28th November 2023

Start-ups Key Role in Slashing Carbon Emissions from Buildings

Walk past a construction site, office building, home or factory and it might not seem like they’re spewing out any carbon dioxide at all. In reality, those buildings account for nearly 40 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions and more than a third of energy usage. To reduce their impact on climate change, leading-edge startups in Southeast Asia and globally are at the forefront of developing innovative solutions to reduce emissions from buildings.

19th November 2023

Sustainable Rose Petal Fabrics Benefit Artisans and the Planet

After traveling around the world for work with global giants such as PWC and Proctor & Gamble, Covid stopped Telaship founder Amrita Haralalka in her tracks. Seeking more meaning in her work and wanting to support artisans in India who produce sustainable fabric, she decided to develop an online platform to help them scale up.

1st November 2023

Make Your Donations More Impactful

Donating to a worthy cause seems easy. Many people simply give to a charity that asks, give where they gave before or talk with friends. By being more strategic with your money, though, you can make sure your donation has more impact, regardless of whether it is small or large. Published at https://issuu.com/singaporeamerican/docs/lis_nov-dec_23

24th October 2023

Looqal Makes Shopping for Exquisite Sustainable Products Easy

Solving the pain point for consumers who want to shop for products from small sustainability-oriented companies was the reason for founding Looqal, said founder Joyce Teh. The problem consumers have, Joyce added, is that “Supply is fragmented. They chance upon them. The quality and authenticity are not verified. It’s made worse with greenwashing.” Looqal offers a single site for consumers to find quality products from small impactful businesses that support their communities and the environment.

17th October 2023

Electric Motorbikes, not Cars, Mitigate Climate Change in SE Asia

While many people may only think of EVs as cars, in Southeast Asia EVs are more often motorbikes. From tiny startups to corporate giants such as Honda, companies are gearing up to replace the 235 million motorbikes in the region and massively reduce carbon emissions. (Published in Impact Entrepreneur at https://impactentrepreneur.com/electric-motorbikes-not-cars-mitigate-climate-change-in-se-asia/)

14th October 2023

Wear a T-Shirt & Reduce Climate Change - Xinterra Sucks Carbon Dioxide from the Air

To help solve one of the most pressing problems humanity faces, said Xinterra CEO Patrick Teyssonneyre, Xinterra focuses on developing materials such as textiles to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air. “We know materials can help solve the problem. We started with textiles to make an impact,” he said. “Textiles can be bedding, tablecloths, towels or even national day flags.” The same concept can also be used in paint and other materials.

2nd October 2023

Saving Surplus Fabric from Landfill led to a Giant Fabric Store in Thailand

A Start-up Story: Moreloop, Thailand As he looked at how to reduce industrial waste in Thailand, Moreloop co-founder Amorpol Huvanandana found that the garment industry is one of the biggest problems. More than 2,000 garment factories in Thailand have anywhere from 3 to 10 percent of their fabric left over after production, leading to industrial waste. He co-founded Moreloop to reduce the waste.

20th September 2023

Burning Pineapple Leaves Inspires Innovative New Fabrics

A Start-up Story: ECOSOI, Vietnam While seeing farmers burn pineapple leaves might leave many people in despair, the sight inspired Vu Thi Lieu to create new fabrics. Her invention of a machine that turns leaves into pineapple yarn creates new fabrics, mitigates climate change and raises farmers’ incomes.

Solar Washington • 11th September 2023

Alternatives to Desert and Cropland offer Promising Solar Farm Sites

While development of solar power in Washington state continues to grow, the biggest need for electricity is in the more populous western half of the state and much of the development is on large solar farms in the sunnier eastern half. Solar farms are becoming increasingly difficult to site. Highly attractive locations can be home to endangered species and critical habitat, or they can be very attractive for farming, residential development or recreation. It turns out that there are a variety of alternatives to deserts or croplands.

6th September 2023

Start-ups Clean up Clothes – The Whole Fashion Industry, not Just the Shirt

When we put on our clothes in the morning, we probably don’t think about their environmental impact. It’s enormous, as the clothing industry causes 10 percent of global greenhouse gasses and 20 percent of water pollution. Start-ups in Southeast Asia have sustainable solutions.

24th August 2023

Can Tapioca Solve the Plastics Problem? A New Source for Bioplastics

A Start-up Story: Greenhope , Indonesia “Microplastics are poisoning and choking the ecosystem,” said Greenhope CEO Tommy Tjiptadjaja. “It affects our health, our existence.” To solve the problem, Greenhope produces both compostable plastics made from agricultural crops such as tapioca and also a plastic additive that speeds up decomposition of conventional plastics.

23rd August 2023

Revival and Impact: The FoodXervices Evolution | Impact Entrepreneur

FoodXervices Inc has a storied history that encompasses humble beginnings, a rise to prominence, a fall from grace, and an impressive resurgence. While the third-generation leaders of the company continue to manage the business, they dedicate the lion’s share of their time to a food bank that serves over 100,000 families and 300,000 individuals through a network of beneficiary organizations.

17th August 2023

Solving the Plastic Crisis – A Bioplastic that Actually Dissolves in Water

A Start-up Story: Invisible Company, Hong Kong When Invisible Company co-founder Devana Ng started hiking regularly in 2018, she was startled by the amount of plastic she saw along the trails - packaging, food wrapping, plastic bottles, energy bar wrappers and more. She realised she needed to do more to solve the plastic crisis and started looking for alternative packaging. “I set up Invisible with a bag that is biodegradable,” she said

16th August 2023

From Container Ships to Climate Leadership

After inheriting X-Press Feeders from his father, Tim Hartnoll transformed the company into the world’s largest feeder ship operator. Now, as the next generation rises within the firm, he’s noticing a shift in values. “The younger generation, when they go to work for a company, they feel the company has a social responsibility and should be giving back,” he observes. Embracing this perspective, X-Press Feeders is taking a leading role in decarbonizing the shipping industry and supporting social

Solar Washington • 16th August 2023

Initiatives Underway to Help with Hiring Solar Energy Workers

The good news for anyone who wants to work in the solar energy industry is that workers are in demand. It’s a different story for employers who need staff, though, as many face a shortage. Creativity will be needed to find enough people to support growth within the industry.

Payments Consulting Network • 14th August 2023

Texas Cowboys Can Teach Us How To Use Payments To Protect The Planet

To drive meaningful change that positively impacts people and the planet, payments companies need to go beyond just providing data or suggestions and running standard ads. One example of a highly successful and enduring campaign is Don’t Mess with Texas.

4th August 2023

Origo’s Plastic Alternatives are Compostable, not just Biodegradable - A Start-up Story: Origo, Malysia

As alternatives to plastic start to come onto the market, it might seem that biodegradable and compostable products are about the same. It turns out, though, that they are vastly different. Origo only products compostables.

28th July 2023

Building a Brand to get rid of Plastics made with Fossil Fuels A Start-up Story: EQUO, Vietnam EQUO’s goal is to get rid of plastics made with fossil fuels and replace them with naturally- derived alt

EQUO’s goal is to get rid of plastics made with fossil fuels and replace them with naturally-derived alternatives. “You use a piece of plastic for less than 15 minutes,” said EQUO founder Marina Tran-Vu, and “it lasts up to a thousand years. It boggles my mind.” EQUO takes a different approach to solving the issue than many companies by working to create a brand, Marina explained, rather than by producing alternative plastics itself.

CNA • 26th July 2023

Commentary: The cold reality of Singapore's offices even as the nation hits record-high temperatures

Sitting comfortably in my work-from-home office, I started a conversation on Zoom with my client. Then, I had to stop. “The office is freezing,” he said. “I have to get a jacket.” While it won’t solve every problem, setting temperatures higher can make workers healthier, increase productivity and help save the planet.

19th July 2023

Technology Makes Palm Oil Plantations Sustainable | Impact Entrepreneur

A fundamental problem for plantations, Ferron explains, is that owners and managers cannot easily track what happens on their land. Ferron founded eKomoditi in 2015 to distribute software that digitizes palm oil, durian, sugar, and rubber plantations, which enables the owners to plan harvesting, track workers’ attendance, trace products and more – all digitally.