The Tropical Landscapes Finance Facility (TLFF) today announced its inaugural transaction, a landmark US$ 95 million Sustainability Bond to help finance a sustainable natural rubber
plantation on heavily degraded land in two provinces in Indonesia. The project incorporates extensive social and environmental objectives and safeguards. Planted areas will serve as a buffer zone to protect a threatened national park from encroachment.
Debra Tan, director of the think tank China Water Risk, pointed to the vast opportunities available to those who are able to crack climate’s toughest quandaries. In particular, she made the business case for cleaning up China’s Yangtze River.
The South China Sea is a vital source of protein and export revenue. Territorial disputes between six claimants countries have led to clashes between fishing fleets as governments try to establish informal possession of reefs, rocks and other features. An international tribunal ruled that China’s claims to most of the sea have no legal basis, raising concerns about the consequences for dwindling fish stocks. Here are five things to know about fishing in the South China Sea.
In December 2010, a YouTube video showing a Hong Kong pavement littered with drying shark fins caused a public outcry. The island’s traders have since moved their activities high up onto Hong Kong’s rooftops to avoid more bad publicity. But they couldn’t keep away from the cameras forever. A Hong Kong resident recently blew the whistle on the legal, but highly criticised, practice.
In recent years, we have been programmed to view emissions from the transportation industry as one of the leading causes of global warming. We have been encouraged to ‘go green’ by using public transport instead of cars or walk and bike everywhere to reduce our carbon footprint. Little did we know that the best way to reduce our emissions was simply to cut down on our meat intake.
By Emily Botsford
China aims to spend $850 billion to improve filthy water supplies over the next decade, but even such huge outlays may do little to reverse damage caused by decades of pollution and overuse in Beijing’s push for rapid economic growth.
