RENEWABLE energy solutions, community-based approaches and innovative financing mechanisms could play a greater role in expanding energy access and supporting Sabah’s sustainability goals, a forum heard.
The issue was highlighted during the question-and-answer session of the “How Energy and Water Play a Role in Ecosystem Development” forum at the Sabah Asia-Pacific Impact Investing for Sustainable Development Summit 2026 (Sabah AIMS 2026) on Tuesday.
The discussion focused on the challenges of providing reliable electricity access, particularly for rural and off-grid communities, while ensuring energy development remained environmentally responsible.
AdrianTonibung Founder Adrian Lasimbang said future energy investments should recognise communities as active partners rather than only beneficiaries.
He said communities contributed valuable resources, knowledge and cultural understanding that should be considered when designing and implementing renewable energy projects.
Adrian said sustainability efforts would be stronger when communities had a meaningful stake in projects developed in their areas.
“Equity should also partly go to the community,” he said.
He said investment models should look beyond traditional approaches where benefits mainly flowed towards companies while communities received limited participation.
Adrian said community-based renewable energy models, including mini-grid systems, could provide opportunities for rural communities while supporting Sabah’s transition towards cleaner energy.
He said such solutions could help address energy access challenges, particularly in locations where connection to the main grid remained difficult.
He emphasised that renewable energy development should be designed according to local needs and conditions to ensure long-term sustainability.
Meanwhile, WWF Global Lead (Carbon Finance and Markets Rueban Manokara) said renewable microgrids could serve as an important transition mechanism for communities that were not yet connected to the main electricity grid.
He said expanding grid infrastructure remained important, but off-grid renewable solutions could provide immediate access to cleaner energy while larger systems were being developed.
“How we see it is not a single point of intervention. It is a multitude of interventions across the spectrum of time,” he said.
Rueban said different solutions would be needed at different stages of Sabah’s energy transition.
He said renewable microgrids could help bridge the gap between current energy access challenges and future grid expansion.
Rueban also highlighted the potential role of carbon markets in supporting renewable energy projects.
He said financing remained a key challenge for many sustainability initiatives, and carbon finance could provide additional support for projects with measurable environmental benefits.
He explained that renewable energy access projects could create value through carbon mechanisms when their climate impact could be clearly demonstrated.
He said community-based renewable energy projects could also benefit from carbon financing because they addressed both environmental and social challenges.
MagdaleneMeanwhile, Energy Commission of Sabah (ECoS) Deputy CEO (Planning and Economic Regulation) Chu Wai Quan Magdalene said Sabah was adopting multiple approaches to improve electricity access across the State.
She said energy development could not rely on only one solution, particularly when addressing the needs of different communities and geographical areas.
She said ECoS was looking at both grid and off-grid solutions as part of efforts to expand electricity access.
Magdalene said collaboration with various stakeholders, including government agencies, non-governmental organisations and industry players, would be important in achieving Sabah’s electrification target.
“The target was to ensure all communities could have access to electricity by 2030,” adding that partnerships would be necessary as energy access challenges required solutions beyond conventional government-funded infrastructure.
Green Esteel Pte Ltd Senior Advisor Dato’ Wee Yiaw Hin said industries also had an important role in supporting the transition towards a lower carbon future.
He said businesses must take responsibility for reducing their carbon footprint through better processes, innovation and sustainable practices.
Wee said companies should consider long-term environmental impacts when planning their operations and investments.
He also touched on the potential of carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) technologies in managing emissions.
He said carbon management solutions could become increasingly important as industries sought ways to reduce their environmental impact.
