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Compiled by Purnima Joshi
Over the past week, Southeast Asian governments have been teetering to combat the
double whammy of inflationary and climate pressures simultaneously, against the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine war. As if this was not burden enough, the head of the World Trade Organization finally decided to put climate change at the heart of its negotiations, and insisted on Monday (Jun 13) that turning trade green was now urgent business.
With all things green being favored, green hydrogen has been billed as the fuel of the
future, and is touted as a solution to everything from removing Europe’s dependence on
Russian fossil fuels to feeding Asia’s ferocious growing appetite for sustainable energy.
Meanwhile, Chinese listed companies lag behind their regional and global counterparts in
setting net-zero emission targets, showing a lack of urgency almost two years after the
country pledged to achieve carbon neutrality status by 2060.
And there’s lots more in this issue, so hope it makes an enjoyable read…
INDUSTRY
Southeast Asia caught between a commodity crisis and a climate crunch
fulcrum.sg, 14 Jun 2022
Southeast Asian governments are facing inflationary and climate pressures simultaneously, against the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine war. Read further ...
WTO goes green as climate change impacts trade
Channel News Asia, 14 Jun 2022
The World Trade Organization's boss insisted on Monday (Jun 13) that turning trade green
was now urgent business, with the WTO putting climate change at the heart of its negotiations. Read further ....
3 Ways the Central Asia Cement Industry Is Addressing Sustainability
forconstructionpros.com, 20 Jun 2022
United Cement Group consistently implements programs to reduce emissions into the air
and gradually transit to ESG-oriented investments. Here are three examples of cement plants increasing efficiency and reducing air
pollution in Central Asia. Read further ...
CHINA
China In-Focus — Asian giant vows to adapt better to climate change; Strike disrupts chip shipment to China
Arab News, 14 Jun 2022
China’s economy and society are at increasing risk from climate change and the country needs to improve adaptation mechanisms and monitoring capabilities at every level of
government, according to a new policy document. Read further..
Climate Change: China’s firms lag behind Asia, North America, Europe in net-zero targets with only 4 per cent adherence, study finds
Yahoo news, 14 Jun 2022
Chinese listed companies are lagging behind their regional and global counterparts in setting net-zero emission targets, showing a lack of urgency almost two years after the country pledged to achieve carbon neutrality status by 2060. Read further...
CORPORATE
Climate-change: BlackRock votes against fewer directors as more companies adopt TCFD framework for risk disclosures, panel hears
SCMP, 19 Jun 2022
More companies in Asia are adopting a rigorous international framework for disclosing climate risk, resulting in fewer companies seeing the world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock, vote against re-election of their directors, its regional head of
investment stewardship said during a panel discussion.
ENERGY
Asia needs to do more to unleash renewable energy potential
AsiaNews, 16 Jun 2022
The Minister of Natural Resources and Environment on Wednesday sent a message, highlighting seven focus points to fully unleash Asia’s potential for renewable energy development.
Governments, firms make new bet on green hydrogen as climate fix
Al Jazeera, 22 Jun 2022
It has been billed as the fuel of the future – touted as a solution to everything from Europe’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels to Asia’s ferocious growing appetite for sustainable
energy. Read further ....
OPINION: Confronting the new carbon bomb in Southeast Asia
Thomson Reuters Foundation News, 20 Jun 2022
Southeast Asia has chosen its path away from coal but that was not the end of the story. Read further ...
HEALTH
Dirty air ‘cuts South Asia life expectancy by 5 years’
Eco-Business, 20 Jun 2022
People living in South Asia could lose about five years of their lives on average unless air quality improves to WHO-prescribed levels, according to a new assessment. Read further ...
Commentary: Climate change poses an immediate health crisis for Asia
Channel News Asia, 15 Jun 2022
The worldwide trend of governments, businesses and other large organisations pledging net-zero carbon emissions to combat climate change is a worthy one. Read further ...
ENVIRONMENT
Singapore Land Authority, NTU collaborate on climate research
Channel News Asia, 16 Jun 2022
More accurate readings of changes to Singapore's land height and sea levels will be available, under a new partnership between the Singapore Land Authority and NTU's Earth
Observatory of Singapore. View Video here ...
Australian activists file legal bid to stop gas project
The Jakarta Post, 22 Jun 2022
Australian conservationists have launched a legal bid to block a massive gas project, saying it would harm the Great Barrier Reef by warming the planet. Read further ...
China Hit by Floods and Heat Waves in Climate Double Whammy
Bloomberg News, 20 Jun 2022
Record rains in China’s southern provinces have forced millions of people to relocate even as the country’s north experiences abnormally high temperatures, showing the dual impacts
of climate change in the world’s second-biggest economy. Read further ...
FINANCE
Barclays says climate disaster will collapse major currencies
The Straits Times, 15 Jun 2022
A severe climate shock in the next 50 years will wreak havoc on the global economy and upend currency markets as we know them, according to a new study by Barclays. Read further ...
Google backs a VPN Fund to help Green tech non-profits in Asia-Pacific
Asia’s biggest network of social investors seeks to “open a floodgate” of green funding in the region, where climate disasters hit an estimated 57m people last year. Read further ...
Managing climate risk with private insurance
dandc.eu, 22 Jun 2022
Too many people are not insured against climate risks, and that is especially so in low income countries. For things to change fast, the business environment must improve. Read further ...
CGM's Asia-Pacific Climate Digest is compiled by communications consultant Purnima Joshi.
With over two decades of experience in corporate communications, Purnima combines her skills in creative and communication along with her passion for working for the community. She has been working on a multitude of projects in waste management, circular economy, building active citizenship in the community, some projects have won awards. These also include a project on building climate resilience for UNICEF. She is co-founder of a community NGO, and been associated with several NGOs in an advisory capacity for over 10 years. She has also co-founded Swap! - a platform for circular economy and collaborative consumption.