Eco-business Podcast

Joining the Eco-Business Podcast to talk about which technologies we need to fight the climate crisis is Hendrik Tiesinga, the outgoing co-founder and chief strategy officer of New Energy Nexus, a clean energy startup accelerator headquartered in California. Join us as we talk about: - Sexy, boring tools to fight climate change - Why we don't need carbon capture technology—yet - Inside the mind of Elon Musk - The potential of nature-based solutions - The ambition of net zero targets - What are the best bets in renewables? - Reasons for pessimism, reasons for optimism

The dairy industry has an enormous environmental impact, from the methane emissions of cows, from the land cleared to grow animal feed. Joining the Eco-Business Podcast to talk about how dairy is raising its sustainability game is Karen Scanlon, senior vice president of environmental stewardship for Innovation Center for United States Dairy.

Laos has announced the construction of two new coal plants for this year, despite growing evidence that coal power come with significant financial risk. What is holding back the country from tapping its rich clean energy resources instead?

Speak to CapitaLand Group’s chief sustsainability officer Lynette Leong and she will tell you of a harrowing incident in New Zealand some years ago that forced her to evacuate by helicopter to safety. The unprecedented event, triggered by uncertain weather patterns, helped to hit home the growing threat of climate change around the world. It is with this knowledge that she leads the sustainability and business strategy of the Singapore-listed property developer, which recently published a masterplan outlining aggressive ESG (environment, social and governance) targets by 2030. As part of its strategy, it recently announced the CapitaLand Sustainability X Challenge (CSXC) — “the first sustainability-focused innovation challenge by a Singapore real estate company on a global scale”, says Leong. It offers individuals and companies opportunities to test-bed sustainability innovations in CapitaLand’s properties across more than 220 cities in over 30 cities. To date, it has received over 270 entries in over 30

Gas is still needed in the Philippines’ clean energy transition: PEIC chief Don Paulino by Eco-Business

Are schools preparing students for the climate crisis? And even if they are, how do you teach children about the realities of climate change without instilling a sense of dread about the future? Joining the Eco-Business Podcast to talk about how young people can learn about climate change in a fear-free environment is Leslie Medema, head of learning, at Green School. Tune in as we talk about: A day in the life at Green School - How does discipline work at Green School? - How to teach kids about climate change without scaring them - Explaining the "real side" climate change - What will the school of the future be like?

2020 was a car-crash year for plastic recycling and ocean pollution. Eco-Business asked Rob Kaplan, CEO of circular economy investment firm Circulate Capital, how to rebuild the circular economy in Asia this year. Tune as we talk about: What went wrong in 2020 for the circular economy How have recyclers survived a ‘car-crash’ year? Should consumer goods companies also be recyclers? Do we need a plastic tax? Asia’s opportunity as a circular economy hub

A recent study by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) found that 9 out of 10 accountants want companies to be more sustainable after the Covid-19 pandemic. Eco-Business asked ACCA sustainability head Jimmy Greer about the role accountants play in building a better future. Join us as we talk about: The gripes accountants have about ESG reporting Are there too many sustainability reporting frameworks? Do the net zero numbers add up? How well versed are young accountants in ESG issues? Reinventing capitalism

The waste oil dumped into the ocean by ships every year is equivalent to eight Exxon Valdez oil spills, and nowhere is the problem as severe as Southeast Asia. The EB Podcast talks to hotelier Andrew Dixon about how a clever idea using a ship tracking system can help curb an environmental crime that has been largely ignored.

The world's largest asset manager says it has put sustainability at the core of its investment approach. Eco-Business speaks to Shinbo Won, BlackRock's investment stewardship director in Singapore about what this means for investors, and how companies are responding to increased ESG pressure

A Singapore-based firm has just hatched a new plant-based egg product. Will consumers pay more for plant-based eggs, even if they are healthier and less harmful to the planet? The Eco-Business Podcast asked Vinita Choolani, co-founder and CEO of Float Foods.

A new report from Fair Finance Asia points to a bleak future for the region if banks do not embrace sustainable finance. Bernadette Victoria tells the Eco-Business Podcast why banks need to act fast if they are to help the world's most climate-vulnerable region avoid the worst effects of climate change. Tune in as we talk about: Dystopian future: What Asia could be like by 2030 Why the future is already here The risk of unsustainable banking — for banks Covid, an excuse to delay action? Is green finance too expensive? How banks help hit net zero targets Will banks change in time?

As more carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere and the planet heats, warmed waters are expanding and glaciers are melting, raising the level at which the sea meets the land at an alarming rate. Rising sea levels pose an existential threat to low-lying Singapore, and other island nations. Joining the Eco-Business Podcast is climate scientist Professor Benjamin Horton, who has studied sea-level rise for more than 25 years. He is now director of Earth Observatory of Singapore, a research institute that studies the impacts of climate change in and around Southeast Asia. Tune in as we talk about: The region in most danger from sea-level rise How quickly are the waters rising? What if Greenland and Antarctica melted? The best defences against sea-level rise Using nature to keep the waters at bay Sea-level leaders and laggards The US presidential elections and climate science Where's the safest place to live in the future?

In September and October 2020, China, Japan and Korea announced exciting emissions reduction targets to set their economies in line with the Paris Agreement. On the Eco-Business podcast, Dr Frank Rijsberman, director general of the Global Green Growth Institute, talks about what these targets mean for the region's development and our climate.

Humanity produces enough food to feed 10 billion people — 2.2 billion more people than are alive today — but the way food is produced and what we eat is harming human health and our planet. Joining the Eco-Business Podcast to talk about is Brent Loken, WWF's Stockholm-based global food lead scientist. A flexitarian who holds a doctorate in resource and environmental management, Loken is an authority on how to change the food system for the good of human health and the planet. Tune in as we talk about: Is being flexible the best way to eat? Why changing diets isn't that hard Making healthy eating sexy Why do governments recommend unhealthy food? Will feeding the hungry always mean biodiversity loss? Not everyone needs to be vegan The social stigma of food

The coronavirus pandemic has brought cleaner air to polluted cities, as the economic slowdown has curbed emissions from factories and traffic. But the air pollution picture is more complicated than that. In some places, such as Jakarta, air pollution has deteriorated during the pandemic, according to a study by Vital Strategies, a public health civic society group. Joining the Eco-Business podcast is Dr Vivian Pun, an air pollution epidemiologist with Vital Strategies, to talk about the real air quality story behind the pandemic, and what the virus is telling us about tackling the world's most underrated environmental issue.

The clean energy sector’s poor human rights performance places its legitimacy at risk. Jessie Cato of the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre sheds light on how the industry can avoid labour abuse, land grabs and other violations.

Mining can come at great environmental cost. But it is necessary to fuel the energy transition by extracting the minerals needed to make solar panels and wind turbines. Michael Salvatico from Trucost tells the Eco-Business podcast about the risk and opportunity confronting Australia's mining sector — and what it could mean for Asia Pacific.

Many people think there is no such thing as sustainably grown palm oil. Palm oil’s reputation makes it hard for companies that grow oil palm in a way that doesn’t fit the destructive stereotype of palm oil production. One such company is Rotterdam-headquartered Natural Habitats, which works with independent farmers in South America to grow organic palm oil that is deforestation-free, wildlife-friendly, fair for farmers, and for local communities. Joining the Eco-Business podcast is Monique van Wijnbergen, global head of sustainability and corporate communications for Natural Habitats, and a spokesperson for the Palm Done Right campaign.

What can the law do to protect us from a changing climate, and hold those most responsible for climate change to account? A law firm in Australia, Equity Generation lawyers, specialises in climate change risk. In Its most recent case, the firm is representing 8 young students and a nun, who are trying to stop government approval of a coal mine in New South Wales. On this Eco-Business Podcast, David Barnden, principal lawyer at Equity Generation Lawyers, talks about the legal case against climate change.