Eco-Business

Post-restructure early this year, the organisation that runs the B Corp certification scheme in Singapore has seen two executives appointed to head up business development leave the role. It has not filled its CEO position, left vacant since last December.

Executives gather for the formal application of Astra Agro Lestari for membership of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil in July.

The sustainable palm oil certification body defended its decision to accept AAL's membership application, which NGOs say undermine its credibility. In an investigation, AAL's subsidiaries were found to be involved in land-grabbing in Sulawesi, Indonesia, allegations which AAL has denied.

Land cleared to make way for palm oil in Indonesia

Alleged environmental and human rights violations by Indonesia’s second-largest palm oil producer implicate multinationals including Unilever, Olam, BlackRock and Jardine Matheson. The allegations come amid Indonesia’s push for better governance over its palm oil industry, which is the world’s largest. AAL denies any wrongdoing.

An aerial view of the Southern Cardamom REDD+ project in Cambodia, image by Gabrielle See

The Bursa Carbon Exchange, which holds its first auction for RECs today, should stop trading abuse-linked environmental credits and review its eligibility criteria, says non-profit RimbaWatch. Bursa Malaysia says credits traded on its platform meet global standards.

By Robin Hicks

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The region has a specialty coffee industry that is booming. But profits from the highly-priced coffee drinks do not translate to increased incomes for growers. Government subsidies and better consumer awareness can help. By Prapimphan Chiengkul

As the biggest consumer of palm oil, India can take a lead in demanding ethical production that can stop deforestation in Southeast Asia and reduce air pollution. By Kamal Prakash Seth

Octogenarians matriarchs in Long Tungan.

Communities in Sarawak are in a David and Goliath battle to safeguard some of the richest carbon and biodiversity stocks left on the planet. By Fiona McAlpine

The tobacco industry has so many environmental violations—on top of its health impacts—that it’s the worst kind greenwashing. By Nancy Karreman

By Daniele Ponzi and Erin Jan Sinogba

By Elizabeth Hogan

By Andrew Steer and Helen Mountford, Molly McGregor

By Gabrielle Lipton

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Smallholder cooperatives are breaking new ground

EB Studio How are sustainable agricultural practices transforming smallholder livelihoods for the better?

The newly opened Dr Chau Chak Wing Building at the University of Technology, Sydney boasts more than 25 sustainable design features and has been awarded a 5-Star Green Star rating by the Green Building Council of Australia.

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Recycling keeps some plastic out of waterways, but it is no silver bullet for ocean pollution. Ryan Schoenike of OceanCycle tells Eco-Business how recycled plastic certification works, and how his firm is faring in a sector rocked by Covid.

Palm oil farmers working with Natural Habitats

Some environmentalists would argue that there's no such thing as sustainably grown palm oil, because of the crops links to deforestation and human rights abuses. Eco-Business spoke to Monique van Wijnbergen about how palm can be done right.

EB Studio [The EB Podcast] In the second episode of the series Tomorrow’s cities: Engineering the energy transition, we explore how to build zero carbon cities in fast-growing Southeast Asia.

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