Eco Money: Are China's financial and policy reforms enough to push the world's biggest polluter towards dominance in renewables?

At a time when the threat of climate change is prompting countries to reshape their environmental and energy policies, China's commitment through investments, manufacturing prowess and supportive policies is anchoring its leadership in the clean energy sphere. With the shift in stance by the Trump…

Eco Money: Is a carbon tax or emissions trading system more effective in reducing carbon emissions?

With an emissions trading system, the policy involves setting a total cap or limit on carbon emissions, which makes companies switch to low-emission or renewable energy sources. In contrast, a carbon tax establishes a price directly on carbon emissions so that companies are charged a certain amount…

Eco Money: Can Carbon Credits sometimes be counterproductive?

Carbon offsets first took off in the 2000s when the UN launched the Clean Development Mechanism. For those who might not be familiar, carbon credits are intended to reduce, remove, or avoid emissions. But while the intentions are good for our planet, companies working to generate climate benefits …

Eco Money: Is the financial model of natural asset companies flawed?

With the effects of climate change permeating through more layers of society, and natural resources growing scarcer - the concept of natural asset companies, a new investment model that ties environmental preservation to economic growth, is catching on. Such companies monetise natural ecosystems, …

Eco Money: Is there a green premium in the green bond market? And is the growth of green bonds set to fizzle out in the next few years under Trump 2.0?

In recent years, the rise of green bonds has provided a promising financing mechanism in climate change mitigation efforts, and studies investigating this market have revealed the notion of a 'green premium' or 'greenium' within green bond pricing. But, how prevalent is the existence of a green pr…

Eco Money: How are the finances for sustainable infrastructure development shaped?

In the journey to go greener, infrastructure can be a powerful tool for fair and sustainable economic growth when done right.  But, with differences across the world when it comes to definitions for sustainable infrastructure, alongside other challenges such as regulatory, political, and exchange …

Eco Money: How are funds for conservation & climate action unlocked through nature bonds? Are the returns worth it?

For many countries, debt burdens and lack of access to international capital are enormous hurdles to meeting their ambitious biodiversity and climate goals. With the latest launch of The Nature Conservancy's latest project in Ecuador late last year, the global conservation organisation now has six…

Eco Money: What role does blended finance play in Southeast Asia’s fight against climate change?

The UK government's development finance institution and impact investor, British International Investment (BII) recently launched Sustainable Asia Renewable Assets (SARA), a new renewable energy platform jointly formed alongside Dutch development bank FMO and European investment manager SUSI Partne…

Eco Money: What's stopping businesses from investing in nature? And a deep dive into gaps in Sustainability Reporting.

A recent analysis of 700 companies across 11 industries and 14 Asia-Pacific jurisdictions revealed that while 72% acknowledged issues like water and biodiversity, only 25% considered them material to their business. What’s driving the disconnect and the key gridlocks in finance models? And what ar…

Eco Money: What role should private capital play when public funding isn’t enough to tackle climate challenges?

Identifying financing needs for climate action is not straightforward, especially when it comes to finding equal footing and funding. With government budgets already strained and differences in standards and expectations, as seen with the stalled negotiations at COP29, the private sector is set to…