What makes effective impact-based social programming? We discuss the role of Yayasan Hasanah in advancing Malaysian society across its five pillars of action and the evolving approaches in social impact action. 

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Malaysia has pledged to achieve net zero carbon emissions as early as 2050 as part of global efforts to mitigate climate change. However, experts are cautioning that actions to reduce carbon emissions should not come at the cost of other sustainability metrics. We speak to S. Piarapakaran, President of the Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysia (AWER) on how these themes apply in the context of mining and water resources.

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It’s estimated that over 90% of high-value plastic for recycling in developing economies is collected by informal workers - and yet they are often left out of policy discussions in the industry. We discuss the inequities in the recycling value chain and measures to improve the livelihoods of informal workers with Anna Douma, Director of Programmes at The Circulate Initiative. 

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The landmark decision by a US court in Montana in favour of young activists has put the spotlight on climate change litigation as a means to hold governments and corporations accountable. Lawyer Kwong Chiew Ee walks us through the evolution of climate change litigation and how cases in both the developed and developing world are shaping the legal landscape.

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China and Southeast Asia have become the default manufacturing hub for the world, given its booming population and inexpensive labour costs. But the changing demographics of the region are having an impact on the supply of workers available to produce goods for global consumption. We explore labour trends in the Asian manufacturing sector with Jon Emont of the Wall Street Journal. 

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The government has set the ambitious goal for Malaysia to have 70% renewable energy capacity by 2050.  What’s the path to achieving the lofty target as charted by the National Energy Transition Roadmap launched in July? Independent energy analyst Dhana Raj Markandu unpacks some of the key takeaways from NETR Phase 1.

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Although there is increasing awareness about the importance of ESG reporting, companies at present are not held to unified standard and have a patchwork of guidelines to sift through. To address the confusion, the International Sustainability Standards Board or ISSB launched the much anticipated standards for sustainability and climate disclosures in June. Claire Herbert of Schroders breaks down the implications of the new standards for corporate stakeholders.

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With 5 months to go until the United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP28, all eyes are on the UAE and the summit's President-designate, Sultan Al Jaber, whose ties to the oil and gas industry are viewed with deep suspicion by activist circles. How might these dynamics affect the outcome of the summit? We get a preview of expectations for COP28 with Ng Wai Mun of sustainability news portal Eco-Business.

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Green hydrogen is increasingly spotlighted as one of the pathways to reduce carbon emissions and ensure energy security. In this regard, Malaysia is banking on the hydrogen economy to contribute up to RM61 billion ringgit by 2030 to the nation’s GDP. But the cost of green hydrogen is currently exorbitant compared to other energy sources - can Malaysia make the calculations work for us? Dr. Rezal Ahmad of NanoMalaysia breaks down the whats and whys of the hydrogen economy for Malaysia.

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Malaysia’s climate change act is still two to three years in the making, according to Minister for Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Nik Nazmi. What can we learn from the UK experience, which was one of the pioneers in enacting climate change laws? We speak to Datin Sunita Rajkumar of Climate Governance Malaysia and Rose Armitage of the UK Climate Change Committee for insights.

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