Editor's Choice
The Covid-19 crisis has made painful sovereign-debt restructurings inevitable for many countries. Countries should offer more favourable terms to debtors that improve protection of natural assets such as rainforests, oceans and biodiversity.
Many of the plastic particles found in the sharks were fragments of synthetic cellulose, the material found in polyester clothing and hygiene products like face masks, which have become commonplace during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Some workers—already on poverty pay—have received less than half their income during the Covid pandemic.
Big investments in traditional infrastructures are driving the economy, but a path to green growth remains open.
Featured
'Travel bubbles' with partner countries and investment in healthcare systems in vacation spots are solutions that may steer the country's struggling tourism industry in a more sustainable direction amid the pandemic, observers say.
Handing over state forests to indigenous and local communities is a complex process - and coronavirus has slowed down field work.
Famous for innovation in consumer electronics and a progressive approach to sustainability, Samsung has been called out by NGOs for links to the construction of the controversial Vung Ang 2 coal-fired power plant in Vietnam.
CSR
Brand leaders have a duty to pay a premium for sustainability to improve industry, says L'Oreal supply chain chief
Big brands have a responsibility to pay top whack for sustainability solutions such as recycled plastic, the Asia Pacific supply chain head for the world's largest cosmetics firm says. L'Oreal recently announced new commitments to 'operate within planetary boundaries'.
Food & Agriculture
Stingless bee honey discovery could create conservation-friendly business opportunities in Asia Pacific
Scientists from Australia and Malaysia have found a sugar with many reported health benefits present in the honey produced by five species of stingless bees. The finding could lead to increased interest from consumers.
Food & Agriculture
Investigation begins into alleged deforestation by Olam, ‘world’s largest farmer’
A retrospective assessment has begun of claims that FSC-certified palm oil producer Olam razed thousands of hectares of wildlife-rich rainforest in Gabon.
A new policy aims for 30 per cent electricity from renewables by 2030—but planned coal plant expansion could stand in the way.
The take-make-waste model is driving the climate crisis and depleting the planet of much-needed resources. Here are 3 ways to transition toward circularity.
Natural systems like the massive Sundarbans mangrove forest in India and Bangladesh are crucial sources of economic output and resilience, demanding far more...
Forest-risk companies in Southeast Asia tend to rely almost entirely on debt financing. In view of this leverage, banks can be deemed directly accountable for...
China has assumed a war footing in preparation for a potentially catastrophic flooding crisis in the Yangtze River Basin. Though its flood-control systems most...
CSR
Who are the most influential corporate sustainability leaders in Asia Pacific? The Eco-Business A-List revealed...
After months of deliberation, Eco-Business has compiled a list of the most impactful sustainability executives in Asia Pacific—people who are changing their businesses and industries for the better. They are, the Eco-Business A-List…
Carbon & Climate
After a 40-year struggle, indigenous guardians of Indonesian forest gain rights over their land
The Dayak Iban community of Sungai Utik has long fought to protect the forest and their place in it. After nearly half a century, they are now owners of over 10,000 hectares of customary land.
[EB SPECIAL REPORT] What does it take to transform a business into a good corporate citizen? Eco-Business spoke to some of Asia’s most influential sustainability executives to find out.
The car industry is among the world’s most polluting. Amid growing public pressure to cut emissions and with new solutions disrupting their business model, how can automakers prepare for the dramatic changes ahead and help tackle global warming?
Industries are requiring ever more water in an increasingly water-stressed world. What can businesses do to reduce their risks and reliance on the resource?
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Improving energy efficiency could meet a quarter of Southeast Asia’s emissions reduction targets. Here is how efficiency could drive Southeast Asia's energy transition.
Amid a pandemic and belt-tightening times, smart food choices can bolster immunity; the key is to have a diverse diet and use your calories wisely by selecting micronutrient-filled foods.
From systems able to replenish depleted batteries at lightning speed to smart chargers that ‘talk’ to one another, exciting developments lie ahead on Singapore's road to sustainable mobility.
The debate on plastic pollution and single-use packaging rages on but more than finding alternatives to plastic, it is vital to address the lack of disposal facilities and stop plastic from leaking into the oceans.
Low in moisture and high in calorific value, palm kernel shells are ideal for burning, but their use for power production does not come without challenges. Can these materials help shrink coal's climate impacts in Asia?
As Singapore prepares to gradually reopen, proactive disinfection is among the solutions to safeguard workplaces and prevent the risk of further business disruption.
The Covid-19 crisis has made painful sovereign-debt restructurings inevitable for many countries. Countries should offer more favourable terms to debtors that improve protection of natural assets such as rainforests, oceans and biodiversity.
Hilton says the 'dire' business environment has affected the company in all areas, including sustainability, but job losses would not affect the hotel chain's sustainability commitments.
Southeast Asia's clean energy transition
With the right measures, Southeast Asia could see a post-pandemic EV revolution
Future projections of electric mobility are promising, but uptake in the region will depend heavily on the strategic decisions and actions of its key stakeholders—industry, government, and consumers.
Should the priority be to stop all child labour on palm oil plantations? Or to address the root causes of child labour?
An alliance between an environmental group and an agribusiness company aims to reduce encroachment by smallholder coffee farmers in the Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, one of Sumatra’s last stands of lowland forest.
Food & Agriculture
After another haze outbreak chokes Southeast Asia, can palm oil smallholders shift to sustainable farming?
Smallholders have taken much of the blame for this year's haze-causing forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan. How can they be motivated to switch to more sustainable, fire-free production methods?
As global attention focuses on forests and the plight of orangutans, the untold part of the palm oil story is people. What is the industry doing to protect palm oil workers' rights and those of the people who defend their land as the industry expands?
RSPO's new standards ban deforestation and growing on peat. But what are the challenges of putting the new rules into practice, and how will they be effectively enforced? On this podcast, Eco-Business spoke to industry experts from RSPO, WWF and Wilmar International.
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