Asian Journal of Economics, Finance and Management

The ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation 2026-2030 place sustainability alongside regional economic integration, but the implications for manufacturing depend on national policy design and implementation. This qualitative comparative policy analysis examines policy readiness in six manufacturing-relevant ASEAN economies—Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam—using regional frameworks, country-level carbon-pricing information, European Union Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) rules and relevant research available through 23 October 2026. The assessment distinguishes implemented, pilot and proposed measures and evaluates strategic ambition, institutional implementation and structural constraints. Singapore applies a carbon tax of S$45 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2026-2027; Indonesia has a power-sector emissions trading system and a separate carbon exchange; Viet Nam has established a pilot emissions trading framework; Thailand embeds a carbon price in petroleum excise; and Malaysian and Philippine national proposals are at different development stages. The ASEAN Power Grid and conceptual cross-border renewable-energy certificate initiatives support regional cooperation, although these mechanisms do not, by themselves, establish manufacturing emissions reductions. Exposure to CBAM depends on products, emissions intensity and monitoring capabilities, and should not be equated with export shares alone. The findings point to the value of interoperable measurement and verification, credible industrial investment support, and distribution-sensitive transition policy. The study identifies institutional arrangements and policy options rather than estimating sector-wide emissions savings or causal policy effects.