Eco-Business

Small-scale farmers who underpin Thailand’s lucrative natural rubber industry are under pressure to prepare for the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), due to take effect at the end of the year.

A new study analysed thousands of shoreline litter surveys and other data from more than 100 countries to produce the first global index of macroplastic pollution by type.

In a bid to control the excessive use of plastic bottles, Sri Lanka banned single-use plastic water bottles at government institutions effective 31 May and recently introduced a mandatory fee for polyethylene shopping bags to discourage their use.

Exclusive Singapore-based circular clothing enterprise Cloop said it does not want to encourage dumping of cheap, disposable clothing that cannot be resold.

By Elisângela Mendonça

By Nadilla Sakinah

By Robin Hicks

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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

Last December's launch of Malaysia's first national EV could spur local component production, but this could be constrained by market conditions while the country's old supply chain, in which the carmaker remains heavily invested, will endure. By Tham Siew Yean

A handful of fashion brands – H&M, Ralph Lauren, Decathlon and Adidas – are working to stop using coal to power their factories in 2025, while others are prioritising decarbonisation at lower levels of ambition. By Peter Ford

China’s surging demand for farmed salmon is reshaping global seafood trade, with challenges in domestic production highlighting the country's continued reliance on imports. By Dave Little and Mausam Budhathoki

By Abhilasha Shourie

By Sunny Lu

By Sanmitra Barman

By Dr Bianca Wassmann

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EB Studio As Malaysia forges ahead with its 2050 net zero climate ambition, businesses must reshape their supply chains for a low carbon future. This Eco-Business video looks at how SMEs can adapt to new sustainability reporting requirements.

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.

A freezer running on electricity generated by an off-grid solar system

EB Studio In line with the Sustainable Development Goals' aim to eradicate poverty, a Japanese multinational electronics firm is providing power supply stations, solar storage and products to countries with little or no access to electricity.

Yolk Station, a South Korean solar energy company, has installed a renewable energy solution in a remote Kenyan town that can also tackle the problem of child labour.

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Former Yale-NUS environmental social sciences professor Michael Maniates tells the Eco-Business Podcast that individual actions like going vegetarian, reducing plastic use or avoiding air travel are not only insufficient to address the climate crisis – they are counterproductive.

EB Studio What are the latest trends in the alternative proteins industry today? The Eco-Business podcast discusses new hybrid products, more localised offerings and cheaper prices due to economies of scale.

What are the dangers of gender bias in technology design and what are the market opportunities for womentech—technologies that centre the needs of women?

EB Studio Recycling efforts in the Philippines are shrinking amid the pandemic, even as the plastic waste challenge mounts. Is the country on the verge of a more devastating plastic waste crisis?

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