Will this kickstart a change in Singaporean habits towards embracing a greener and less wasteful society? Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. Plastic bags. Let’s face it, most of us use them. They are a key feature of our consumer lifestyles, a symbol of convenience. But they are a huge source of waste, with the vast majority burned, sent to landfills or...

Plastic's risks to the environment and human health far outweigh the benefits.  Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. Bans on single-use plastics are essential, experts say. Nations are also negotiating a global plastic pollution treaty to try to bring the crisis under control. But more is needed.  In this episode, ST's climate editor David Fogarty hosts Dr...

The climate crisis is causing a mental health crisis as anxiety over the future robs many of a sense of hope. Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. Anxiety about climate change can trigger feelings of helplessness and anger at governments and businesses for not doing enough to take action. There's disappointment that leaders are not treating the climate crisis as...

Is it feasible to build a sea wall around the island of Singapore?  Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. To celebrate the 5th anniversary of ST Podcasts, we had our first podcast recordings in front of a live audience of 60 youths at the intimate Temasek Shophouse along Orchard Road recently. One topic of the rising sea-level threat to Singapore was done for...

The Asian Development Bank is trying to bring green power to the people while curbing climate risks. It’s a huge challenge. Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. Asia is the economic engine of the world. This powerhouse region is growing quickly and so are its energy demands.  Millions of people still do not have access to electricity or clean cooking stoves....

Steps are being taken to reverse decades of damage to oceans. But is it too little too late? Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. We’re celebrating the 100th episode of our Green Pulse Podcast series. And what better way to mark it than taking a deep dive into the oceans -- the planet's most important and greatest expanse of life.  Without the oceans, humanity...

Find out how our guest speaker is making climate change and sustainability more relatable.  Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. Climate change is a growing problem for humanity. Almost every day, we hear that we need to cut emissions, live greener lifestyles. It can all seem a bit daunting.  For instance, major reports from the United Nations' climate science...

Keeping the world honest on greenhouse gas emissions is vital in fighting climate change.  Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. Every year, humanity releases more than 50 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases into the air – mainly from burning and extracting fossil fuels and chopping down forests. Nature can’t absorb all this extra, so the gases accumulate in the...

Find out why nations need to invest more in resilience to cope with what’s to come. Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. Critical in the climate crisis fight is helping politicians and the public better understand the causes of climate change and solutions, and not allowing vested interests, such as the fossil fuel industry, to muddy the picture and delay...

Find out the qualities of a good chief sustainability officer. Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. Climate change and the growing biodiversity crisis are having far reaching impacts on businesses. Governments are adopting tougher regulations, too, and businesses also have to be much more transparent about their environmental footprints and how they plan to...

Why a new UN treaty gives hope to the world’s ailing oceans and is important to South-east Asia. Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. Did you know oceans provide about half the oxygen we breathe and soak up about 90 per cent of the excess heat generated by global warming? They also soak up about a third of the carbon dioxide emissions from mankind’s...

Indonesia's Rimba Raya project developers explain how rigorous the verification and auditing process is. Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. Forests soak up large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) and halting deforestation and replanting forests make sense as a strategy to fight climate change – and save nature, too. Investors who do this, want to earn a return...

Our expert guest offers his evaluation of a recent investigation by British media outlet The Guardian. Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. Forests are one of nature’s ways of soaking up large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2), helping apply the brakes to climate change. This explains why halting deforestation and replanting forests makes sense. Investors who do...

Nations have this decade to halt and start to reverse the damage. Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. At the recent COP15 United Nations biodiversity conference in Canada, nearly 200 nations agreed on a series of targets that aim to halt and eventually reverse the loss of nature. The “Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework” includes four goals and 23...

Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. In this episode, we look more deeply at the challenges of actually achieving net zero emissions for complex portfolios held by big investment managers and the risks of greenwashing claims by bad actors. What does achieving net zero emissions by 2050, mean for investors and what are the risks and challenges? ST’s climate...

Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. In this episode, we look how insurers and asset managers can be powerful actors in accelerating the green transition. The finance sector, including insurers, can set tougher policies that limit or exclude financing and coverage to fossil fuel-linked firms and instead focus on renewable energy and other low-carbon...

Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. At the COP27 climate talks here in Egypt, a key focus is how to help poorer, more vulnerable nations cope with increasingly extreme weather events that threaten their homes, their jobs and the food they grow.  Adapting to climate impacts has become an urgent need for billions of people around the globe, yet the money to help...

Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. Governments are at the heart of global climate action, setting the policies and direction for businesses and the public. And their influence will be on full display at this year’s COP27 climate talks in Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt. Delegates from nearly 200 nations are tasked with accelerating action on climate change and...

Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. The corporate world is a vital ally in the fight against climate change. Businesses are major sources of greenhouse gas emissions heating up the planet. But they are also major drivers of change. Their investments in green energy and transport, low-carbon supply chains, green data centres – and more – can drive positive change...

Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. South-east Asia is a region hungry for power. But a February 2022 report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) showed that over 66 per cent of installed power capacity in Asean in 2020 were fossil fuel plants. But what are the renewable energy options available to the region and what is holding back its green...

Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. The COP27 climate change conference (Nov 6-18) is just two months away, and delegates from almost 200 nations are expected to gather in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt to work out how the world can avoid the harshest impacts of climate change. This year’s conference will take place on the back of a spate of extreme weather events...

Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. The world is now at an inflexion point when it comes to energy. The Russian war on Ukraine is worsening the global energy crisis, highlighting the need for countries to safeguard energy security. At the same time, humanity’s long reliance on fossil fuels is having devastating impacts on societies. So how will countries deal...

Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. If you look at a stretch of rainforest, how do you measure its true value? Is it for the timber in the trees, the medicines in the roots and bark, the water stored in its soils or for its ability to absorb carbon dioxide? A local villager might value it more for its cultural or spiritual worth or for the animals that provide...

Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. A recent report shows mankind is far more dependent on nature than many believe. For example, humanity uses about 50,000 wild, non-farmed, species for food, medicines, wood and fuel and even tourism. This includes more than 10,000 wild species harvested directly for human food.  The report from the United Nations’ science...

Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change. With each passing year, more and more carbon dioxide is pumped into the atmosphere, raising the global temperature. The race is now on to rapidly cut carbon emissions to limit the pace of global warming. But it’s clear that more will need to be done. Huge amounts of CO2 will also have to be removed from the atmosphere,...