Cities

China's drought won't cause huge jump in grain prices, experts
June 03, 2011
The worst drought in half a century in China will not push up grain prices drastically, but paddy rice growth will be affected, experts say.
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Singapore looks to BYD for electric public fleet
June 03, 2011
Singapore public transport provider SMRT International announced today a new agreement with Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD to explore a joint venture that would bring electric vehicles, including e-buses and electric taxis, to Singapore.
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Success claimed in border river clean-up
June 02, 2011
China has achieved its five-year goal of cleaning up the polluted Songhua River, which flows into the Heilong River (known in Russia as the Amur) that flows along the border, an environmental official said on Tuesday.
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Langfang Eco Smart City Master Plan 1
Smart city market to top $108 billion by 2020
CleanBiz.Asia Staff
June 01, 2011
For the first time in human history, more people now live in cities than in rural areas and this population shift is changing the face of the world. As urban populations grow even faster, "smart" information and communication technologies will be a vital part of maintaining the efficiency of bursting mega-cities.
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Fujisawa Sustainable Smart Town project
Panasonic and partners plan showcase green suburb
CleanBiz.Asia Staff
June 01, 2011
Panasonic and eight partner companies have announced plans to construct a green community from the ground up on the vacant site of a former Panasonic factory in Japan's Fujisawa City, 50 kilometres from Tokyo.
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Suzhou creek truned black
ADB and partners explore wastewater business prospects
CleanBiz.Asia Staff
May 31, 2011
With nearly two billion people in Asia and the Pacific having no access to adequate sanitation, representatives of governments, the business community, non-government organizations and international organizations have been meeting with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to discuss ways to ramp up investments in the sector.
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Boracay's White Beach and algae
Boracay benefits from sustainable water supply, sewage treatment
CleanBiz.Asia Staff
May 31, 2011
In an effort to preserve the Philippines island of Borcay Island as one of the country's most popular tourist destinations, Boracay Island Water Company (BIWC) has undertaken on a comprehensive water supply and sewerage master plan aimed at protecting the island's world-famous natural treasures.
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Thailand opens environmental court
May 29, 2011
Thailand has opened a new division of the civil court to handle environmental cases. As problems with pollution grow exponentially, so do the legal disputes.
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24 billion plastic bags saved in three years
May 29, 2011
In the three years that the ban on free plastic bags has been in effect, China has reduced its usage of plastic bags by 24 billion, and plastic consumption has dropped by 600,000 tons, which is equal to saving 3.6 million tons of oil or 5 million tons of standard coal, said Li Jing, an official of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), on May 26.
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China to quadruple spend on water conservancy over next 10 years
May 23, 2011
China's investment in water conservancy projects from 2011 to 2020 is expected to reach 4 trillion yuan (USD615 billion), almost four times as much as that spent during the past 10 years, a senior water official said Monday.
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US-India develop clean energy research centre
May 19, 2011
The US has put up USD25 million to support a clean energy research and development centre with India. The deal, announced by the US Department of Energy (DOE), says the US-India Joint Clean Energy Research and Development Center (JCERDC) will improve energy access and promote low carbon growth by facilitating joint research and development.
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China to set limits on electric vehicle JVs
May 18, 2011
In a further move to build dominance in electric vehicles, China plans to limit foreign investors' participation proportion in new projects for key components of new-energy vehicles to under 50 percent, the National Business Daily reported.
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BYD eBUS-12 all-electric bus
BYD picked to deliver world’s largest all-electric bus fleet
CleanBiz.Asia Staff
May 18, 2011
BYD Company has been selected as the electric bus provider for the 2011 International Universiade Games to be held in Shenzhen, China.
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Global Science and Innovation Advisory Committee for Malaysia, inaugeral meeting
Malaysia eyes greentech to propel entry to rich countries club
CleanBiz.Asia Staff
May 18, 2011
Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak met with the 35 members of the newly-formed Global Science and Innovation Advisory Council (GSIAC) for Malaysia, which is comprised of leaders of economics, business, science and technology, each volunteering to help Malaysia up the development ladder
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Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning system
SEI unveils new release of climate mitigation planning software
May 17, 2011
The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) has released a major new version of the Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning (LEAP) system, its powerful, versatile software system for integrated energy planning and greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation assessment.
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Expected green light for red-flagged hydropower development
May 16, 2011
China Green News is reporting that a hydroelectric station built illegally in a Hunan conservation area is to continue operation.
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Aircraft contrail
China pleads poverty to protect airlines from EU carbon cap
CleanBiz.Asia Staff
May 16, 2011
The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has hit out at the European Union plan to impose a carbon emission cap on airlines flying in Europe beginning in 1 January 2012. CAAC head Li Jiaxiang has called for the cap to be adjusted to reflect the differences between rich and poor countries.
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Indian satellite shows most Himalayan glaciers are retreating
May 16, 2011
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has backed the much-maligned 2007 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) saying the Himalayan glaciers are shrinking. Officials from the ISRO have revealed that 75 percent of the 2,190 glaciers studied, are shrinking.
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Indonesia and S. Korea in eco-agreements
May 16, 2011
Indonesia has signed a series of agreements with South Korea on environmental development including a Won70 billion (USD60 million) biomass energy project with South Korea-based sustainable development company Eco-Frontier. Further unspecified contracts for biomass power are expected to be valued at Won 22 billion (about USD20 million).
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Vietnam gets $15.6 million for sustainable tourism
May 16, 2011
Vietnam has announced that the European Union has granted EUR11 million (USD15.62 million) towards an environmental and socially responsible tourism development program up until 2015. Vietnam will add nearly USD1.5 million to the project to be overseen by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).  The deal is likely to help finance policy-building, education and "improving competitiveness and public-private partnership".
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