Videos

Shenzhen CO2 market progress and Hong Kong opportunities
Speaking on a panel at the CleanBiz.Asia forum on China's emerging carbon market Ge Xing'an, vice president of the China Shenzhen Emissions Exchange, gave an overview of developments across the border from Hong Kong and his view of how the two cities can collaborate on market-based climate change mitigation.
Christine Loh on the 1st 100 days
The appointment of Christine Loh, a noted environmental campaigner and head of Hong Kong-based think-tank Civic Exchange, to be the city's Under Secretary for the Environment was seen as a significant statement of intent by the new Hong Kong Chief Executive, CY Leung. Ms Loh spoke with CleanBiz.Asia executive editor Fergus O'Rorke on her 100th day in office.
Post-Doha IEA looks to Asia
While the COP18 climate talks were taking place International Energy Agency chief economist Fatih Birol, was in Hong Kong courtesy of global energy management specialist Schneider Electric. In his presentation on IEA World Energy Outlook 2012 Dr Briol put strong emphasis on the current impact and future potential of energy efficiency.
Hong Kong corporates pledge to cut building carbon emissions

Eighteen leading Hong Kong companies – members of the Business Environment Council and the Climate Change Business Forum –  have pledged to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions in their commercial buildings. They joined over 100 other companies and organizations globally in taking the pledge, which originated with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

Achieving food security and low-carbon agriculture
Agriculture is extremely vulnerable to climate change and, in most places, productivity and yields are likely to suffer. The agricultural sector, however, is also one of the biggest drivers of climate change, accounting for 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions if forestry and land use change are included. Shenggen Fan, director general of the International Food Policy Institute, believes however, that with the right policies in place agriculture can become part of the climate change solution.
ESG on the move in Hong Kong and China

Coinciding with up on the announcement of the 2012 Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Index constituents, research and advisory firm RepuTex released Asia On The Move, its annual review covering  the ESG performance of 636 Hong Kong and Chinese A-listed companies by market and research category.  CleanBiz Asia executive editor Fergus O’Rorke caught up with Reputex ESG research Martha Grossman and asked her about how she sees the corporate sustainability landscape changing.

Integrated reporting - the Swire Pacific experience
Sustainability reporting by publicly listed companies has, historically, been treated seperately from financial reporting to shareholders, giving rise to the perception that sustainability is not really a core focus for corporations. A few companies are, however, now going down the path of integrated reporting, including Hong Kong-based conglomerate Swire Pacific - one of the first to do so in the Asia. Philippe Lacamp, the Swire Group's sustainability director, spoke to CleanBiz Asia editor Fergus O'Rorke about the exerpience and where the company is going with its integrated reporting initiative.
Asia's role in reshaping capitalism and saving the planet

Having first developed in North America and Europe, consumer society and consumerim as now taken firm root in Asia, helping to fuel the continued growth of the gloabl economy. And a good thing too, many would say - but not Chandran Nair. In his book, "Consumptionomics - Asia's role in reshaping capitalis and saving the planet", the founder and chief executive of The Global Institute for Tomorrow argues passionately that Asia is following the wrong model of economic development.

Planning for peak coal in China
As details of China's 12th Five Year Plan continue to be fleshed out, it is clear the economy is being pushed hard down the low-carbon path. Jiang Kejun, research professor in energy systems analysis at the Energy Research Institute – a think tank under China's powerful National Development & Reform Commission – is very well placed to see where that path is leading. He spoke to CleanBiz Asia executive editor Fergus O'Rorke at The Climate Group's Business Summit on Climate Leadership 2011 about progress being made and the inevitable bumps in the road as China approaches the peak of coal consumption.
A look toward Durban from Asia

The Business Summit on Climate Leadership 2011, held in Hong Kong, was upbeat in term of progress being made in a number of areas, particularly China, whose 12th Five Year plan was much discussed for its strong push in the direction of low-carbon development.

ESG integration still finding its legs in India
Despite the S&P ESG India index having been in place for nearly four years – longer than most sustainable company indicies in Asia – management and investing based on environment, social and governance (ESG) principles is not well developed in India. Sumantra Sen, founder director and principal researcher of India's Respsonible Investment Research Association, told CleanBiz Asia managing editor Mike Dunn about some of the issue that need to be addressed for ESG to move forward in one of the world's largest emerging markets.
Counting environmental cost
The UN Environment Programme's Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) is 20 years old. Now with more than 200 members drawn from the global financial sector, the UNEP FI is a key forum for dialogue about the nexus between economic development, environmental protection, and sustainable development. Fergus O'Rorke, executive editor of CleanBiz Asia, took the opportunity to talk to Paul Clements-Hunt, head of the UNEP's Financial Initiative unit, at the ASrIA 10th Anniversary Conference.
Making gains on the triple bottom line
SRI, ESG, Impact Investing … the terms keep changing but Robert Rubinstein, founder and chief executive of the TBLI Group says the fundamentals remain the same. During the recent ASrIA conference the 13-year veteran of advocating sustainable investment practices in Europe and Asia told CleanBiz Asia executive editor Fergus O'Rorke that, if the will is there, it's not hard to do.
The prospects for aviation biofuel

In 2010 the world's airlines spent USD140 billion on jet fuel and accounted for about 3 percent of the human effect on the climate. Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), an organization representing parties from across the aviation industry, says governmenta across Asia Pacific -- one of the fastest growing aviation markets and the world's largest -- could help slow growth of airline emissions by kick-starting development and production of aviation biofuel.

Energy efficiency finance crucial for Asia says IFC

On the back of record investments results in the Asian-Pacific region, with commitments in 120 projects totaling USD3.9 billion dollars during fiscal year 2011, the International Finance Corporation has reshuffled its top management in the region, with Sérgio Pimenta taking over as the director for East Asia and Pacific. He spoke to CleanBiz Asia executive editor Fergus O'Rorke about the IFC's changing role in the region and its current agenda focused on climate change.

Asian investor group on climate change formed

After two years of ground work the Association for Sustainable & Responsible Investment in Asia (ASrIA) is moving forward with the formaiton of the Asia Investor Group on Climate Change. As ASrIA chairman Alexandra Tracy told CleanBiz Asia executive editor Fergus O'Rorke, the new group will give voice to concerned investors in Asia, enabling them to collectively engage on issues related to climate change.

Managing sustainable growth the MTR way

Hong Kong-based MTR Corporation has received a lot of accolades for its sustainability efforts, most recently being given an AA rating by the RepuTex ESG Data Service - a distinction achieved by only two other companies in Asia. MTR has, however, been expanding rapidly both within its home base and internationally, which is testing the company's sustainable management framework as never before.

Asia 2050: Realizing the Asian Century
A new book commissioned by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) says an additional 3 billion Asians could enjoy living standards similar to those in Europe today, and the region could account for over half of global output by the middle of this century. This potentially promising future for the region - sometimes referred to as the "Asian Century" - though plausible, is by no means preordained.
Waging the gigatonne carbon war

The climate change threat also a great entrepreneurial opportunity and, if faulty market mechanisms can be fixed, 50 percent of the climate change challenge can be addressed today – and profitably – by existing technologies according to Carbon War Room. Founded in 2009 by a group of successful entrepreneurs led by Richard Branson, Carbon War Room works to break down market barriers so capital flows to into climate change solutions.

IPCC renewable energy report overview

Amids the general gloom about progress toward stabilizing greenhouse gas levels, the IPCC's Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation provides an encouraging view of renewable energy's potential. Dr Ottmar Edenhofer, Co-Chair of the IPCC Working Group III, provides an introduction to the report and and highlights its principal findings.

Reviewing world energy

In the six decades since the precursor of today's BP Statistical Review of World Energy, much has changed. In this BP video Christof Rühl, the oil giant's chief economist, goes back to the roots before reflecting on the major energy market developments of 2010.

The Fujisawa Sustainable Smart Town plan
Cathy Liu of the the Panasonic News Portal reports on the announcement by Japan's largest consumer electronics group that it is working together with eight other companies in an eco-conscious smart city project called Fujisawa Sustainable Smart Town. This smart town concept will showcase Panasonic's "entire solutions" business model in full scale and will serve as a worldwide model project of an eco-friendly city in action.
Redefining sustainability
Johan Rockström is leading a new approach to sustainability: planetary boundaries. Working with a multidisciplinary team of scientists, Prof. Rockström and the Stockholm Resilience Centre identified nine key Earth processes or systems -- and marked the upper limit beyond which each system could touch off a major system crash. As he explained to CleanBiz Asia executive editor Fergus O'Rorke, this work redefines sustainability and has profound implications for economics, public policy and corporate development.
Hitting China's energy intensity targets
In it's new 12th Five Year Plan China set the goals of reducing energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 16 percent and 17 percent respectively by the end of 2015. This follows on from the 20 percent reduction in energy intensity that the country managed in the five years to 2010. As The Climate Group's Greater China Director, Changhua Wu explains, being on-target involves a steep and sometimes painful learning curve.
The other side of Apple

Released by the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs in conjunction with the publication of the IT Study Report (IV): Apple by Green Choice Alliance, this video feature shows the effect of n-haexane exposure on production workers at the Suzhou branch of Wintek, a contractor producing touch-screens for Apple Inc. It also highlights other problems in Apple's supply chain in China.

CLP backs HK's climate change strategy
With the Hong Kong Government proposing the phase out of most coal-fired power generation in the Chinese special administrative region by 2020 CleanBiz Asia executive editor Fergus O'Rorke spoke to Richard Lancaster, Hong Kong managing director of CLP Power, about the company's stance and its progress toward hitting the targets set out in its Climate Vision 2050.
The father of climate change science
Often described as the father of climate change science and occasionally the grandfather (following publication of his book Storms of My Grandchildren) James Hansen took time out from a busy trip attend the Climate Dialogue/C40 Cities Hong Kong conference to talk to CleanBiz Asia executive editor Fergus O'Rorke.
The Carbon Disclosure Project at 10
Sue Howells, head of global operations at the Carbon Disclosure Project, chats to CleanBiz Asia executive editor Fergus O'Rorke, about how the project has changed over its first decade and outlines some new developments in the pipeline.
CDP's Asia ex-Japan 2010 report
The Carbon Disclosure Project 2010 Asia ex-Japan Report, compiled and written by the Association for Sustainable & Responsible Investment in Asia (ASrIA), documents some encouraging signs that the region is now on a stronger footing to improve carbon management, capitalizing on opportunities that increasing resource efficiency, reduce emissions and raise financial performance.
Commuting with Juniper Networks

We take a look at the commute and transportation program at Juniper Networks, which won a 2008 Business Environmental Award from Acterra. Juniper makes a wide range of transportation programs available, from mass transit subsidies to telecommuting programs to financial incentives, which helped the company reduce trips by more than 24%.