In the second episode of a new podcast series that profiles Southeast Asia's clean energy pioneers, Eco-Business spoke with Frank Phuan, co-founder of Singapore solar pioneer Sunseap and now founder of Equator Renewables Asia, a new company focused on unlocking cross-border green power.

As a global powerhouse for clean technology and green finance, China can do more to help Southeast Asia lower its greenhouse gas emissions and transition to net zero, says Dr Jeffrey Sachs, economist, Columbia University professor and president of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).

Tune in to this episode of the Eco-Business podcast as we discuss:

- How the GBA can help finance Asean's energy transition

- Asean's rise as a strategically important player

- How China can improve its climate leadership

- Why investing in climate action and data still matters

Capping methane release in the oil and gas sector is one of the fastest – and cheapest – ways to tackle climate change. But measurement mandates are first needed to abate the dangerous climate agitant, Viknesh Andiappan and Shareen Yawanarajah tell the EB Podcast.

In this episode of On the frontlines, which profiles the changemakers on the hard edge of sustainable business, Anita Neville, chief sustainability and communications officer of palm oil company Golden Agri-Resources, talks about how the job of the chief sustainability officer is changing, and the growing influence of finance over the role in the context of the palm oil industry.

At the close of COP30, nations agreed to triple adaptation finance by 2035, while the fund for loss and damage appeared to remain sidelined. A veteran attendee of the climate conference explains why.

As the Philippines gears up to lead the Southeast Asian bloc next year, Departmet of Energy director Michael Sinocruz says the government will push offshore wind power to bolster cross-border renewable energy trade, while protecting marine life impacted by structures. An Asean bloc must be formed at COPs to drive such initiatives.

Countries are gathering once again for the annual United Nation’s annual climate conference, known as COP. This year’s COP30 host, Brazil, has pledged to focus on topics that range from boosting climate finance, adopting new adaptation goals, updating national climate targets, and launching a fund to protect forests that is the first of its kind.

But all this is happening against a backdrop of the United States, one of the world’s largest historical emitters, pulling out of the Paris Agreement. Can the rest of the world maintain momentum on climate action through COP, and who are experts looking to for climate action today?

Eco-Business spoke to two veteran COP attendees who have spent decades on the ground supporting the work of negotiators and communicating what’s happening to the public and press:

▸Meenakshi Raman, head of programmes at Third World Network

▸Ani Dasgupta, chief executive officer at the World Resources Institute

Tune in as we discuss:

▸The key climate finance issues at COP30

▸The US’ next steps after leaving the Paris Agreement

▸How civil society can be heard at COP

▸What needs to be achieved on adaptation

The region has been historically underrepresented in leadership at global standard setters like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. The region has been historically underrepresented in leadership at global standard setters like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. Sharath Martin, who holds positions in global accounting body ACCA and WWF-Malaysia, tells the Eco-Business Podcast what must change.

Tune in as we discuss:

The reasons behind Asean's lack of leadership at global financial and sustainability standard setters

The region's strengths and challenges 

The need to price in nature and biodiversity

Whether the consensus-driven Asean Way is still relevant

How Asean's mindset needs to shift

One of the biggest challenges facing Venisa Chu, Asia Pacific sustainability director for L'Occitane Group, is living up to the cosmetics giant's circular economy ambitions.

Tune in as we discuss:

How Venisa Chu started out in sustainability

The hardest sustainability target to achieve

How to persuade suppliers to get on board with sustainability

Is being a B Corp an advantage in Asia?

The impact of the ESG backlash

Where sustainability sits in the corporate structure

Is re-fill working?

Advice for aspiring sustainability practitioners

Managing burnout

The public backlash has been intense for the ongoing probe on the flood control scandal facing the Philippines. On this podcast, Angelo Kairos dela Cruz, executive director of nonprofit Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC), talks about how so-called Filipino resilience has been "trivialised" and often been used as an "excuse" for developers to dodge accountability for substandard projects.