Eco-Business News

Eco-Business's top stories | Saturday, 15 August 2026 Good morning everyone! Start your day with #EBDAILYDIGEST 💬 Delhi’s EV policy changes the engine, not the system Electric vehicles can reduce pollution and emissions. But underlying issues of preserving car dependence, displacing environmental harm and workers bearing the costs of a clean future need to be addressed. 💬 Ships stuck in the Strait of Hormuz region may be biosecurity risks More than 1,500 vessels stranded by the Strait of Hormuz blockade risk spreading invasive marine species when they resume voyages, posing a wider biosecurity threat. 💬 India’s critical mineral challenge in a new global resource order Mineral security is not just about access to resources but about control over value chains. India’s response must be strategic, not reactive. ❇️ Philippine anti-online disinformation bill feared to threaten freedom of speech, as calls grow for AI governance Media advocates urge lawmakers to prioritise instead a comprehensive framework for responsible AI use, with safeguards on transparency, privacy, discrimination, labour impacts and environmental compliance. ❇️ Thailand tightens data centre rules as AI boom strains power grid Higher tariffs, grid guarantees and scrutiny of water use come alongside wider access to renewable power as Bangkok tries to balance digital investment with energy security. 💬 How climate crisis is redefining home and who counts as a refugee Climate change is increasingly driving displacement, raising urgent questions about development models that foster unequal growth while exacerbating ecological risk. 💬 Decolonising economics means questioning where its ideas came from Decolonising economics challenges Eurocentric assumptions and extractive systems while elevating Global South perspectives and alternative models of economic development. ❇️ Microplastics contaminate sea salt from Indonesia's Lombok Island: study The findings underscore how marine plastic pollution is contaminating everyday food products, with microplastics detected in all sea salt samples tested. 💬 A new paradigm for global health financing As aid flows decline, more countries are articulating a new vision in which health financing would build on national resources, answer to domestic priorities, and remain accountable to their own citizens. Such a change is long overdue, and... Have a story that’s interesting? Write to us at news@eco-business.com

Delhi’s EV policy changes the engine, not the system Electric vehicles can reduce pollution and emissions. But underlying issues of preserving car dependence, displacing environmental harm and workers bearing the costs of a clean future need to be addressed. 💬 https://eb.news/wZrVUhcNQE6A

Philippine anti-online disinformation bill feared to threaten freedom of speech, as calls grow for AI governance Media advocates urge lawmakers to prioritise instead a comprehensive framework for responsible AI use, with safeguards on transparency, privacy, discrimination, labour impacts and environmental compliance. ❇️ https://eb.news/VYzJ13zzTg2A

Ships stuck in the Strait of Hormuz region may be biosecurity risks More than 1,500 vessels stranded by the Strait of Hormuz blockade risk spreading invasive marine species when they resume voyages, posing a wider biosecurity threat. 💬 https://eb.news/5TSGe0h-QfSA

India’s critical mineral challenge in a new global resource order Mineral security is not just about access to resources but about control over value chains. India’s response must be strategic, not reactive. 💬 https://eb.news/ErfNmeTCQPCA

Thailand tightens data centre rules as AI boom strains power grid Higher tariffs, grid guarantees and scrutiny of water use come alongside wider access to renewable power as Bangkok tries to balance digital investment with energy security. ❇️ https://eb.news/Ivbm_NiqRnmA

Eco-Business's top stories | Friday, 14 August 2026 Good morning everyone! Start your day with #EBDAILYDIGEST 💬 How climate crisis is redefining home and who counts as a refugee Climate change is increasingly driving displacement, raising urgent questions about development models that foster unequal growth while exacerbating ecological risk. 💬 Decolonising economics means questioning where its ideas came from Decolonising economics challenges Eurocentric assumptions and extractive systems while elevating Global South perspectives and alternative models of economic development. ❇️ Microplastics contaminate sea salt from Indonesia's Lombok Island: study The findings underscore how marine plastic pollution is contaminating everyday food products, with microplastics detected in all sea salt samples tested. 💬 A new paradigm for global health financing As aid flows decline, more countries are articulating a new vision in which health financing would build on national resources, answer to domestic priorities, and remain accountable to their own citizens. Such a change is long overdue, and... ❇️ Green bonds retain lead in Asia as sustainable debt market diversifies Green debt still accounts for more than half of Asean+3 sustainable bonds, while issuance outside China rises despite a broader regional slowdown. 🎙 'We've got each other's backs': A blueprint for shared resilience? In this second episode of Eco-Business’s Resilience podcast series, Singapore's Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary and youth sustainability advocate Man Jing Kong dives into what resilience means for the city-state with Jessica... ❇️ Renewables must lead Malaysia’s coal phase-out to avoid gas lock-in: WEF As Malaysia moves to retire coal power by 2044, the country has an opportunity to turn retiring coal sites into clean energy hubs and accelerate the deployment of solar, storage and other renewable technologies. 💬 China’s clean technology dominance reshapes global net zero transition Partnerships with China, not protectionism, will determine affordable, interoperable and equitable global decarbonisation and energy security. 💬 Who should build the low-carbon economy? Since the first Industrial Revolution, goods and technologies have reached the farthest corners of the world, but the ability to design, build, market, and extract value from them has remained highly concentrated. Unless humanity can break... 💬 Can the world build institutions fast enough to govern AI? Artificial intelligence is advancing faster than the international rules meant to manage it, raising the stakes for cooperation amid growing geopolitical fragmentation. Have a story that’s interesting? Write to us at news@eco-business.com

Decolonising economics means questioning where its ideas came from Decolonising economics challenges Eurocentric assumptions and extractive systems while elevating Global South perspectives and alternative models of economic development. 💬 https://eb.news/U62pu0xNTwSA

How climate crisis is redefining home and who counts as a refugee Climate change is increasingly driving displacement, raising urgent questions about development models that foster unequal growth while exacerbating ecological risk. 💬 https://eb.news/uKQ8er8RS9-A

Microplastics contaminate sea salt from Indonesia's Lombok Island: study The findings underscore how marine plastic pollution is contaminating everyday food products, with microplastics detected in all sea salt samples tested. ❇️ https://eb.news/Nk-7uG8JSSWA

A new paradigm for global health financing As aid flows decline, more countries are articulating a new vision in which health financing would build on national resources, answer to domestic priorities, and remain accountable to their own citizens. Such a change is long overdue, and... 💬 https://eb.news/q_c19oXYTqyA

Eco-Business's top stories | Thursday, 13 August 2026 Good morning everyone! Start your day with #EBDAILYDIGEST ❇️ Green bonds retain lead in Asia as sustainable debt market diversifies Green debt still accounts for more than half of Asean+3 sustainable bonds, while issuance outside China rises despite a broader regional slowdown. 🎙 'We've got each other's backs': A blueprint for shared resilience? In this second episode of Eco-Business’s Resilience podcast series, Singapore's Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary and youth sustainability advocate Man Jing Kong dives into what resilience means for the city-state with Jessica... ❇️ Renewables must lead Malaysia’s coal phase-out to avoid gas lock-in: WEF As Malaysia moves to retire coal power by 2044, the country has an opportunity to turn retiring coal sites into clean energy hubs and accelerate the deployment of solar, storage and other renewable technologies. 💬 China’s clean technology dominance reshapes global net zero transition Partnerships with China, not protectionism, will determine affordable, interoperable and equitable global decarbonisation and energy security. 💬 Who should build the low-carbon economy? Since the first Industrial Revolution, goods and technologies have reached the farthest corners of the world, but the ability to design, build, market, and extract value from them has remained highly concentrated. Unless humanity can break... 💬 Can the world build institutions fast enough to govern AI? Artificial intelligence is advancing faster than the international rules meant to manage it, raising the stakes for cooperation amid growing geopolitical fragmentation. ❇️ Temasek's GenZero reports 47% rise in direct climate impact as portfolio expands Climate investment platform broadens nature, technology bets as carbon markets grapple with quality concerns. 🎥 'We've got each other's backs': A blueprint for shared resilience? In the second episode of Eco-Business’s Resilience podcast series, Singapore Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary and youth advocate Man Jing Kong discuss what resilience means for the city-state with Jessica Cheam. ❇️ Philippines eyes nonstop carbon free power but US$165 billion investment gap stands in the way: GRA A wide investment gap and weak archipelagic grids hinder efforts to deliver nonstop carbon-free power, particularly for industries that need round-the-clock clean electricity, says nonprofit Global Renewables Alliance. ❇️ Climate litigation can strengthen accountability as Malaysia weighs constitutional environmental rights: lawyer Despite the absence of an explicit constitutional right to a healthy environment, former Malaysian Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan said the courts are becoming more receptive to public interest litigation. 💬 Malaysia emits like the rich but speaks like the poor Malaysia faces political, economic and constitutional barriers to curb carbon emission. As the climate bill nears Parliament, can policy finally match the country's carbon reality? ❇️ UN regulator delays deep-sea mining rules, extends disputed exploration deal The International Seabed Authority (ISA), the UN-associated organisation that oversees deep-sea mining activities in international waters, held a council meeting from 13 to 24 July in Kingston, Jamaica. Have a story that’s interesting? Write to us at news@eco-business.com

Green bonds retain lead in Asia as sustainable debt market diversifies Green debt still accounts for more than half of Asean+3 sustainable bonds, while issuance outside China rises despite a broader regional slowdown. ❇️ https://eb.news/0BRxswXHTz2A

'We've got each other's backs': A blueprint for shared resilience? In this second episode of Eco-Business’s Resilience podcast series, Singapore's Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary and youth sustainability advocate Man Jing Kong dives into what resilience means for the city-state with Jessica... 🎙 https://eb.news/dL4zZciIRbmA

Renewables must lead Malaysia’s coal phase-out to avoid gas lock-in: WEF As Malaysia moves to retire coal power by 2044, the country has an opportunity to turn retiring coal sites into clean energy hubs and accelerate the deployment of solar, storage and other renewable technologies. ❇️ https://eb.news/kebfVPMiTxCA

China’s clean technology dominance reshapes global net zero transition Partnerships with China, not protectionism, will determine affordable, interoperable and equitable global decarbonisation and energy security. 💬 https://eb.news/CbtEOO4pQrCA

Who should build the low-carbon economy? Since the first Industrial Revolution, goods and technologies have reached the farthest corners of the world, but the ability to design, build, market, and extract value from them has remained highly concentrated. Unless humanity can break... 💬 https://eb.news/2fcsUxcjSJqA

Can we govern AI in a fragmented world before it’s too late? While the US, EU and China offer different approaches, all recognise that AI is too powerful and pervasive to be treated as ordinary tech. 💬 https://eb.news/g3v5aMCbRTuA

Can we govern AI in a fragmented world before it’s too late? While the US, EU and China offer different approaches, all recognise that AI is too powerful and pervasive to be treated as ordinary tech. ❇️ https://eb.news/g3v5aMCbRTuA

Eco-Business's top stories | Wednesday, 12 August 2026 Good morning everyone! Start your day with #EBDAILYDIGEST ❇️ Temasek's GenZero reports 47% rise in direct climate impact as portfolio expands Climate investment platform broadens nature, technology bets as carbon markets grapple with quality concerns. 🎥 'We've got each other's backs': A blueprint for shared resilience? In the second episode of Eco-Business’s Resilience podcast series, Singapore Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary and youth advocate Man Jing Kong discuss what resilience means for the city-state with Jessica Cheam. ❇️ Philippines eyes nonstop carbon free power but US$165 billion investment gap stands in the way: GRA A wide investment gap and weak archipelagic grids hinder efforts to deliver nonstop carbon-free power, particularly for industries that need round-the-clock clean electricity, says nonprofit Global Renewables Alliance. ❇️ Climate litigation can strengthen accountability as Malaysia weighs constitutional environmental rights: lawyer Despite the absence of an explicit constitutional right to a healthy environment, former Malaysian Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan said the courts are becoming more receptive to public interest litigation. 💬 Malaysia emits like the rich but speaks like the poor Malaysia faces political, economic and constitutional barriers to curb carbon emission. As the climate bill nears Parliament, can policy finally match the country's carbon reality? ❇️ UN regulator delays deep-sea mining rules, extends disputed exploration deal The International Seabed Authority (ISA), the UN-associated organisation that oversees deep-sea mining activities in international waters, held a council meeting from 13 to 24 July in Kingston, Jamaica. ❇️ Indonesia records surge in fire hotspots ahead of Super El Niño A new satellite fire-monitoring platform, FireWatch, had detected more than 96,000 hotspots across Indonesia as of 27 July 2026. ❇️ Malaysia risks missing crucial reforms as delay to climate change bill creates uncertainty Prolonged delays to Malaysia's climate change bill and carbon pricing risk undermining investor confidence, while other panellists called for climate change to be treated as a national security issue and greater investment in adaptation. ❇️ South Korea targets 10 GW of new solar capacity as AI power demand surges Seoul plans regional industrial power tariffs, dedicated data centre pricing and expanded water infrastructure for semiconductor and AI projects. ❇️ Plastic outpaces jute despite Bangladesh’s packaging mandate A 2010 packaging law stipulated that 19 essential items must be contained and transported in jute sacks, but the legislation failed to protect the jute industry, which employs three million households. Have a story that’s interesting? Write to us at news@eco-business.com