Eco-Business

Coal-dependent countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines should address power systems dominated by existing coal plants, which hinder investment in new geothermal projects, said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Centre for Energy.

Asean’s official energy outlook, endorsed by its energy ministers on 8 October, reveals a gap between the region’s energy plans and its members’ net-zero pledges, and allows new coal plants to be built even in its lowest-emissions scenario.

Countries’ climate plans deliver at most a third of the emissions cuts needed by 2035, and every five years of emissions at current levels raises peak warming by around 0.1°C, the UN Environment Programme’s Emissions Gap Report finds.

Extreme El Niño events, such as those that brought the droughts behind Southeast Asia’s haze crises in 1997 and 2015, could become more frequent the later the world reaches net zero, and stay that way for centuries, according to modelling led by the University of Melbourne.

By Jenny Sinclair

By Eco-Business

By Hannah Alcoseba Fernandez

By Rhick Lars Albay

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Most large companies in the country have inadequate sustainability reporting and major improvements are needed in how they manage sustainability at board level. By Dr Pieter E. Stek and Srijith Kannan

Exclusive As climate risks, energy transition and shifting market expectations reshape the business environment, Malaysia’s ability to compete will increasingly depend on how quickly its companies can adapt. By Shahril Azuar Jimin

A sobering new report from the United Nations Environment Programme warns that even if governments deliver on all their existing climate pledges, warming could reach 1.8°C later this century. That means humanity must pivot from simply containing global warming to finding ways to reverse it. By Nicholas Stern

After a summer of apocalyptic headlines, a new survey finds that people across the political spectrum are deeply concerned about preparing for the effects of global warming. The adaptation imperative may end up being the kind of crisis that forces us to stop neglecting the green agenda and act at the necessary scale. By Simon Zadek and Natalie Samarasinghe

By Mahadi Sugiono

By Peter Newman and Ray Wills

By Pearly Wong

By Edward Vrkić

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A growing number of companies are admitting that they can't meet their sustainability targets. Has the era of "corporate vulnerability" begun, where companies are more honest about their sustainability progress?

While some companies greenhush, others are upfront about their inability to meet sustainability targets. Eco-Business asked experts at the Ecosperity conference if it pays for businesses to be "vulnerable" about sustainability progress.

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.

Exclusive Jack Johnson says yes, but it is a long road ahead. In this exclusive interview, we ask the American singer-songwriter and UNEP Goodwill Ambassador about his hopes for the state of the world and how music plays a role in providing a dose of optimism in dark times.

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EB Studio Critical to the country’s energy security in the 1970s, geothermal is now re-emerging as the Philippines’ biggest clean energy advantage at a time when countries are seeking reliable, round-the-clock renewable power, says Francis Giles B. Puno, president and chief operating officer of First Gen Corporation.

Andrew Buay, vice president for group corporate sustainability at Singtel, tells the EB Podcast that CSOs should not be precious about losing part of their job as the function evolves.

Jessica Cheam, Mervyn Tang and Jocelyn Dove speaking at the Sharpening the ESG focus 2025 event

Trump 2.0 may prove to be a "bump in the road" for climate action, but banks and investors in Asia see growth and opportunity in the region for decarbonisation as climate risks grow.

The climate non-profit's head Sherry Madera insists there are just 450 questions, not over 5,500 as some industry players have cited, in its new questionnaire, which has faced pushback for failing to ease disclosure burden as intended.

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