ACEF is one of the leading clean energy finance events in Asia, as it is attended by 1600 Participants from over 78 countries, such as policymakers, practitioners, financial institutions, non-profits, donors and academia. The participants discuss and identify key challenges to a sustainable energy transformation in the region. This year’s event placed a special focus on the challenge of effectively using knowledge to boost the scale and speed of clean energy and energy efficiency implementation. Dr. Verena Streitferdt’s co-chaired a presentation with her colleague Sir Rustico Noli Cruz from the Development Bank of the Philippines (BPI) regarding EE finance initiatives in ASEAN. She presented on a capacity development project with the ASEAN Centre of Energy and sir Noli elaborated on an ESCO finance lending scheme for street lights in Philippine cities. The presentation sparked some further discussion and networking with ADB and other interested stakeholders in the region.