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Eco-Business wins journalism awards for work on data centres and Singapore’s forests

Eco-Business has been recognised at the WAN-IFRA Asian Digital Media Awards 2021 for its work on the climate impact of data centres and the push to protect Singapore’s remaining forests.

EB wins wan-infra 2021
Eco-Business wins two awards under 'Best Project for News Literacy'. Image: Screenshot from the awards video by WAN-IFRA

Eco-Business has won two awards for its work reporting on the climate impact of data centres and the threat of urbanisation to Singapore’s last remaining forests.

The Singapore-based media company was recognised under the category of Best Project for News Literacy at the Asian Digital Media Awards 2021, organised by World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA).

For the category of news literacy, winners had to demonstrate critical thinking and further the smart consumption of news. Projects that showed strong evidence of success in engaging a specific audience were given extra recognition. 

Eco-Business’s white paper and feature story titled The future of data centres in the face of climate change won a gold award. The report, which was supported by technology company and data centre provider Digital Realty, breaks new ground in highlighting the pressing challenges faced by the data centre industry as it expands to meet the rising global need for data.

The growth of the industry is especially challenging in a region such as Southeast Asia where the tropical climate and policy environment does not provide the easiest of conditions for data centres. In the report, Eco-Business outlined the opportunities and pathways available for the sustainable development of the sector.

Eco-Business’s special report A city in nature—or a city without nature? The uncertain fate of Singapore’s last forests won a silver award in the same category.

The story examines the conflict at the heart of progress in Southeast Asia’s prosperous red dot, the governance blind-spots and the growing activism that has been instrumental in preserving the country’s green spaces.  

The report followed a recent outcry over deforestation in the city-state, which started a conversation about where forests fit in the future of a metropolis that aims to be a ‘city in nature’.

This year marks the 20th year of the Asian Media Awards, which recognises publishers who have delivered unique and original digital media projects each year. 

Last year, Eco-Business won in the Best Branded Content Campaign for its multimedia exhibition Changing Course 2019, and also in Best Use of Online Video for its VR experience titled ‘On This Earth’. And in 2018, the Eco-Business platform won in the Best News Website or Mobile Service category for its journalism efforts and newly-revamped website. 

“We are grateful to be recognised for the high quality journalism that we produce. The growth of data centres in the face of climate change is a highly relevant issue to the region, and we sought to make the technical terms and complex policies accessible to our readers.

“The special report on Singapore’s forests is also close to our hearts and to many in our local community — we are glad to be able to continue to shed a light on these important topics, and we thank WAN-IFRA for its efforts to recognise the work of journalists from the region in digital media,” said Eco-Business founder and managing director Jessica Cheam.

Other winners in the category include The Fourth and Singapore Press Holdings. This year’s edition saw more than 140 entries across the region. The awards recognised media platforms for their innovation in data visualisation, native advertising and audience engagement, among others.

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