Eco-Business

As concerns over the environmental impacts of data centres grow, firms including Equinix, AirTrunk and ST Telemedia have backed a new regional initiative aimed at advancing sustainability across the sector.

The city's Beverage Container Return Scheme goes live on 1 April. BCRS is targeting a 60 per cent return rate this year, rising to 80 per cent by 2029.

Flexible certification aims to boost recycling and reuse models, with approved products prioritised in government procurement under 2050 circular economy plan.

Workers on a scaffolding on a construction site in Singapore

Renovating could cut building emissions by nearly 70 per cent, but demolition and reconstruction remains the default pathway – and this presents a significant environmental burden, according to research by Singapore University of Technology and Design.

By Robin Hicks

By Taejun Kang

By Siva Selan

By Robin Hicks

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COP30 is an opportunity to boost philanthropic capital to help scale climate finance and solutions in Brazil and beyond. By Renata Piazzon

Restricting primary or virgin plastic production would constrain economic growth and industrialisation, India argued at the recent plastic treaty talks. But its opposition to production caps may turn out to be more damaging than beneficial. By Sherley Hepsiba Dokiburra

Thanks to a surge of innovation in circular economy technologies, ocean preservation is becoming an engine of industrial renewal and geopolitical resilience. But to unlock its full potential, those working in the blue economy need to change the narrative. By Bertrand Piccard

Critical minerals recovered from e-waste through established recycling systems can become a vital domestic source of essential minerals for India. By Vaibhav Chowdhary, Animesh Ghosh and Debraj Bhattacharjee

By Indira Zahra Aridati

By Romain Troublé

By Mia Mottley

By Sunny Lu

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The impact documentary exploring Asia's mounting waste crisis – and its solutions – is now streaming exclusively for Eco-Business subscribers.

EB Studio Recycling is key to tackling Singapore's waste problem, and everybody — including kids— can do their part for a better future.

Katherine Desbaillets, co-owner of SaladStop!

As Singapore-based salad bar chain SaladStop! marks its 10th anniversary, co-owner Katherine Desbaillets talks to Eco-Business about phasing out meat, food waste and single-use packaging, and dealing with customers who refuse to pay 10 cents for a plastic bag.

Plastic bag floats near bait ball. Image: WWF

A campaign by the WWF Singapore has revealed that the average person consumes approximately 5g of plastic every week. The NGO is calling on governments and businesses around the world to forge a global treaty to tackle plastic pollution.

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A small-scale miner in Bicol, Philippines

Critical minerals will be central to this year’s Asean meetings, said environment assistant secretary Noralene Uy, as the Philippines ushers the region towards domestic processing as summit chair.

L'Occitane's Asia Pacific director of sustainability Venisa Chu

The Asia Pacific ESG head of the B Corp-certified cosmetics firm says refill stations have been disappointing and getting suppliers on board with decarbonisation is difficult, but her team has not been affected by the ESG backlash.

Trash piled high at the Bantar Gebang landfill in Bekasi, near Jakarta.

The head of waste management non-profit Ocean Recovery Alliance tells the EB Podcast that recycled content mandates will drive the circular economy better than caps on virgin plastic production. Brands should be pressured more than petrochemical producers to phase out unnecessary plastics, he says.

A beach in Balikpapan, Indonesia's "oil city", is covered in plastic trash.

Speaking from the INC-5.2 talks in Geneva, the Singapore Youth for Climate Action president argues that having no treaty is better than a watered-down pact with no limits on plastic production. But there is no explicit Asean-wide support for such caps now, she observes.

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