Asia Pacific‘s leading platform for sustainable development
9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Investment in infrastructure and innovation are crucial drivers of economic growth and development. With over half the world population now living in cities, mass transport and renewable energy are becoming ever more important, as are the growth of new industries and information and communication technologies.
Technological progress is also key to finding lasting solutions to both economic and environmental challenges, such as providing new jobs and promoting energy efficiency. Promoting sustainable industries, and investing in scientific research and innovation, are all important ways to facilitate sustainable development.
More than 4 billion people still do not have access to the Internet, and 90 percent are from the developing world. Bridging this digital divide is crucial to ensure equal access to information and knowledge, as well as foster innovation and entrepreneurship.
Read our stories to learn more about SDG Goal 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure
To adopt SDG 9 Industry, innovation and infrastructure, in support of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, please contact us at partners@eco-business.com
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Energy
AI to act as ‘fusion layer’ in stabilising Asia-Pacific’s climate stressed power grids, says report
Artificial intelligence can help Asia-Pacific’s grids adapt by integrating different data for operators to make quicker, better-informed decisions, just as the region grapples with both volatile renewables growth and mounting climate extremes, found a new Ember study.
Experts think a lack of flexibility in China’s grids could undercut potential efficiency gains from artificial intelligence.
As nuclear energy returns, the government, universities and companies are training the next generation of engineers to operate and regulate it.
Policy & Finance
Scalable investment platforms, not capital, are holding back climate adaptation finance in Asia
Developing “replicable, repeatable” investment templates can pool risk and scale climate resilience projects, but closing the adaptation gap still hinges on far greater private sector participation, say sustainable finance executives.
Opinion
Policy & Finance
Fossil fuel investments are a fiduciary risk
The Iran war has reminded everyone, but especially Africans, of the structural instability of fossil-fuel prices. For African trustees, directors, asset managers, and other fiduciaries, the question is not whether capital should reposition, but whether institutions will act before events compel them to do so.
Policy & Finance
Sustainable economies will own the future
The Covid-19 pandemic and the wars in Ukraine and Iran have reframed the issue of sustainability, which is now as much about sovereignty and economic security as it is about planetary health. Countries and companies that fail to recognise this have everything to lose in the coming years.
While tensions around the Strait of Hormuz are rattling global oil markets, energy security is no longer defined solely by access to fossil fuels. What China has understood, and Europe has not, is that security now depends on electricity systems that can deliver low-cost power at scale and support heavy industry.
An advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice last year left no doubt that states have a legal obligation to prevent significant harm to the climate system, and that a failure to do so carries legal consequences. Now, a new United Nations resolution seeks to put this ruling into practice.
Policy & Finance
Asia's economic diplomacy for tumultuous times
Videos
Carbon & Climate
‘Resilience is not a buzzword’: Palm oil leaders call for industry reset amid global shocks
In the inaugural episode of Eco-Business's new Resilience podcast series, industry leaders say the palm oil sector's ability to weather disruption will depend not on certification alone, but on rethinking the relationships that underpin the entire supply chain.
Exclusive
Tune in to this webinar where our guest speakers discuss the region's plastic crisis, the state of play on the Global Plastics Treaty and circular economy strategies for businesses.
The impact documentary exploring Asia's mounting waste crisis – and its solutions – is now streaming exclusively for Eco-Business subscribers.
In the latest episode of the Climate Tech in Asia series, we speak to Breakthrough Energy and Green COP about what the shifting geopolitical landscape means for the climate tech ecosystem in Asia.
Podcasts
Energy
Geothermal is no longer an underdog technology, but a strategic advantage for the Philippines
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.
Southeast Asian energy ministers will meet in October to discuss the future of the region’s power grid. GEAPP’s Kitty Bu tells the Eco-Business podcast what areas they must collaborate on, and how finance and industry can help.
Speaking from the INC-5.2 talks in Geneva, the Singapore Youth for Climate Action president argues that having no treaty is better than a watered-down pact with no limits on plastic production. But there is no explicit Asean-wide support for such caps now, she observes.
Green Buildings
Are our climate targets too weak or too ambitious? Hang Lung Properties’ sustainability chief John Haffner
Having "stretch targets" can spur innovation, says the sustainability chief for one of Hong Kong's largest real estate firms in the latest episode of "On the frontlines". He also shares why the firm has chosen to publish the draft of its net zero plan for open discussion of its climate targets.
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