Eco-Business

New RSPO-certified smallholder groups 2024

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil’s updated standards aim to improve smallholder inclusion as EUDR kicks in. But decline in credit prices – which growers heavily rely on to recoup certification costs – sparks fears of financial strain.

Global Witness warns that mining for green energy is fuelling conflict and human rights abuses in Asia and elsewhere, urging tougher standards and protections.

Eco-Business takes a look at the key issues being pushed at the pavilions of Asean countries at the climate summit in Baku.

Air_Pollution_Southeast_Asia_Man_Face_Mask

Policymakers must discard the 'grow now, clean later' model, attract investment in renewables and collaborate, according to a former senior advisor for the Executive Office of the President of the Republic of Indonesia.

By Gabrielle See

By Hannah Alcoseba Fernandez

By Rhick Lars Albay

By Gabrielle See

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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

To achieve global climate goals, we can no longer ignore the people most exposed to the dire consequences of rising temperatures. As developed countries set new climate-finance targets at COP29, they should also devise more inclusive financial services and products to ensure that resources reach vulnerable communities. By Sophie Sirtaine

A twin crisis faces the people of Myanmar, but while the war could end tomorrow, climate change will still shape the futures of millions. By Luisa F Bedoya Taborda and Michele L Barnes

Investors risk pouring billions into what could soon become stranded assets in countries such as the Philippines. Liquified natural gas is not the future – it’s a financial trap. By Kurt Metzger

By Raksha Pandya-Wood, Azliyana Azhari

By Biswajit Dhar

By Dr Pieter E. Stek

By Ajay Mathur and Fatih Birol

All Southeast Asia Opinion →

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.

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.

The Green Mortician is Singapore's first water cremation service

The Green Mortician is the city-state's first water cremation service, which has a small carbon footprint compared to traditional funeral options.

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Climate tech podcast with Steve Melhuish

Entrepreneur Steve Melhuish tells the EB Podcast where the biggest opportunities to reduce emissions and make money are in Southeast Asia, and why finding the right economic incentives is critical for climate tech startups.

A protest for climate justice in the Philippines

The new head of Japan and Southeast Asia for ClientEarth tells the Eco-Business Podcast how the law can be used to hold polluters to account in the world's biggest emitting region. She also says it's time the legal profession faced scrutiny for greenwashing.

Sea orchards developed on decommissioned oil platforms

Former petrochemicals industry executives Steve Willis and Genevieve Hilton have written a novel set 50 years into the future that has a happy ending. They tell the Eco-Business podcast that the book is a pitch to carbon-intensive industries to try workable climate solutions.

Asia lags the world in natural catastrophe protection. Part of the problem could be counting extreme weather losses only after they happen, industry insiders tell the Eco-Business podcast.

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