Eco-Business
Covid-induced energy plunge shrinks coal development in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia’s response to the Covid‑19 outbreak has curtailed electricity use and industrial production, pushing down coal consumption even further this year, according to the latest report from a non-governmental organisation which monitors worldwide fossil fuel infrastructure. Even before Covid-19, new coal plant construction was already slowing in the ...
Hannah Alcoseba Fernandez
Vietnam considers scrapping half of coal power plant pipeline in favour of gas and renewables
The coming decade could see Vietnam shelve nearly half of its currently planned coal power plant capacity as alternative sources of energy take up growing shares in its power mix, the government-affiliated research body tasked with drawing up the nation’s next power sector roadmap has ...
Tim Ha
Vietnam approves 7 GW of new wind projects
Vietnam has given the green light to almost a hundred new wind energy installations, indicating the nation keeps powering ahead with renewables amid fears of looming power shortages as industry and population boom. The Vietnamese government on Thursday (25 June) formally approved 7 gigawatts (GW) worth of ...
Tim Ha
Forest fires rage in northern Thailand
While the world’s attention has been focused on the Covid-19 pandemic, northern Thailand has been experiencing the worst forest fires in decades. Already raging since mid-March, the fires are projected to continue well into May. With the news of the pandemic dominating international media, the choking ...
Sonia Sambhi
Covid-19 measures leave Southeast Asia’s migrant workers exposed, lay bare their living conditions
Job loss, crowded quarters and reduced access to healthcare are among the issues foreign workers face. Advocacy groups say the pandemic can only be controlled with an inclusive approach that protects every individual’s rights to life and health. The spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus among Singapore’s migrant ...
Neo Chai Chin
Vietnam has only weeks left to get its wind market back on track
Previously praised for its attractiveness and gusty growth, Vietnam’s wind market now faces a pivotal moment. Should the Vietnamese government fail to send a clear signal of continued support for the industry in the coming weeks, investors could pull out and the country could miss its ...
Tim Ha
Unsustainable natural rubber poses major threat to wildlife and people
Used in everyday products, such as tyres, yoga mats, shoes and condoms – global natural rubber production is lacking the transparency and subsequent sustainability commitments to protect both people and wildlife. That is the finding of the world’s first analysis of the natural rubber industry undertaken ...
ZSL (Zoological Society of London)
Will China decide the future of Myanmar’s rivers?
Chinese companies are pushing to resume destructive dam projects, ignoring a key assessment. Much media attention in Myanmar is focussed on China’s apparent efforts to revive the stalled Myitsone dam, its role in advising the Myanmar government on developing a new hydropower strategy white paper, and ...
How better hydropower planning can avert future disasters on the Mekong
Those in power must give stronger voices to marginalised communities and protection to natural flood defences, say experts from the Stockholm Environment Institute. Keep reading ...
Myanmar-Thailand highway branded ‘ecological and social disaster’
Community and conservation groups in Myanmar have branded a planned highway linking a port project to Thailand an “ecological and social disaster”, saying it would uproot indigenous people from their homes and farms. Critics said an environmental and social impact assessment for the road project, ...