The Global Foundation convened its most recent Energy Transition Roundtable on 21 April 2026, bringing together a group of leaders from business, civil society, government and international institutions across Australia, Asia and globally. The roundtable was kindly hosted by Foundation Partner, Alinta Energy from its Melbourne offices.

The roundtable followed on from and brought together two threads of the Foundation’s work over the past year or so, through its Global Alliance of Partners and Allies, namely:

The Energy Transition Roundtable was held at a time of heightened global instability. The conflict in the Middle East has exposed the fragility of global energy systems, supply chains and market dynamics, reinforcing the interconnected nature of energy security, economic resilience and the transition to a lower-emissions future.

Against this backdrop, the discussion sought to move beyond immediate disruption, to better understand how the current moment might reshape the trajectory of the global energy transition, and how the Foundation’s global alliance network can contribute to more coordinated and practical forms of action.

The discussion was conducted under the Chatham House Rule, enabling an open and candid exchange across perspectives.

Some remarks and links to relevant work by Partners and Allies were attributable and are identified in Appendix 3.

A transition under pressure — but not in retreat

A clear signal from the discussion was that the current global energy shock is not derailing the transition but rather reshaping it.

Participants reflected that the crisis has brought into sharper focus the structural vulnerabilities associated with existing energy systems, particularly where supply chains are concentrated or exposed to geopolitical risk. In doing so, it has strengthened the long-term rationale for diversification, electrification and investment in cleaner and more resilient energy systems.

At the same time, it was recognised that in the near term, governments are being required to respond to immediate pressures around security and affordability. This has led to a re-weighting of priorities, with some short-term decisions appearing to sit in tension with longer-term transition goals.

What is emerging is not a reversal of the transition, but a more grounded and pragmatic phase, in which resilience, security and system stability are becoming central to how the transition is understood and delivered.

From ambition to delivery

A consistent theme across the discussion was that the primary constraint on progress is no longer ambition, but execution.

While targets, commitments and strategies continue to evolve, the challenge now lies in delivering the transition at the scale and pace required.

Participants pointed to a range of structural constraints, including the complexity of infrastructure build-out, delays in transmission and grid development, supply chain limitations, and increasing pressure on project economics.

In this context, the transition is increasingly understood as a systems challenge, requiring alignment across policy, capital, infrastructure and community acceptance.

Increasingly, participants reflected on the need for better orchestration across the transition itself, bringing together different actors and parts of the system in a more cohesive and coordinated manner.

There was a strong recognition that progress will be determined not by the articulation of ambition, but by the capacity to translate that ambition into coordinated, investable and deliverable pathways.

Rebalancing the energy trilemma

The discussion reinforced the enduring relevance of the energy trilemma — balancing security, affordability and sustainability — but noted that this balance has become more acute, particularly in light of TotalEnergies’ ‘Sustainability and Climate 2026 Progress Report’, released in late March 2026. This landmark document, framed around the theme of ‘More Energy, Less Emissions’, not only re-confirms the strategy that differentiates TotalEnergies from its peers, it also serves to help re-define the wider conversation about the global energy transition, at a time when many in decision-making positions are at least uncertain about how to frame and address the future.

Energy security has moved sharply to the forefront of national agendas, while affordability pressures are shaping both political decision-making and public sentiment. At the same time, the imperative of decarbonisation remains unchanged.

Participants reflected that maintaining social licence for the transition will require greater attention to these competing pressures, particularly in ensuring that the transition is both economically viable and socially acceptable.

This also reinforced the importance of a just transition, ensuring that workers, industries and communities are not left behind as economies and energy systems continue to evolve.

In this environment, successful transition strategies will be those that are able to hold these tensions in balance, rather than prioritising one dimension at the expense of others.

Australia’s role in a shifting system

Australia was seen as relatively well-positioned in the current global context, with a stable energy system, strong resource endowments, and an important role in regional energy and supply chains.

However, this position is accompanied by a set of structural challenges. These include the continued role of gas in maintaining system reliability, the pace and coordination of transmission development, and the increasing complexity of securing investment in large-scale projects.

There was also recognition of the importance of maintaining public confidence in the transition, particularly as cost pressures and infrastructure impacts become more visible.

Participants also reflected on the need for greater attention to decommissioning and transition planning for legacy infrastructure and industries, including the implications for workers, communities and broader stakeholders associated with these shifts.

The discussion pointed to the need for a more coordinated approach across government, industry and the broader community, to move from policy ambition to practical, system-wide delivery.

Asia and the reality of interdependence

A strong theme across the discussion was the central role of Asia in shaping the global energy transition. More than elsewhere, the current global energy shock is impacting – and will continue to impact – Asia severely over the medium term.

Participants emphasised that there is no single pathway, but rather a diverse set of national transitions, shaped by differing economic structures, energy systems and development priorities. At the same time, the scale of demand, investment and industrial capability across the region means that Asia will be decisive in determining global outcomes.

In this context, the notion of decoupling was widely seen as neither practical nor desirable. Instead, the discussion pointed to an emerging reality of deep and evolving interdependence, particularly across energy, capital, technology and supply chains.

This interdependence brings both risk and opportunity. It requires new forms of cooperation, as well as more effective mechanisms for managing shared vulnerabilities.

What is increasingly clear is that resilience will not be achieved through isolation, but through the better governance of interconnected systems.

Mobilising for practical action

The roundtable reinforced the importance of the Global Foundation’s role in convening a trusted network across sectors and regions and highlighted the opportunity to move from dialogue to more deliberate forms of mobilisation.

There was a shared recognition that the network is uniquely positioned to contribute to three areas of practical focus.

Summary and wrap

The roundtable took place at a moment of uncertainty, but also of opportunity.

The global energy system is under pressure, and the path forward is becoming more complex. Yet the direction of travel remains clear, and in many respects, the current moment has sharpened both the risks of inaction and the necessity of change.

The central message from the discussion was clear:

The energy transition will not be delivered by ambition alone, but through coordinated action across systems, sectors and regions.

Critically, the Global Foundation believes that, together we have agency, through expanding and encouraging even closer alignment and action within our global alliance network.

An early priority for the Foundation will be to pursue a joined-up approach to closer collaboration on the energy transition between Australia and Asia, notably with Singapore, Malaysia and China. This will include continued engagement with regional partners and allies.

One such upcoming initiative is the World Green & Sustainability Summit 2026 that will be hosted by Tan Sri Michael Yeoh and the KSI Strategic Institute for Asia Pacific, to be held in Malaysia on 25 May 2026.

In addition, Chinese Ambassador to Australia, His Excellency Mr Xiao Qian, will host the Foundation’s Leadership Group in late May for discussions focused on Australia–China cooperation and Asian regional engagement across the energy transition.