Eco-Business: News, Opinion, Jobs, Events, Press Releases and Research for topic Energy

• DBS Bank to end thermal coal financing by 2039
  The pledge makes it the first Singapore bank to commit to a zero coal exposure target. Experts praised the announcement, but highlighted the climate legacy the lender’s coal funding will leave behind.
• Monalisa Dimalanta steps down as chair of National Renewable Energy Board
  The head of the Philippine government body that recommends and monitors clean energy programmes and policies will focus on her law career. Her second-in-command Cholo Bernad is now acting chairperson.
• Carbon neutrality in China: Behind the corporate hype
  Businesses are eagerly responding to China’s carbon neutrality target—but the term is being misused.
• Renewables are booming in Vietnam. Will the upswing last?
  Vietnam's upcoming power development plan is set to scale up its trajectory towards clean energy. Experts say the plan's success will depend on energy planners' ability to integrate renewables into the power system.
• As our appetite for digital technology grows, so does the challenge to keep it sustainable
  Data centres are a growing source of carbon emissions. Access to renewable energy, conducive regulatory frameworks and cleaner technology can help to cushion the industry's hefty planetary impact.
• How can small renewable power producers help the Philippines reach its 35% clean energy target?
  Unlike large independent power firms, smaller developers struggle to attract finance for their green projects. Industry experts discuss how they can overcome barriers to production and help the country meet its climate goal.
• Biden’s pivot to Asia challenged by China’s rise, climate change and trade tensions
  The United States’ competition with China, a transition to cleaner energy and thorny trade agreements will be top of the agenda as President Joseph Biden makes Asia his foreign policy priority.
• Samsung, Google, BMW and Volvo join call to ban deep sea-bed mining
  For the first time, corporations have come out in opposition to deep sea-bed mining. These firms say they will not source minerals mined from the sea floor, because of the potentially devastating consequences of disturbing unknown habitats.
• Philippines to build first offshore wind farm: What lessons can it learn from Asian neighbours?
  Eco-Business speaks with wind developer Theo Sunico of Triconti ECC, which has tapped into the Philippines' nascent wind market. Wind has the potential to meet soaring consumer demand for power, but will policy disconnect stall growth?
• Power sector emissions were higher last year than when Paris deal was signed
  Covid-19 helped wind and solar push coal to a record drop, but emissions from power production were still higher in the pandemic year than in 2015, new research shows.
• China should ‘rapidly’ close 186 coal plants to help meet its climate goals, study says
  A prioritised shutdown would see China phase out coal entirely by 2045 under the 1.5C scenario, or by 2055 under the 2C pathway, new research has found.
• Asian companies claim they are going net-zero — but are their targets realistic, ambitious or greenwash?
  A growing chorus of Asians firms are announcing net-zero targets. While it's good publicity, some have yet to disclose how they plan to cut the carb—possibly because they don't know, or don't intend to. How can they be held to account?
• What can organic solar cells bring to the table?
  Organic solar cells expand the potential applications of solar technology, but there are still challenges to be overcome before large-scale deployment.
• Q&A: What does China's 14th 'five year plan' mean for climate change?
  This week, at the annual 'two sessions' political gathering in Beijing, the Chinese government approved a key policy document that will heavily influence the nation’s economic development — and climate policies — over the next decade and beyond.
• Small nuclear power plants no use in climate crisis
  Governments are investing in a new range of small nuclear power plants, with little chance they’ll ease the climate crisis.
• Southeast Asia's first lithium battery recycling plant opens in Singapore
  The new facility opens ahead of the introduction of a producer responsibility scheme for e-waste in Singapore. The plant's operator, Tes-Amm, may look to open other facilities in Southeast Asia, the world's dumping ground for e-waste.
• Are net zero data centres in Asia Pacific just a lofty ambition?
  As demand for digital services and products continues to grow in Asia, how can the technology industry navigate a range of obstacles to cap its energy footprint?
• How Indonesia became coal's final frontier
  Proponents of the fossil fuel in Indonesia’s government, including politicians who own shares in coal companies, point to the role coal plays in Indonesia’s economy and in promoting energy independence.
• Explainer: What are green bonds?
  Green bonds are needed to finance climate-friendly projects that will help nations meet their net-zero emission pledges, but some may not be as green as they seem. Eco-Business explains.
• Nature left alone offers more than if we exploit it
  Save nature, save money. It’s a simple argument. Wilderness cleared and ploughed offers us less than nature left alone.