Eco-Business

The Kingdom’s laws are being misused to silence critics, suppressing vital reporting on human rights and the environment. Can reform protect free speech?

EB Studio A closer look at how these ‘energy transition’ deals are backed reveals gaps in the lending policies of banks in the Mekong subregion. A 1,460-MW dam, now under construction near the Luang Prabang UNESCO World Heritage Site, will see all its electricity sold to Thailand, but critics have pointed out that the nation is facing an oversupply of energy.

Some startups have had to trade clean energy on a smaller scale “behind-the-meter” without the support of government policies. A key barrier is Thailand's centralised energy system which is in need of a reform, say experts.

The Thailand Taxonomy, now under development, should be integrated into disclosure regulations and these reporting rules need to be made mandatory, say financiers and experts at the inaugural Unlocking capital for sustainability Thailand forum.

By Rhick Lars Albay

Thomson Reuters Foundation

By Rhick Lars Albay

By Robin Hicks

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At COP29, the country invited 151 corporate representatives and only eight from civil society groups to observe the climate talks. For future COPs, there needs to be a clear, accountable process with strict eligibility criteria for who should be included in the negotiations process. By RimbaWatch

There may be an economic as well as an environmental rationale to support a plastic production cap at the Global Plastic Treaty negotiations. By Ying Staton

The region can shape the Global Plastics Treaty if it maintains its momentum from COP16, where the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia called for the inclusion of Indigenous peoples rights and stronger collaboration on biodiversity finance. By Rayhan Dudayev

44th and 45th Asean summits and related summits in Lao PDR

Asean needs to develop a collective response to the geopolitics of renewable energy in order to address resource nationalism and the adverse impacts of growing US-China rivalry on Southeast Asia's energy transition. By Mirza Sadaqat Huda

By Fiona McAlpine

By Ana Palacio

By Sophie Sirtaine

By Luisa F Bedoya Taborda and Michele L Barnes

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Transition credits explainer video_title card

There is consensus that coal needs to be retired early in Asia, but the mechanisms for financing the phase-out are not clear. This mini-documentary examines how transition credits work and whether they can fund Southeast Asia's equitable switch to clean power.

EB Studio From sponge cities to coastal forests, Asia is seeking ways to work with nature and prepare for the risks in a warmer-than-expected future. This Eco-Business video looks at what else cities need to do to strengthen climate resilience.

The vessel will scour Southeast Asia’s marine environment to gather data and support local conservationists.

The Green Mortician is Singapore's first water cremation service

The Green Mortician is the city-state's first water cremation service, which has a small carbon footprint compared to traditional funeral options.

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Climate tech podcast with Steve Melhuish

Entrepreneur Steve Melhuish tells the EB Podcast where the biggest opportunities to reduce emissions and make money are in Southeast Asia, and why finding the right economic incentives is critical for climate tech startups.

A protest for climate justice in the Philippines

The new head of Japan and Southeast Asia for ClientEarth tells the Eco-Business Podcast how the law can be used to hold polluters to account in the world's biggest emitting region. She also says it's time the legal profession faced scrutiny for greenwashing.

Sea orchards developed on decommissioned oil platforms

Former petrochemicals industry executives Steve Willis and Genevieve Hilton have written a novel set 50 years into the future that has a happy ending. They tell the Eco-Business podcast that the book is a pitch to carbon-intensive industries to try workable climate solutions.

Asia lags the world in natural catastrophe protection. Part of the problem could be counting extreme weather losses only after they happen, industry insiders tell the Eco-Business podcast.

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