Eco-Business

Compared to their counterparts across the region, a significantly lower percentage of employees in Singapore view green skills as being valued by employers, even though 55,000 jobs are set to be created in the city-state over the next decade in response to the growing focus on sustainable development.

Palm oil players are required to prove that their products are deforestation-free beyond the standards of current certification schemes, says a Wilmar International representative. It might lead to these schemes losing their relevance.

Palm oil estate owned by Golden Agri-Resources in West Kalimantan

The withdrawal of Singapore-based Golden Agri-Resources and Malaysia's IOI Group from the High Carbon Stock Approach has raised concern among environmental groups that palm oil companies are weakening their sustainability pledges. It also casts a cloud over voluntary initiatives to curb deforestation.

As demand for green accommodation grows, environmentally sustainable practices in hotels are becoming more commonplace — but so is greenwashing. Experts say the idea of luxury hospitality may need to be redefined for the sector to become truly sustainable.

By Robin Hicks

By Claire Turrell

By Gillian Parker

By Robin Hicks

All #certification News →

The region has a specialty coffee industry that is booming. But profits from the highly-priced coffee drinks do not translate to increased incomes for growers. Government subsidies and better consumer awareness can help. By Prapimphan Chiengkul

As the biggest consumer of palm oil, India can take a lead in demanding ethical production that can stop deforestation in Southeast Asia and reduce air pollution. By Kamal Prakash Seth

Octogenarians matriarchs in Long Tungan.

Communities in Sarawak are in a David and Goliath battle to safeguard some of the richest carbon and biodiversity stocks left on the planet. By Fiona McAlpine

The tobacco industry has so many environmental violations—on top of its health impacts—that it’s the worst kind greenwashing. By Nancy Karreman

By Daniele Ponzi and Erin Jan Sinogba

By Elizabeth Hogan

By Andrew Steer and Helen Mountford, Molly McGregor

By Gabrielle Lipton

All #certification Opinion →

Smallholder cooperatives are breaking new ground

EB Studio How are sustainable agricultural practices transforming smallholder livelihoods for the better?

The newly opened Dr Chau Chak Wing Building at the University of Technology, Sydney boasts more than 25 sustainable design features and has been awarded a 5-Star Green Star rating by the Green Building Council of Australia.

All #certification Videos →

Recycling keeps some plastic out of waterways, but it is no silver bullet for ocean pollution. Ryan Schoenike of OceanCycle tells Eco-Business how recycled plastic certification works, and how his firm is faring in a sector rocked by Covid.

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.

EB Studio [The EB Podcast] In the second episode of the series Tomorrow’s cities: Engineering the energy transition, we explore how to build zero carbon cities in fast-growing Southeast Asia.

All #certification Podcasts →