People-Powered Energy Transition: Community Initiatives in Asia’s New Climate Economy

About this event

People-Powered Energy Transition: Community Initiatives in Asia’s New Climate Economy is a visual storytelling exhibition that brings together stories from the Philippines and China that demonstrate how people are shaping a new climate economy through courage, resilience, and collective action. While each story unfolds in a different context, they are united by the belief that meaningful transformation begins with people. Bringing together stories from the Philippines and China, the exhibition shows how communities, workers, local leaders, and young people are navigating change and shaping new possibilities in the climate economy. In Barangay Bicos, Nueva Ecija, Philippines, local leadership and community action demonstrate how communities can take steps toward more affordable and accessible renewable energy, while also confronting the financial and institutional challenges that come with making the transition. In Shanxi, communities are navigating the complex transition beyond coal, revealing both the challenges and opportunities of building new livelihoods and a more sustainable future. Through the Future Renewable Energy Engineer (FREE) Scholarship Program, young Filipinos are preparing to become the next generation of renewable energy leaders, showing that investing in people is essential to sustaining the transition for decades to come. Through photographs, short films, personal stories, and interactive experiences, the exhibition brings these journeys to life. The photo storytelling installations offer glimpses into communities and people experiencing transition firsthand, while short film screenings allow visitors to hear directly from those at the heart of these stories. Together, the stories reveal that the energy transition is a process shaped by people's choices, aspirations, resilience, and ability to adapt. These are ultimately stories of hope and transformation. They show what becomes possible when communities are empowered to act, when people are given opportunities to build new livelihoods and skills, and when investments in today's young people are sustained for the future. The exhibition invites visitors to reflect on their own role in shaping a new climate economy and to see that a just and sustainable future is not built by technology alone, but by the people who imagine it, shape it, and make it possible.