Sustainable Development

Sweet Street Solution: Lithium-Sulphur batteries

Electric cars are often limited by their range. This is partly due to the limits of energy density of the ubiquitous lithium-ion battery. But researchers in Australia have come up with a sweet solution – add sulphur, then sprinkle on a shake or two of sugar.

Keeping Clean: Washing Without Wasting

Multiple billions of litres of water go down the drain every year thanks to people who use laundromat and communal washing facilities. Two smart students from the UK decided to flush this problem down the drain with a new device that washes clothes as you shower.

Serious in Singapore : Environmental Law Gets Tough

Sometimes described as the world’s best manicured concrete jungle, Singapore has for the last six decades been keener on establishing a functional city than protecting its natural environment. Recent changes in both policy and law have seen a significant swing towards environmental protection.

Saving Carbon: Indonesia Gets $100million for Forest Protection

Deforestation and forest degradation make up the second biggest cause of global warming. Together they produce some 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In Indonesia, deforestation and forest degradation are the biggest national greenhouse gas emitters, which is why the UN has pledged more than $100 million of funding to help stop the felling.

Cheap Food? Cheap Life

All living things must eat – and must eat each other. Food is the great connector. Its influence over our lives and world is almost too big to see – which may explain why we fail to value it. Yet if we can learn to value food it has the potential to transform our lives and create better cities and a better world.

Australian Bushfires: A Lesson from the Sahara

For almost 20 years Tony Rinaudo worked on a small reforestation project on the borders of the arid Sahara Desert. He helped turn a potential ecological collapse into a thriving agricultural success, bringing a ten-fold increase in forestation and a multi-million dollar agriculture industry. This, he says, holds a significant lesson for post-bushfire Australia

Investment Fund to Prevent Plastic Pollution in Oceans

Investment Fund to Prevent Plastic Pollution in Oceans

The world’s first investment fund—Circulate Capital Ocean Fund —dedicated to addressing Asia’s plastic crisis has been launched. Non-profit Circulate Initiative helps facilitate incubation of new ventures too. NGOs, entrepreneurs and businesses are encouraged to tap into this initiative.

WWF Launches Plastic Smart Cities in Southeast Asia

Through Plastic Smart Cities, WWF is building cities’ capacity to eliminate plastic pollution by 2030. An online knowledge platform with best practices will be launched at the World Urban Forum in February 2020.

Burning Shame: Recycling Clothing Now Possible

According to many estimates, millions of tonnes of clothes are discarded every year, with only a tiny percentage escaping the fate of being buried in landfill, or worse - burned. But a couple of pioneering companies are using new processes that could at last make cotton recyclable.

Plastic and Food: Targeting Hospitality’s Big Wasters

The two biggest sustainability culprits within the hospitality industry are food waste and single use plastic. Two startups, LightBlue Environmental Consulting (LBEC) and Travel Without Plastic (TWP) are joining forces to tackle the issues.

Indonesian Forests: Still under Threat

Last week the Indonesian president signed a ban that forbids further forest clearances across 66 million hectares of designated rainforest. But despite this positive move, companies that have flouted previous bans go unpunished, and clearing continues.

Championing Indigenous Peoples’ Rights in Ecotourism

Championing Indigenous Peoples’ Rights in Ecotourism

The joint declaration by the Asian Ecotourism Network and Taiwan Ecotourism Association serves to outline the judicious management of indigenous peoples while reaping benefits for the ecotourism industry and communities alike