Eco-Business

Thai authorities have detected dangerous levels of arsenic contamination in sediment from the Mekong River mainstream and three of its tributaries in the country’s north.

Taiwan pledged deeper cooperation to tackle microplastic pollution, outlining a “land-sea” strategy

Government expands monitoring, waste reduction and recycling efforts as officials warn pollution has become a global and cross-border threat.

In a landmark decision, Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court recently determined that long-term waste dumping at a site in Meethotamulla violated residents’ fundamental rights and faulted the authorities for allowing the dump to expand beyond permitted limits.

Groundwater brimming with excess nutrients and other contaminants is quietly flowing into the ocean, posing a threat to vulnerable reefs.

By Qiu Chengcheng, Danny Hartono

SciDev Net

By Cui Qiwen

By Siva Selan

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The Indian government should take a leaf out of the Mahakumbh playbook, ensuring adequate budget allocation for the establishment of waste treatment and waste-to-energy generation facilities in all Indian metros. By Animesh Ghosh, Debraj Bhattacharjee and Naman Dubey

The standard policy response to slums has never worked. It's time to think about how to integrate slum residents into the formal economy. By Luciene Pereira

Economic liberalisation in India has shifted the emissions burden from more equal and developed states to less equal ones. This needs to change. By Prakash Kashwan and Ashok Swain

Given that China is the world’s largest emitter and has a high carbon intensity, some assume that its trade war with the United States, which has shifted production to third countries, would have environmental benefits. In fact, the conflict has increased carbon dioxide emissions in developing and advanced economies alike. By Qiyuan Xu

By Binbin Mariana

By Joel Ong

By Sherley Hepsiba Dokiburra

By Zaynab Sadan

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

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.

Launched as policymakers lock horns with petrochemicals lobbyists over a treaty to end plastic pollution, the documentary produced by Eco-Business asks why opportunities to solve humanity's waste crisis are being wasted. It will premiere in Singapore and screen on the sidelines of the upcoming COP28 climate summit.

EB Studio Singapore gets through 2 million plastic bags a day. Why do Singaporeans use so many bags, and what will it take to reduce consumption?

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Amid back‑to‑back trash slides and a landfill fire in one of Southeast Asia’s leakiest waste systems, Philippine environment undersecretary Jonas Leones touts new science‑based safeguards for a waste‑to‑energy buildout in the country.

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.

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.

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