Eco-Business

As global temperatures rise, extreme weather events are becoming more intense and more frequent all around the world.

Brazil’s new climate pledge, launched at the COP29 climate summit in Baku, aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by as much as two-thirds by 2035 compared to 2005 levels.

While some progress has been made, visible frustration was evident among member states as no text has yet been submitted for legal review. But the INC5 chair has responded that revised treaty text will be ready by Friday.

Dr Theresa Mundita Lim concludes her six-year tenure as the centre’s first female executive director, where she championed a regional biodiversity fund, among other initiatives.

By John Cannon

By Hannah Alcoseba Fernandez

Thomson Reuters Foundation

By Jessica Cheam

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As lobbyists flood plastic treaty talks, negotiators must uphold the rule of law to prevent corporate capture, including existing guidelines to stop the tobacco industry — a major source of plastic waste — from influencing policies. By Vera da Costa e Silva and Deborah Sy

The region can shape the Global Plastics Treaty if it maintains its momentum from COP16, where the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia called for the inclusion of Indigenous peoples rights and stronger collaboration on biodiversity finance. By Rayhan Dudayev

The decision on who will host COP31 has been deferred until next June. But whether or not Australia ends up winning the bid, the world's third-largest fossil fuel exporter needs to develop a plan to phase out its coal and gas production. By Wesley Morgan

Climate campaigners hold a protest action near the US embassy in Manila

Geopolitical turmoil must not be allowed to distract global decision-makers from the urgent imperative of tackling climate change. There is no excuse for letting COP29 conclude without delivering ambitious, credible financing commitments to support climate action – including the clean-energy transition – in developing economies. By Ana Palacio

By Sophie Sirtaine

By Mukhtar Babayev

By Dr Pieter E. Stek

By Ajay Mathur and Fatih Birol

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EB Studio From sponge cities to coastal forests, Asia is seeking ways to work with nature and prepare for the risks in a warmer-than-expected future. This Eco-Business video looks at what else cities need to do to strengthen climate resilience.

The vessel will scour Southeast Asia’s marine environment to gather data and support local conservationists.

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.

EB Studio Asia's green transition pathways need to be socially inclusive given huge differences in economic development across the region, says experts at the Boston Consulting Group. State-owned enterprises have an "outsized" role to play, they add.

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A researcher lived with camel herders in Inner Mongolia for years to find out how they're coping with both conservation schemes and modernisation. He tells the Eco-Business Podcast about their challenges and lessons for the world.

UN climate report authors need to commit to the integrity of assessment processes while working with governments with differing interests. Dr Theresa Wong tells the Eco-Business podcast why the stakes are high to get climate science right.

Eyes are on whether the city’s plan to build the world’s “greenest highway” will take off. The Eco-Business Podcast speaks to Marwa Nahlawi from Diamond Developers, the real estate developer behind Dubai's "Sustainable City" brand, which adopts a similar green spine concept.

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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