Sustainability
From hydrocarbons to hydrogen? Gulf states seek the good oil in green transition
Hydrogen has been hailed as an energy of the future and the technical fix in the green transition. But as hydrogen’s technological and cost barriers continue to fall, there remain…
Jokowi’s visit to Australia is about much more than electric vehicles
Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo carries a personal ambition in his visit to Australia this week, to secure Australia’s support for Indonesia’s nascent electric vehicle ambitions…
Speeding up Indonesia’s EV ambition
With electric vehicles increasingly driving the roads, battery manufacturing has become a global industry. Many countries are involved. Australia, Canada, Chile, China and Congo…
Home grown: Building a stronger food system in Laos
One of the smallest and most sparsely populated nations in Southeast Asia, the Lao Peoples’ Democratic Republic (Lao PDR, or Laos), a mountainous, landlocked country wedged…
Hydro-hegemon? Complexities of shared rivers between China and India
Transboundary river governance has long been a headache for governments in Asia. One of the region’s most complex cases is the bilateral governance of the Yarlung Tsangpo…
The cost of crime and corruption on Pacific fisheries
The Pacific Ocean is the most abundant fishing region, however an uptick in illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing around the islands means that might not always be…
South Korea can’t afford to be a Wally with water
South Korea, Asia’s extraordinary economic development success story, is facing water shortages. The situation is bad enough that the government recently warned the 1.4 million…
Mekong River: Turning declaration into actions
Laos hosted a four-day Mekong River Commission leadership summit and conference last week, focusing on this vital waterway for Southeast Asia.
Australia has been engaged in the…
Japan feels the pinch as fertiliser costs soar thanks to Russia’s war
For many countries, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has had a grave impact on food costs and availability. Grain export bans and pipeline shutdowns by Russia have resulted in a sharp…
China’s food dilemma
Despite China’s enormous population, the country has limited resources, making the security of food supplies a constant preoccupation. For older generations, including President…