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Eco-Business Established in 2009, Eco-Business is Asia Pacific’s leading business intelligence and advisory platform dedicated to advancing sustainable development.

We produce trusted, high-quality multimedia content exploring the world’s most pressing challenges—and the solutions driving change. Our work is aligned with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and supported by a 15-year archive of news, analysis, research, and events on sustainable development topics. Beyond journalism, we deliver research, consulting, and thought-leadership platforms that create strategic value, inform policy, strengthen business practice, and enable cross-sector collaboration. Our work has earned international recognition and multiple regional and global awards. Headquartered in Singapore, we have a presence in Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Beijing, and London. Our partners include Fortune 500 companies, multinationals, governments, multilateral institutions, civil society organisations, and philanthropic foundations committed to shaping a more sustainable future. Join our Telegram channel (https://t.me/ecobusinessnews) to get our news delivered to you!

19/10/2026

At Unlocking capital for sustainability Indonesia, discussions focused on a practical question: what will it take to turn sustainability commitments into stronger businesses, more resilient supply chains and investable projects?

“ESG is the long-term driver of competitiveness. It reduces risks, strengthens supply chains, and improves the cost of capital, enabling companies to outperform over time,” said Gita Sabharwal, UN Resident Coordinator in Indonesia.

That shift is already being felt across global markets. “Global market demand is now shifting towards asking for green supply chains,” said Tiza Mafira, Director of Climate Policy Initiative Indonesia.

Held on 24 June, the forum brought together leaders from government, finance and industry to examine how stronger governance, sustainable finance and nature-based solutions can support Indonesia’s transition while addressing pressures on forests, critical minerals and supply chains.

The conversation now moves to Hong Kong.

Join Eco-Business at Unlocking capital for sustainability Hong Kong on 5 November 2026 at Hopewell Hotel, where leaders will explore how Hong Kong can catalyse global capital for climate technology, resilient infrastructure, nature-based solutions and Asia’s wider transition.

Catalysing global capital for the future. Register now at https://hubs.ly/Q04BwbNB0

Climate-vulnerable countries are spending nearly 25 times more on debt repayments than climate action, deepening calls f...
18/10/2026

Climate-vulnerable countries are spending nearly 25 times more on debt repayments than climate action, deepening calls for an overhaul of the global financial system.

The authors argue that mounting debt leaves developing economies with less money for adaptation, public services and disaster recovery, while climate finance delivered as loans risks worsening the cycle.

Civil society groups gathering alongside the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok are calling for debt cancellation, climate reparations and an end to austerity-linked lending.

They argue that climate justice requires grant-based finance and reforms to global debt and tax rules, rather than pushing vulnerable countries deeper into borrowing.

Read more: https://hubs.ly/Q04Btjdt0

Delaying net zero could leave the world facing more extreme El Niño events for centuries, even after greenhouse gas emis...
18/10/2026

Delaying net zero could leave the world facing more extreme El Niño events for centuries, even after greenhouse gas emissions stop, new modelling finds.

In the study’s main model, extreme events rose from 1.73 per cent of El Niños before industrialisation to 16.4 per cent if emissions end in 2030 and 26.3 per cent if they stop in 2060.

For Southeast Asia, that could mean greater long-term risks from drought, wildfires, transboundary haze and disruptions to rice and palm oil production.

Researchers say the deep ocean retains the effects of warming for centuries, making faster emissions cuts and long-term climate adaptation critical even after net zero is reached.

Read more: https://hubs.ly/Q04Btj5n0

Singapore’s 2026 haze could cost between S$3.2 billion and S$3.9 billion, potentially double the record S$1.83 billion l...
17/10/2026

Singapore’s 2026 haze could cost between S$3.2 billion and S$3.9 billion, potentially double the record S$1.83 billion lost during the 2015 crisis.

Seven companies have been served notices under Singapore’s Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, but no company has been fined or sued since the law took effect in 2014.

Malaysia is also paying a steep price, with economists estimating daily haze losses of RM20 million to RM50 million.

But holding polluters accountable remains difficult across borders, with experts warning that enforcement depends heavily on access to evidence and cooperation from Indonesian authorities.

Read more: https://hubs.ly/Q04Btj2y0

Southeast Asian finance ministers are turning to the World Bank to help close major funding gaps for clean energy, infra...
17/10/2026

Southeast Asian finance ministers are turning to the World Bank to help close major funding gaps for clean energy, infrastructure and climate adaptation.

Asean is seeking greater use of guarantees, technical support and risk-sharing tools to turn difficult-to-finance projects into investments that can attract private capital.

The Asean Power Grid alone could require about US$800 billion by 2045, while adaptation projects remain particularly difficult to finance because many lack predictable financial returns.

No new funding package emerged from the talks, but governments are pushing for deeper cooperation to lower investment risks and turn regional climate and energy plans into bankable projects.

Read more: https://hubs.ly/Q04Btj5j0

Seeing sustainability as a commercial opportunity is one thing. Delivering on it means weighing cost against commitment,...
16/10/2026

Seeing sustainability as a commercial opportunity is one thing. Delivering on it means weighing cost against commitment, aligning suppliers and customers, and building internal support for changes that may not pay off in the short term.

Building that support depends on people, too. Do employees seek purpose in their jobs, and does it shape where they choose to work and how long they stay?

In this webinar, leaders from businesses embedding sustainability into how they operate will share why they prioritised it, the challenges along the way, and how it has shaped their competitiveness, client relationships and ability to attract and retain talent:
• Genevieve Chua, Chief Executive Officer, OVOL Singapore
• Lucas Saw, Chief Executive Officer, Talking Toes
• Tan Kai Li, Head, Strategic Partnerships, Corporate & Industry Partnerships, National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre
Moderated by Junice Yeo, Managing Partner, Eco-Business

23 Oct | Virtual | Free to attend
Register: https://hubs.ly/Q04BmBcV0

Southeast Asia will need an estimated US$14.2 trillion to deliver a coordinated energy transition by 2060, with transpor...
16/10/2026

Southeast Asia will need an estimated US$14.2 trillion to deliver a coordinated energy transition by 2060, with transport alone requiring US$6.2 trillion, according to the Asean Centre for Energy.

Electrifying the region’s vast fleet of two- and three-wheelers could curb oil demand and reduce exposure to volatile fuel imports as renewable power expands.

But Southeast Asia faces an annual financing gap of up to US$170 billion through 2030, while clean energy projects face borrowing costs at least twice those in advanced economies.

The report says regulatory reforms, stronger power purchase agreements and targeted guarantees and blended finance will be critical to lower risks and unlock private capital.

Read more: https://hubs.ly/Q04Bftxd0

Nearly two-thirds of biodiversity aid makes no reference to local communities in funding descriptions, raising questions...
15/10/2026

Nearly two-thirds of biodiversity aid makes no reference to local communities in funding descriptions, raising questions over who controls money meant to protect nature, according to IIED.

Indigenous Peoples appear in just 2.24 per cent of descriptions examined, while explicit references to “locally led” finance account for only 0.28 per cent.

The findings come ahead of COP17 in Armenia, where governments will negotiate biodiversity protection and finance as the world works towards mobilising at least US$200 billion annually for nature by 2030.

IIED says future funding must give Indigenous Peoples and local communities greater decision-making power, not simply treat them as beneficiaries of conservation projects designed elsewhere.

Read more: https://hubs.ly/Q04Bfv710

Singapore is studying whether 200 hectares of Pulau Tekong could host about 6 GW of power generation and 2 GW of electri...
15/10/2026

Singapore is studying whether 200 hectares of Pulau Tekong could host about 6 GW of power generation and 2 GW of electricity imports as demand from data centres, AI and electrification rises.

Options include hydrogen, ammonia, biomass and geothermal alongside gas, potentially creating a second major energy hub beyond Jurong Island.

The study comes as data centres already consume more than a tenth of Singapore’s electricity, while low-carbon power imports remain behind schedule and gas still generates about 95 per cent of its electricity.

Experts say Tekong could strengthen energy resilience and diversify infrastructure, but warn that adding more gas could deepen fuel dependence and create stranded-asset risks.

Read more: https://hubs.ly/Q04BfqMp0

Surging electricity demand from AI and data centres could help unlock investment in Southeast Asia’s renewable energy an...
14/10/2026

Surging electricity demand from AI and data centres could help unlock investment in Southeast Asia’s renewable energy and grid projects, as the region advances plans for greater cross-border power trade.

Long-term clean power purchases from major data centre operators could provide the certainty needed to make new renewable projects bankable, experts say.

But demand alone will not drive the transition, with stronger policies, transmission infrastructure and better energy data needed to ensure new electricity needs are met with clean power.

The push comes as Asean energy ministers advance the Asean Power Grid while calling for greater regional cooperation to curb methane emissions from oil, gas and coal.

Read more: https://hubs.ly/Q04B5yWQ0

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