ADB's plan to provide up to $10 billion over 10 years to clean up the ASEAN Power Grid and called on governments, industry and development partners to reinvent ports as resilient, digital, and low-carbon gateways.
"We envision ports in Asia and the Pacific transforming into highly efficient, digitally enabled, energy-integrated hubs,” Mr Kanda said.
“These ports will safeguard supply chains, generate local employment, foster regional cooperation, and position our economies for sustainable growth."
His speech outlined a path to port transformation aimed at closing investment gaps with targeted public financing and deepening regional cooperation so ports could operate as integrated networks rather than isolated nodes.
The conference also included the signing of an MOU between the ADB and the IAPH, an agreement aimed at promoting joint knowledge generation, technical exchanges and capacity development to support ADB's developing member countries in port digitalisation, resilience and green transformation.
