https://www.eco-business.com/Asia Pacific news from Eco-Business for the cleantech and green business community.enCopyright (c) 2021, Eco-BusinessFri, 06 Nov 2026 07:56:00 +0000noAsia Pacific news from Eco-Business for the cleantech and green business community.https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/hong-kongs-role-in-the-age-of-artificial-intelligence/Hong Kong’s experience connecting mainland China with international markets gives it a foundation to shape the next phase of technological development.Fri, 06 Nov 2026 07:56:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/hong-kongs-role-in-the-age-of-artificial-intelligence/https://www.eco-business.com/news/brazils-fossil-fuel-roadmap-could-strengthen-cop31-push-against-blockers-say-advocates/Ahead of COP31’s opening on Monday, Brazil’s voluntary roadmap faces fossil fuel expansion and transition disputes, as rising adaptation costs strain countries’ ability to protect communities.Fri, 06 Nov 2026 04:00:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/news/brazils-fossil-fuel-roadmap-could-strengthen-cop31-push-against-blockers-say-advocates/https://www.eco-business.com/news/global-safeguards-needed-to-assess-health-risks-of-novel-chemicals-experts/Research is ongoing into the health effects of the world’s roughly 350,000 synthetic chemicals, but what we know so far is cause for concern. Plastics, PFAS and other synthetic chemicals are linked to numerous health risks, and emerging research even suggests rising atmospheric CO2 levels may harm health.Thu, 05 Nov 2026 16:01:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/news/global-safeguards-needed-to-assess-health-risks-of-novel-chemicals-experts/https://www.eco-business.com/news/restoring-kashmirs-drying-springs-starts-in-the-hills/Research in the Sindh Basin in Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, in the northwestern Himalayas, has identified the elevations where many springs receive their water.Thu, 05 Nov 2026 15:59:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/news/restoring-kashmirs-drying-springs-starts-in-the-hills/https://www.eco-business.com/news/philippines-eyes-blended-finance-to-bridge-estimated-us1-billion-nature-funding-gap-after-cop17/The Southeast Asian nation secured up to US$200,000 in technical support to strengthen biodiversity financing at the summit, according to environment officials.Thu, 05 Nov 2026 08:00:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/news/philippines-eyes-blended-finance-to-bridge-estimated-us1-billion-nature-funding-gap-after-cop17/https://www.eco-business.com/news/toxic-air-threatens-wildlife-in-pakistans-punjab-as-monitoring-lags/In Pakistan’s Punjab province, November typically brings a blanket of air pollution that exceeds global health guidelines and endangers both humans and wildlife.Wed, 04 Nov 2026 22:41:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/news/toxic-air-threatens-wildlife-in-pakistans-punjab-as-monitoring-lags/https://www.eco-business.com/news/the-tropical-forest-forever-facility-turns-one-and-is-billions-short/Meant to pay countries for keeping forests standing, the fund has an interim charter, a board, a World Bank home… and insufficient funds.Wed, 04 Nov 2026 22:24:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/news/the-tropical-forest-forever-facility-turns-one-and-is-billions-short/https://www.eco-business.com/news/pacific-pre-cop-draws-attention-to-islands-plight/Harder test is for small island nations to bring about commitments to real ocean action at full climate conference in Turkïye.Wed, 04 Nov 2026 22:12:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/news/pacific-pre-cop-draws-attention-to-islands-plight/https://www.eco-business.com/news/cop17-yerevan-pathway-for-nature-leaves-out-the-money-and-the-detail/UN summit in Armenia ended with few concrete steps to address drivers of biodiversity loss, as disagreements exposed gap between targets and action.Wed, 04 Nov 2026 22:00:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/news/cop17-yerevan-pathway-for-nature-leaves-out-the-money-and-the-detail/https://www.eco-business.com/news/singapore-eyes-tenfold-haze-fines-supplier-and-bank-curbs-even-for-this-years-fires/Fines of up to S$20 million (US$15.6 million), restrictions on business dealings and private assessors paid for by companies are among the changes in an urgent bill to toughen Singapore's haze law.Wed, 04 Nov 2026 09:15:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/news/singapore-eyes-tenfold-haze-fines-supplier-and-bank-curbs-even-for-this-years-fires/https://www.eco-business.com/news/asia-pacific-leads-global-sustainability-reporting-adoption-but-resilience-gap-remains/The region accounts for nearly half of global GDP represented by economies adopting ISSB standards, but ACCA warns that businesses must move beyond compliance to address climate risks, resource pressures and emerging challenges.Wed, 04 Nov 2026 02:13:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/news/asia-pacific-leads-global-sustainability-reporting-adoption-but-resilience-gap-remains/https://www.eco-business.com/news/gaps-in-skills-recognition-a-barrier-to-just-transition-in-asia-pacific-report/Energy and mining workers face barriers to moving between sectors, including unnecessary repeated training, according to a report by nonprofit Opito.Tue, 03 Nov 2026 08:00:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/news/gaps-in-skills-recognition-a-barrier-to-just-transition-in-asia-pacific-report/https://www.eco-business.com/news/asean-risks-locking-in-decades-of-coal-emissions-without-coordinated-people-centred-just-transition-report-warns-2/Experts say the region's next challenge is turning climate commitments into enforceable coal retirement plans that protect people, local communities, and energy security.Tue, 03 Nov 2026 06:48:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/news/asean-risks-locking-in-decades-of-coal-emissions-without-coordinated-people-centred-just-transition-report-warns-2/https://www.eco-business.com/news/singapore-to-ratify-long-delayed-asean-haze-centre-agreement-ahead-of-2027-chairmanship/Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said Singapore will ratify the treaty creating Asean’s haze coordination centre and work to strengthen the region’s haze agreement when the city-state chairs the bloc in 2027.Tue, 03 Nov 2026 05:55:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/news/singapore-to-ratify-long-delayed-asean-haze-centre-agreement-ahead-of-2027-chairmanship/https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/regenerative-agriculture-can-build-southeast-asias-resilience-if-communities-take-the-lead/Southeast Asia can scale climate-smart farming by putting farmers, viable business models and cross-sector partnerships at the centre.Tue, 03 Nov 2026 03:03:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/regenerative-agriculture-can-build-southeast-asias-resilience-if-communities-take-the-lead/https://www.eco-business.com/news/cop31-qa-we-suffer-the-consequences-more-then-pay-more-to-finance-the-response/Uruguay’s climate change director María Fernanda Souza talks finance and geopolitics ahead of the UN climate summit.Mon, 02 Nov 2026 22:26:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/news/cop31-qa-we-suffer-the-consequences-more-then-pay-more-to-finance-the-response/https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/what-needs-to-change-in-sustainability-reporting-by-large-malaysian-companies/Most large companies in the country have inadequate sustainability reporting and major improvements are needed in how they manage sustainability at board level.Mon, 02 Nov 2026 09:22:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/what-needs-to-change-in-sustainability-reporting-by-large-malaysian-companies/https://www.eco-business.com/news/rough-seas-squeeze-fishing-livelihoods-in-eastern-indonesia/Fishers in Indonesia’s Maluku Islands say increasingly rough seas are keeping them ashore and reducing their catches as the current El Niño intensifies, threatening livelihoods in communities dependent on fishing.Mon, 02 Nov 2026 02:30:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/news/rough-seas-squeeze-fishing-livelihoods-in-eastern-indonesia/https://www.eco-business.com/news/from-haze-law-to-the-asean-power-grid-what-is-at-stake-for-the-region-this-week/Singapore will table changes to its haze law on Tuesday, as Malaysia weighs a law of its own and Jakarta's stance on gas and electricity exports raises questions for the region's energy plans.Mon, 02 Nov 2026 02:00:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/news/from-haze-law-to-the-asean-power-grid-what-is-at-stake-for-the-region-this-week/https://www.eco-business.com/news/heat-is-no-equaliser-women-and-households-may-be-forced-to-bear-cost-of-super-el-nino/UN Women warns climate shocks can push more unpaid work and health risks onto households, while WHO says months of advance warning should be used to strengthen public systems before pressures escalate.Fri, 30 Oct 2026 15:00:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/news/heat-is-no-equaliser-women-and-households-may-be-forced-to-bear-cost-of-super-el-nino/https://www.eco-business.com/news/laos-power-tariff-reforms-test-balance-between-utility-finances-and-affordability/Rising living costs and scrutiny of electricity spending highlight challenges facing the regional power exporter.Fri, 30 Oct 2026 02:32:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/news/laos-power-tariff-reforms-test-balance-between-utility-finances-and-affordability/https://www.eco-business.com/news/bangladeshs-most-climate-vulnerable-areas-struggle-to-access-bank-credit/The flow of bank credit to climate-vulnerable regions remains low, with lending heavily concentrated in major commercial areas, including Dhaka.Fri, 30 Oct 2026 02:20:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/news/bangladeshs-most-climate-vulnerable-areas-struggle-to-access-bank-credit/https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/cities-across-the-world-are-sinking-because-of-groundwater-depletion-but-the-process-can-be-reversed/Replenishing depleted groundwater could slow or even reverse land subsidence in coastal cities – but fault lines can determine where and how quickly the ground rises.Fri, 30 Oct 2026 02:20:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/cities-across-the-world-are-sinking-because-of-groundwater-depletion-but-the-process-can-be-reversed/https://www.eco-business.com/news/nature-funding-falls-for-second-year-putting-global-conservation-bargain-under-strain-at-cop17-2/Support for protected and conserved areas fell from more than US$1.2 billion in 2023 to US$1 billion in 2025, as governments conclude COP17 in Yerevan to advance the goal of protecting 30 per cent of land and waters by 2030.Thu, 29 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/news/nature-funding-falls-for-second-year-putting-global-conservation-bargain-under-strain-at-cop17-2/https://www.eco-business.com/news/nearly-all-global-coral-reefs-face-collapse-within-50-years-iucn/Climate-driven heat stress is pushing coral reefs towards widespread ecological collapse – threatening marine biodiversity, coastal livelihoods and food security as ocean temperatures rise.Thu, 29 Oct 2026 06:50:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/news/nearly-all-global-coral-reefs-face-collapse-within-50-years-iucn/https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/nobel-peace-for-a-fragmented-world/By nature, the Nobel Peace Prize is controversial. This year is even more controversial as the most super power country blatantly condemned the Norwegian Nobel Committee for their selection.Thu, 29 Oct 2026 04:59:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/nobel-peace-for-a-fragmented-world/https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/us-tech-leaders-are-urgently-calling-for-rules-on-ai-china-already-has-them/China has built an extensive framework for regulating AI risks – challenging perceptions that global governance must begin with rules developed by the United States and its allies.Thu, 29 Oct 2026 02:50:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/us-tech-leaders-are-urgently-calling-for-rules-on-ai-china-already-has-them/https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/how-can-the-same-el-nino-cause-drought-in-one-part-of-the-world-and-floods-in-another/El Niño’s shifting ocean temperatures can disrupt atmospheric circulation worldwide – raising the risk of drought in some regions while bringing heavier rainfall and flooding to others.Wed, 28 Oct 2026 16:05:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/how-can-the-same-el-nino-cause-drought-in-one-part-of-the-world-and-floods-in-another/https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/how-trade-deals-can-save-nature/Environmental conservation is among the most important, universally shared imperatives the world faces, and market access is one of the few carrots available in international politics. By linking tariffs to deforestation, the EU and others can create trade agreements that deliver more conservation and more gains from trade.Wed, 28 Oct 2026 15:53:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/how-trade-deals-can-save-nature/https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/rethinking-sustainable-livelihoods-from-the-ground-up/In regions where economic activity has long revolved around fossil-fuel extraction, ensuring a just transition requires developing alternative livelihoods that account for each community’s specific needs. Regional endowment funds could be a useful vehicle for funding these local initiatives.Wed, 28 Oct 2026 15:45:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/rethinking-sustainable-livelihoods-from-the-ground-up/https://www.eco-business.com/news/asia-pacific-sees-highest-heat-related-productivity-losses-at-us24-trillion-msci-study/Real estate firms operating mainly in the region account for most of the companies analysed by MSCI with more than 5 per cent of revenue at risk from heat-related productivity losses.Wed, 28 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/news/asia-pacific-sees-highest-heat-related-productivity-losses-at-us24-trillion-msci-study/https://www.eco-business.com/news/singapore-to-study-geothermal-power-after-survey-finds-vast-potential-beneath-the-city-state/METI minister Tan See Leng also unveiled plans to triple battery storage, a S$75 million fund for cleaner power generation, approval for a 1.3GW renewable import project to Sembcorp and a deal to store Saudi crude oil in Singapore's underground caverns.Tue, 27 Oct 2026 08:55:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/news/singapore-to-study-geothermal-power-after-survey-finds-vast-potential-beneath-the-city-state/https://www.eco-business.com/news/taiwans-tea-growers-rethink-farming-as-climate-pressures-intensify/Alishan, a mountain region in central Taiwan, is famous for producing the prized high-mountain tea, but its tea production has declined in recent years.Tue, 27 Oct 2026 06:07:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/news/taiwans-tea-growers-rethink-farming-as-climate-pressures-intensify/https://www.eco-business.com/news/singapore-tightens-renewable-power-claims-to-curb-greenwashing-boost-clean-energy-imports/The revised renewable energy certificate standard will build trust in corporate sustainability reporting, Minister of State for Energy, Trade and Industry Gan Siow Huang said at the Asia Clean Energy Summit (ACES).Tue, 27 Oct 2026 05:00:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/news/singapore-tightens-renewable-power-claims-to-curb-greenwashing-boost-clean-energy-imports/https://www.eco-business.com/news/china-to-lower-vat-rebate-for-new-energy-vehicle-exports/China is cutting tax rebates for new energy vehicle exports to curb price competition and reduce trade tensions – with lower-margin models likely to face the greatest pressure.Tue, 27 Oct 2026 03:00:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/news/china-to-lower-vat-rebate-for-new-energy-vehicle-exports/https://www.eco-business.com/news/cop31-hosts-turkiye-australia-continue-to-pursue-coal-expansion-ahead-of-climate-talks-says-urgewald-report/Though smaller than those of China, India and Indonesia, the COP31 hosts’ coal expansion plans raise questions about their credibility ahead of the November summit, according to a new report by environmental nonprofit Urgewald.Mon, 26 Oct 2026 08:00:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/news/cop31-hosts-turkiye-australia-continue-to-pursue-coal-expansion-ahead-of-climate-talks-says-urgewald-report/https://www.eco-business.com/videos/eb-perspectives-employees-want-purpose-the-business-case-for-sustainability/Leaders share how they chose to prioritise sustainability across their business, and its ability to strengthen competitiveness and talent retention.Mon, 26 Oct 2026 07:52:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/videos/eb-perspectives-employees-want-purpose-the-business-case-for-sustainability/https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/nature-cant-wait-2/Although the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine are spurring governments to increase spending on defence and focus more on economic growth, it would be a mistake to postpone investments designed to protect nature. In fact, meeting internationally agreed targets could add up to US$450 billion to annual global GDP by 2050.Sun, 25 Oct 2026 12:47:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/nature-cant-wait-2/https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/conserving-a-connected-ocean/For Seychelles and other countries across the Western Indian Ocean region, marine conservation is a fundamental component of national development. But the ocean observes no national borders, which makes international cooperation and common financing instruments essential.Sat, 24 Oct 2026 03:00:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/conserving-a-connected-ocean/https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/who-will-pay-to-preserve-tropical-forests/For decades, the international community has acknowledged the extraordinary value of tropical forests while failing to invest adequately in their conservation. The Tropical Forest Forever Facility, launched at last year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference, could help close this financing gap.Sat, 24 Oct 2026 02:00:00 +0000https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/who-will-pay-to-preserve-tropical-forests/