Eco-Business

A sweet sarghom plantation in Kijang, Bintan, Indonesia.

Exclusive Sweet sorghum plantations are to be grown on depleted mining sites in Bintan, a historical hub for bauxite extraction. Sweet sorghum can used as biofuel, feedstock for bioethanol and as green naphtha, a key ingredent for plastics in short supply as a result of the Iran War.

On recent visits to Japan and South Korea, Indonesian president Prabowo touted ambitious renewable energy plans in pursuit of energy security. Analysts say that the slow take-up of clean energy by state utility firm PLN still needs to be addressed.

Importing more sustainable produce and boosting green finance could help accelerate the greening of agriculture across developing Asia, write three experts.

Plantation and commodities minister Noraini Ahmad said an official used cooking oil (UCO) benchmark will improve market transparency, guide fair trading, and support a more sustainable palm oil market.

By Mao Xiaoli

Thomson Reuters Foundation

By Robin Hicks

By Niu Yuhan

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Will scaling biofuels in Southeast Asia make the region more resilient to oil shocks, or does it introduce new vulnerabilities? Structural risks must be addressed as biofuels take a larger share of the transport fuel mix. By Dr Tharinya Supasa, Monika Merdekawati and Zahrah Zafira

The rapid uptake of alternative fuels in shipping is outpacing international liability regimes – leaving gaps in protection against spills and accidents. By Joel Ong

Some members of the United Nations International Maritime Organisation argue that biofuels should be central to the effort to decarbonise the shipping industry but there is nothing sustainable about it. By Jennifer Clapp and Olivier De Schutter

As the UN’s shipping regulator explores ways to decarbonise global shipping, biofuels aren’t the green alternatives they are portrayed to be. By Megan Morrissey

By Peter Ford

By Vaibhav Chowdhary and Venugopal Mothkoor

By Anissa R. Suharsono and Yanuar Nugroho

By Monika Merdekawati, Beni Suryadi and Jason Jimmy Amadeus Palenewan

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In the latest episode of the Climate Tech in Asia series, we speak to Breakthrough Energy and Green COP about what the shifting geopolitical landscape means for the climate tech ecosystem in Asia.

Greenpeace ad used by Iceland in the United Kingdom has been banned for being political.

The ad, which was made by Greenpeace and rebadged by Iceland, was blocked from airing on television by the UK's ad watchdog because it broke rules on political advertising. Iceland says it is not anti-palm oil, 'we are anti-deforestation.'

Dutch multinational DSM's chief technology officer Marcel Wubbolts shares how the company's persistence in positioning sustainability as a core driver for profits seems to have paid off.

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In the latest episode of the Climate Tech in Asia series, we speak to Breakthrough Energy and Green COP about what the shifting geopolitical landscape means for the climate tech ecosystem in Asia.

Podcast on RSPO's new principles and criteria for certifying palm oil as environmentally and socially sustainable.

EB Studio The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil has released new criteria for certifying responsibly grown palm oil. What's changed and how does RSPO respond to criticism that the new standard lowers the bar for deforestation?

EB Studio With alternatives such as sustainable aviation fuel still too expensive and low in demand for the aviation industry to consider, carbon offsets could be a way to reduce emissions – if used right. EcoSecurities and the International Air Transport Association tell the Eco-Business podcast how airlines can ensure compliance when new regulations become mandatory

Palm oil farmers working with Natural Habitats

Some environmentalists would argue that there's no such thing as sustainably grown palm oil, because of the crops links to deforestation and human rights abuses. Eco-Business spoke to Monique van Wijnbergen about how palm can be done right.

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