Asia

Indonesia hands over confiscated palm oil plantations to state firm

Friday - Indonesian prosecutors on Monday handed over more than 221,000 hectares (546,000 acres) of illegal palm oil plantations seized as part of an on-going corruption probe to a new state-owned company that will manage them.

Singapore tender signals high demand for Article 6-aligned carbon credits

Wednesday - Singapore's request for proposal, or RFP, to procure high-quality, Article 6-aligned, nature-based carbon credits, received offers from 17 suppliers with prices in the $19-$41/mtCO2e range, according to multiple market participants.

Japan releases inaugural sustainability reporting standards

Wednesday - The Sustainability Standards Board of Japan (SSBJ) announced the release of its finalized sustainability disclosure standards, based on the standards developed by the IFRS Foundation's International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), and anticipated to form the basis of mandatory reporting for listed Japanese companies of sustainability and climate-related information.

Coral reefs in Vietnam face collapse. Can conservation efforts turn the tide?

7 Mar 25 - The gentle waves off the coast of central Vietnam's Nha Trang obscure an open secret: The life-giving coral reefs below are dying. The waters are eerily devoid of fish. The bounty of the ocean is coming to an end.

Avalanche in India triggered by 600% surge in rain linked to climate change

6 Mar 25 - An avalanche which killed eight in India on Friday was set in motion weeks earlier by a dry winter, and triggered by a sudden 600% spike in precipitation within 24 hours, a disaster expert says.

Japan's worst wildfire in half a century spreads

5 Mar 25 - Firefighters were Tuesday battling Japan's worst wildfire in half a century, which has left one dead and forced the evacuation of nearly 4,000 local residents.

Kerala's early heat surge signals climate shift

28 Feb 25 - Kerala, known for its clear skies and balmy weather during the early part of the year, which attracts tourists, has been grappling with an early start of unusually hot weather this season. Scientists attribute this to a mix of local weather conditions and long-term climate change impacts.

The vicious cycle pushing Bangladeshi climate migrants into modern slavery

21 Feb 25 - More than nine in 10 migrants who left some of Bangladesh's most climate-affected areas to find work experienced forms of forced labour, researchers have found.

Over 100 deaths a day: UN warns of air pollution's toll on young children in East Asia, Pacific

10 Feb 25 - More than 100 children under the age of five die each day in East Asia and the Pacific from air pollution-related causes, said Unicef on Feb 6, in a call for urgent action to cut deadly emissions,...

Lack of financial support would force India to reduce climate ambition

5 Feb 25 - The failure of the developed countries to commit adequate amounts of climate finance at last year's climate conference in Baku might force India to temper the ambition of its climate targets for...

'Catastrophic' 2023 lake outburst in India driven by glacial melt and permafrost thaw

3 Feb 25 - Climate change played a key role in the "catastrophic" 2023 floods in the Himalayan state of Sikkim in India, a new study says.

Record-breaking Philippines typhoon season was ‘supercharged’ by climate change

16 Dec 24 - This year’s record-breaking typhoon season in the Philippines – which saw six consecutive storm systems hit the country in under a month – was “supercharged” by climate change, according to a rapid...

Floods wreak havoc in Malaysia, southern Thailand with over 30 killed, tens of thousands displaced

5 Dec 24 - Severe floods caused by monsoon rains killed more than 30 people and displaced tens of thousands in Malaysia and southern Thailand, officials said Tuesday, with both countries preparing shelters and...

COP16: United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification kicks off

4 Dec 24 - The Indian Minister for the Environment underlined efforts on land restoration, drought resilience Forests at the UN Convention to Combat Desertification this week.

Japan eyes cutting emissions by 60% by 2035 from 2013 levels

28 Nov 24 - The Japanese government said Monday it is considering cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent by fiscal 2035 compared with fiscal 2013 levels.

Deadlock over climate finance is undermining Paris agreement, Singapore minister says

8 Nov 24 - Efforts by the United States and others to persuade more countries to contribute to a new global climate financing initiative risks undermining the Paris agreement, Singapore's Environment Minister...

Japanese youth sue utilities over climate impact

29 Oct 24 - A group of 16 Japanese young people is suing utility firms over their carbon emissions, in the latest case worldwide of activists using courts to press for action on climate change.

Revealed: Biomass firm poised to clear Bornean rainforest for dubious ‘green’ energy

22 Oct 24 - Indonesia’s strategy for increasing renewable energy production could see Indigenous communities lose huge swathes of their forests to biomass plantations.

Woody biomass - a false climate solution and threat to Indonesia’s forests?

11 Oct 24 - A new report highlights the threat to Indonesia’s forests from industrial biomass demand.