Air Pacific, Fiji’s international airline, has been accused of hypocrisy for backing shark conservation for public relations while flying shark fins to HK.
Last year the airline sponsored “Happy Hearts Love Sharks”, a contest run by the Hong Kong Shark Foundation, which was aimed at encouraging newlyweds to set an example by not serving dishes containing shark fin during wedding banquets. The international trade in shark fin, centered in Hong Kong, is blamed for decimating shark populations.
Hong Kong should be a walker’s paradise. It is compact and dense, with a large number of amenities concentrated in a very small space. Few errands require the use of a car, and in fact over 90 percent of daily journeys occur on public transportation.
Walk Score, a US-based website which calculates walkability based on the proximity and concentration of amenities in a neighborhood, gives much of urban Hong Kong scores of 70/100 or above. Moreover, Hong Kong has a vibrant street food and market culture, boasting areas with enough complexity and variety to keep people entertained for hours. Yet Hong Kongers do not seem to enjoy walking.
China aims to boost the annual output value of its resource recycling industry to 1.8 trillion yuan (USD287 billion) by 2015 as part of the country's bid to develop a circular economy, Xinhua reported this week.
China’s Ministry of Finance says it spent over 9 billion yuan (USD1.43 billion) last year promoting energy-saving products ranging from home appliances to hybrid vehicles.
With the launch of a five-year EcoCampus master plan the Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) is set to become an environmental conservation reference center for other higher learning institutions in Malaysia.
As we prepare for the Year of the Snake, some lunar New Year charms and accessories, found in the Philippine capital, Manila, might not exactly bring good fortune.
The Ecowaste Coalition, a consumer safety watchdog, has discovered dangerous chemicals in 28 lucky charms and accessories, including a fertility amulet with a high level of lead that ironically could induce miscarriage and premature childbirth.
It’s been a busy and productive few weeks for both the shipping industry and the Hong Kong government.
In his first policy address, Hong Kong Chief Executive CY Leung announced plans to introduce legislation for at-berth fuel switching during the next legislative session, continue discussions with Guangdong officials on extending fuel switching to other places in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), and for shoreside power at the new Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, scheduled to open in June.
Uniqlo, Asia’s biggest global fashion brand and its parent company Fast Retailing Group, have committed to eliminate all releases of hazardous chemicals throughout its entire global supply chain and products by 2020, in response to Greenpeace’s global Detox campaign.
The already dubious shark fin industry in China is coming under new scrutiny after authorities in the province of Zhejiang claim to have found that many of the shark fins sold in markets are artificial and some also contain dangerous toxins.
As the incidence of respiratory disease increases in the Philippines due to pollution, the head of an environmental group has advocated issuing gas masks free to students. Joey Papa, president of Bangon Kalikasan Movement, said employers should also provide them to their workers in urban areas.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced a new three-year assistance plan to Cambodia. The plan includes of USD525 million to help the country reduce poverty, promote growth and mitigate climate change, the bank said.
Japanese researchers have developed a new line of fabric made from wafer-thin solar cells that could allow people to harvest energy and power up devices, like mobile phones, on the go.
It is one of those embarrassing things that happen from time to time – finding one or two nose hairs poking out of your nose while you are in the company of others. There’s nothing you’d want more than to get your hands on a trimmer and remove it instantly.
If you are living in a choking city like Hong Kong, however, you’d be better off keeping your nose hairs and let them grow - they are your first line of defense against air pollution.
Tata Power Solar is commissioning the first of two 1-KW solar PV plants to power “portacabin” centers for residents’ welfare associations across New Delhi.
The Asian cosmetics industry needs to raise the bar for sustainability according to speakers at the 2nd Asia-Pacific Sustainable Cosmetics Summit held recently in Hong Kong. They say the region is lagging in many ethical and ecological areas, such as alternatives to animal testing, ecological packaging, green formulations, as well as consumer education.
The growing importance of Asia to the cosmetics industry was highlighted by Sam McKay, CEO of Jurlique. In his opening keynote, he declared: “Asia has become our number one focus as a region”.
According to a new report by Pike Research, which was recently merged into Navigant Energy, sales of plug-in electric vehicles (PEV) in China continue to be well off the target set by the government when it named the Electric Vehicle (EV) sector a strategic priority with major economic, environmental, and security impacts for the country.
CLP Power Hong Kong has selected US-companies Itron and Cisco for a pilot smart metering project. Due to start next year, the pilot project will include around 3,000 residential customers living in both private and public housing and around 1,400 small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) customers with the company hoping to boost its green credentials.
On November 23 the Delhi government will begin enforcing a blanket ban on the manufacture, import, sale, storage and use of plastic bags, sheets, films or tubs, the second time in three years the city has attempted the move.
This report by the World Bank spells out what the world would be like if it warmed by 4 degrees Celsius, which is what scientists are nearly unanimously predicting by the end of the century, without serious policy changes.
Companies in Asia reveal expectations that regulations that could lead to rising costs for reporting and reducing GHG emissions will also be the main sources of climate-related business opportunities.
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