Eco-Business

[2] Laos said that it will temporarily suspend imports of petrol- and diesel-powered vehicles until the end of 2026.

A ban through end-2026 aims to reduce fossil fuel dependence, control EV prices and expand charging infrastructure as Southeast Asia’s electric vehicle market grows.

Emerging markets face gaps in equity financing, currency risk protection and scalable investment structures, say experts, who warn that climate projects will not be bankable without stronger policy support and financial reform.

The programme aims to support environmental projects as tech firms push AI applications beyond productivity.

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

By Siva Selan

By Taejun Kang

By G K Cabico

By Samantha Ho

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The 48th Asean Summit in Cebu closed last week vowing “just” energy transition yet fossil fuel dependence and “green extractivism” deepen inequalities. By Aryanto Nugroho and Angela Asuncion

Asean should enhance efficiency of fertiliser application, increase local fertiliser production, and fortify policies on pesticides and seeds. By Paul Teng

Will scaling biofuels in Southeast Asia make the region more resilient to oil shocks, or does it introduce new vulnerabilities? Structural risks must be addressed as biofuels take a larger share of the transport fuel mix. By Dr Tharinya Supasa, Monika Merdekawati and Zahrah Zafira

Malaysia's longstanding system of fossil fuel subsidies was built to stabilise prices, but these cannot hold up in prolonged crises of war, supply chain disruptions and volatile fuel markets. By Ganesha Pillai

By Marco Kamiya

By Elyssa Kaur Ludher and Paul Teng

By Le Hong Hiep

By Jose Ma. Luis Montesclaros, Kayven Tan and Mely Caballero-Anthony

All Southeast Asia Opinion →

Watch our panelists discuss the current landscape and challenges of Scope 3 disclosures, and the enabling role of technology and organisational buy-in to close the reporting gap.

NGOs urged the government to improve forest data transparency by making maps of protected areas publicly available, and to channel funds to frontline communities living near forests.

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.

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.

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Luanne Sieh has been group chief sustainability officer at CIMB Bank for the last eight and a half years

The Malaysia-headquartered bank's sustainability chief tells the EB Podcast about the discipline's mandate to prove value, wrestling with NGOs, and greenwashing in finance.

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.

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.

Government must call on development finance institutions to tap on risk management tools to make the capital-intensive technology more investible, Global Wind Energy Council’s Ann Margret Francisco tells the EB Podcast.

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