Wal-Mart promises to accelerate sustainability effort

From: World Business Council for Sustainable Development (ENN)
January 30, 2009

The incoming CEO of US retail giant Wal-Mart has reiterated the firm's commitment to sustainability, pledging to reduce packaging and environmentally-damaging detergents — but many of its critics remain to be convinced.

Mike Duke, who takes over from Lee Scott on 1 February, said at the firm's sustainability meeting on Monday: “We want to accelerate our efforts in sustainability. We want to broaden our efforts.”�

Two targets were announced at the meeting — a 70% reduction in the use of phosphates in detergents by 2011 and a 5% reduction in packaging by 2013. Both apply to the Americas region, although already in the US it only sells phosphate-free detergents.

In a message to the firm's 2 million workers, Duke said: “The leaders that get ahead in Wal-Mart will be ones that demonstrate their commitment to sustainability. You won't be able, in the future, to really be viewed in the same way if you put this on the back burner.”�

Outgoing CEO Scott had a Damascene conversion to the sustainability cause after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which affected more than 100 of the firm's stores. Scott committed the firm to source 100% of its power from renewables, to create zero waste and to sell products that sustain resources and the environment.

Progress has been made in several areas; for example, 360 of its 2,000 stores are now supplied with wind energy.

However, the company is still heavily criticised, according to Antoine Mach at ethical ratings consultancy Covalence, based in Geneva, which tracks how multinationals are perceived in the social and environmental fields.

Wal-Mart has performed better in recent years, but is currently ranked 14th out of 35 retailers, Mach said. “They are in the first half of the group and, on certain topics, they have become a leader. But on others, such as labour rights, they need to improve.”�

Wal-Mart's sustainability performance has largely failed to convince investment analysts. It has, for example, never appeared in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, a leading index series compiled by researchers at Zurich-based SAM Group and widely used by sustainable asset managers.

Meanwhile, Wal-Mart has not made a formal report on progress towards its sustainability goals since late 2007.

Wal-Mart has set comprehensive and ambitious environmental targets, said Linda-Eling Lee, a New York-based senior analyst covering the global retail sector for Innovest Strategic Value Advisors, a specialist environmental, social, and governance research company.

She said she had only just begun to delve into their performance against the targets, but noted: “They are so big that anything they do, from a world resources point-of-view, adds up to a lot.”�

Banks urged to help protect the environment

BY Conrad Tan
7 September 2007
Business Times Singapore


Top Doha Bank exec is here to attend his bank's global warming seminar

THE deputy chief executive of Qatar's Doha Bank says it is vital that banks act to protect the environment - and is in town to spread his message of sustainable development.

'Financial institutions have got the power to make it happen,' R Seetharaman told BT yesterday, during a visit to speak at a seminar on global warming and environment protection organised by the bank's representative office here.

A central part of his message is that banks should set aside some of their resources to invest in alternative energy and environmental causes.

Corporate social responsibility and profits are not mutually exclusive, he said.

'We have enough reasons to believe we can achieve 20-25 per cent returns' on investments such as biofuel, wind energy and solar energy production. 'Currently, nobody is attempting it.'

Mr Seetharaman has been the public face of the bank's drive to promote awareness of socially relevant issues and social causes over the past few years.

Doha Bank, which is listed on the Doha stock exchange, is Qatar's biggest commercial bank and its shareholders include members of the emirate's royal family.

It has overseas branches in New York and Dubai and representative offices in Singapore, Tokyo, Shanghai and Istanbul.

The office here has just three staff now, headed by M Sathyamoorthy, but Mr Seetharaman said: 'We'll be growing.'

According to the bank's financial statements, it had assets of 26.6 billion Qatari riyal (S$11.14 billion) at end-June.

Its net profit for the three months from April to June was 239.2 million Qatari riyal and net interest income was 163.9 million Qatari riyal.

Taking the green message to business

29 Aug 07 (Business Times)

IT'S been said so often as to seem almost a platitude: 'Go green
because it's good for your business'.

And certainly there are many high-profile examples of corporations
taking measures to make their businesses more environment- friendly.
But by and large, the impact of the green message on the corporate
world remains depressingly negligible.

We need to ask why, and what can be done about it.

Many are passionate young people who have moved beyond traditional
media to the interactive world of the Internet. For them, the Web's
social networking sites and strategies are the perfect way to
disseminate information, identify and encourage green initiatives, and
generally educate tens of millions of their young peers in an
intensively interactive environment.

The educating is more effective because the lessons are shared,
dissected, criticised and recreated by consensus.

It is education that is absorbed, not imposed. Some call it Web 2.0;
the name doesn't matter, the experience does.

And that is a lesson that their senior counterparts in business and
government could take to heart.

Not in the area of green products and activities; leave that to the
experts.

It takes scientists to create more effective and eco-friendly fuels
and efficient hybrid cars, engineers to reduce the power and emission
needs of a manufacturing process.

It needs an experienced business team to convert eco-friendly
innovations into commercially feasible products. And it takes
visionary government officials to project a country's needs decades
into the future, and create a public transportation system that is
effective, and people as well as environment- friendly.

But that's already happening.

So why do the mass of business folk, who stand to benefit from
eco-friendly innovations and infrastructure, continue to drag their heels?

Simply, the message hasn't got through.

And so long as this vast majority remains uncommitted, the industrial
fog will stay, both literally and figuratively.

Clearly, education is key. But education imposed in the traditional
way has proved to be ineffective.

Which is why it's worth paying attention to the new-media world of our
youth, where information is dynamically shared and absorbed. It could
be the strategy that turns the tide.

Sands IR: The glitz, the glamour, the swelling cost

By Jasmine Yin, TODAY
29 August 2007

SINGAPORE: At US$3.6 billion (S$5.5 billion), it was touted as one of the costliest casino-resorts ever, out-glitzing even the newly-opened Venetian Macao.

Now, the development bill for the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort (IR) could swell further - by as much as US$1.44 billion.

A spike in the cost of building materials, sparked by the Indonesian sand ban in January, as well as refinements to development's design, could push up the tab by "20 to 40 per cent", Las Vegas Sands president and CEO William Weidner told the Singapore media visiting Macau on 28 August.

Said Mr Weidner: "My cost people keep on discussing concrete and some of the sand issues that you all face in Singapore. We're struggling, quite frankly, to stay within our budget."

"It's a very, very complicated and sophisticated building... as wonderful as the idea is, now that we try to execute it in concrete and steel, it's a bit of a challenge. But we'll get there. We’re looking for means and methods to construct it more efficiently."

Back in February, when construction on the IR began, the casino operator was hopeful the sand supply issue would be a "temporary glitch" and that the Singapore Government would find a long-term solution.

The Las Vegas-based operator meets regularly with the Republic's authorities. Said Mr Weidner: "There are several issues that still need to be resolved."

Some S$700 million worth of contracts have been awarded. A whopping S$1-billion contract to build the IR's three 50-storey hotel towers - which will go to a multi-national corporation - will be announced soon, revealed Marina Bay Sands' vice-president George Tanasijevich.

The IR is due to open in 2009 and already, talks are ongoing with organisers to host about 20 major events up to 2013, he added.

Sands was the first foreign player to enter Macau's gaming scene in 2004.

The US$265-million Macao Sands got its money back - and more - by raking in US$400 million in revenue within a year.

So, is Las Vegas Sands expecting its latest property - the US$2.4-billion Venetian Macao, touted as the world's second-largest building - to break even within 12 months? More like five years, Sands' billionaire chairman Sheldon Adelson told AFP.

More than 3,000 guests and 1,200 media turned up for Tuesday's star-studded opening of the Venetian Macao, which is modelled - on a larger scale - on Sands' The Venetian in Las Vegas, complete with canals, gondolas and a fake sky.

In addition to more than 850 gaming tables, there are 3,000 luxury suites, a 15,000-seat stadium and 350 shops. The new resort reportedly employs 5 per cent of the territory's workforce of 450,000.

In the crowd was Singapore Tourism Board deputy chairman and chief executive Lim Neo Chian, who described the new resort as "very impressive". He said: "By the time the Marina Bay Sands IR opens in Singapore, Las Vegas Sands will have invaluable experience and insight into the Asian market - enabling them to make Marina Bay Sands, which is very different in design to their two Macau resorts, an even better proposition."

The Venetian Macao is the first casino built on the Cotai Strip, a complex of hotels that will have more than 1 million sq ft of gambling space, 3 million sq ft of retail and almost 20,000 hotel rooms.

With the target being the huge numbers of nouveau riche gamblers who pour daily across the border from mainland China, Mr Weidner announced plans for a Las Vegas Sands ferry service from Macau to Hong Kong and Shenzhen on 28 August. A new terminal is being built near the Macau airport, as are 10 new ferries that will cast off between October and March.

Last year, gaming revenues in Macau totaled US$7.2 billion - overtaking the Las Vegas Strip for the first time. - TODAY/ym

SPH eco-friendly from production to print

By Arti Mulchand, Straits Times
28 Aug 07

WHEN it comes to going green, Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) shows how
serious it is by walking the talk.

Up to 95 per cent of the company's newspapers are printed on recycled
newsprint. Everything from print outs to ink cartridges are recycled,
the company said in its green report card, released yesterday. That is
up from just 20 per cent in the 1990s.

By year-end, new energy-efficient air-conditioning chillers at Media
Centre in Genting Lane, plus a more efficient chiller unit at the Toa
Payoh North News Centre, will bring about $500,000 in energy savings
each year. Regularly changing the filters in News Centre's cooling
systems also helps reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

SPH has also been a keen supporter of conservation in Singapore, and
to further spread the message, it will host close to 1,000 staff and
business partners at the local premiere of eco-documentary Arctic Tale
tomorrow.

Before the screening, SPH Foundation will present a cheque for
$120,000 to Wildlife Conservation Singapore which will help support,
for example, the breeding of proboscis monkeys at the SPH Foundation
Conservation Centre.

Since 2004, SPH and SPH Foundation have contributed over $1 million to
conservation efforts in Singapore.

“农作树”造纸法节省能源

27 August 2007 (Lianhe Zaobao)
written by 林佩碧

　　保护环境，已到了刻不容缓的时候。

　　本报每逢星期一和四，通过《绿色行动》专栏定期提供环保消息和贴士，让大家在日常生活中减少浪费，把环保意识落实为行动，当作生活方式。

　　这个专栏欢迎读者参与，提供题材，一起为环保尽力。读者可把资料电邮到zblocal@sph.com.sg或传真到63198121。

　　一提起造纸业，人们自然会联想起大量砍伐树木、烧芭、损耗能源，以及漂白纸张等对环境造成严重污染的种种情形。

　　一份研究显示，全球有17％纸张原料来自砍伐山林、37％来自开发后重新种植的树木，只有29％来自有人管理的园林，例如再植树木或种植农作树（farmed trees），而后者更被视为目前最环保的造纸法。

　　专门生产复印纸的Double A公司，过去20年来在泰国北部山区采取的正是农作树造纸法。

　　公司高级执行副总裁迪拉威（Thirawit Leetavorn）日前接受本报电访时解释，所谓农作树造纸法，即在无需砍伐树木的情况下，把农作树的树苗交给农民，让他们在自家农地空出来的地方栽种，待三至五年后树木长成合适高度，公司便根据市场价格向农民回购。

　　为了确保纸张原料的素质，该公司采用的是源自澳洲昆士兰州、却经过专家开发和改良的尤加利树品种（Eucalyptus）。新品种不仅拥有高产量和高质量的纤维，也适合在泰国土壤和气候环境中生长。

　　公司安排了约40名工作人员驻守山区，与农民一起生活，一方面为他们灌输有关种植尤加利树的知识，另一方面方便他们监督和控制产量。

National Library Wins Award

Jason Lee
jasonlee@mediacorp.com.sg
Aug 24 2007 (TODAY)

Its efforts in conserving energy have won Singapore's National Library
Building a regional accolade awarded by the Asean Centre for Energy. The
National Library Building - ranked top in the "Energy Efficiency and
Conservation Best Practices Competition for Energy Efficient Buildings:
New and Existing" category - was on a list of more than 20 recipients at
the Asean Energy Awards last night. The event was held with the official
dinner of the 25th Asean Ministers on Energy Meeting.

Through various initiatives - including escalators and water taps with
motion-sensors, use of natural lighting, and gardens - the National
Library Board (NLB) has been taking environmental-friendliness seriously.
And such measures also paid off financially for the NLB, which saves about
10-per-cent on its monthly energy bill, chief executive Dr N Varaprasad
told Today.

Two other organisations here were also recognised for their efforts. The
Environment Building and Plaza Singapura were ranked first and second,
respectively, in the "Retrofitted" category.

The awards, held annually since 2000, seek to recognise the
environment-friendly practices of organisations.

'I Used To Be The Next President Of The Us'

Al Gore spreads green message with touch of humour and sincerity

Sheralyn Tay
sheralyn@mediacorp.com.sg
Aug 8 2007 (TODAY)

A DISCOUNT store chain and a former "next President" had a profitable
lesson to share with global business yesterday.

Under pressure from a changing business environment and eco-conscious
consumers, Walmart - one of the world's biggest corporations - reduced its
energy consumption and reaped big gains in turn, noted former United
States Vice-President Al Gore (picture).

Speaking in Singapore at the Global Brand Forum yesterday, Mr Gore cited
the American-based chain of discount stores as an early adopter of energy
sustainability.

In its efforts to be a leader in carbon reduction, Walmart placed
windmills on the roofs of many stores and is talking to sub-contractors
about packaging.

And even as Walmart has become embroiled in controversy - over employee
discrimination and union issues - it has gotten a "huge" brand response at
a time this was needed, Mr Gore added.

Mr Gore, who spoke to a packed ballroom of industry leaders, shared his
views on how sustainability was good for branding - served with dollops of
wry and often self-deprecating humour.

Introducing himself, Mr Gore - one of four Vice-Presidents in American
history to win the popular vote but lose a presidential election -
good-naturedly alluded to his controversial loss in 2000, telling the
audience: "I used to be the next president of the United States."

Recounting a meal at a cheap diner with his wife, Tipper, he said: "The
waitress came over and fawned over (Tipper). Then she went over to the
couple next to us and whispered - so low I had to strain to hear her -
'yes, that's Al Gore'. The man replied, 'He's come down a long way hasn't
he?'"

Mr Gore also could also not resist a few pot-shots at the current US
administration, saying - with an unrepentant grin - "I'm sorry, I can't
help myself".

The audience, which responded to his humour and sincerity, asked during
the question-and-answer session: Is he running for President?

No, said Mr Gore, to which another participant stood up and said: "I'm
glad you didn't become President, because you have a far superior role
than a presidential role now."

Mr Gore replied in jest: "I'm sure I would have made my own mistakes, but
different ones."

Even as he peppered his speech with funny asides, Mr Gore had a serious
message for businesses: What were they doing about the climate crisis?

Pointing to the urgency of the situation, Mr Gore said that growing demand
around the world for solutions meant business had to move, or lose out.

"Companies ahead of that curve will be rewarded in the marketplace," he
said. "It is in your business interest to be part of the solution to the
climate crisis."

While lack of political will remained a key stumbling block, Mr Gore was
optimistic that a tipping point, particularly in the US, was close at
hand.

Already, he said, state governments and some 600 cities in the US have
embraced the Kyoto Protocol, a treaty that seeks to reduce carbon
emissions - even though the US government itself has not ratified it.

The world's largest companies, such as General Electronics, Caterpillar,
and Proctor and Gamble, have also demanded government limits on carbon
dioxide emissions.

With the newly-elected congress in place and a new American President in
18 months, said Mr Gore: "No matter which party is elected, there will be
change on global warming."

Luxurious, But Eco-friendly

Energy Smart hotels save energy without stinting on quality

Lin Yanqin
yanqin@mediacorp.com.sg
Aug 4 2007 (TODAY)

KEEPING guests pampered and comfortable comes at a high price - hotels are
among the biggest energy guzzlers in Singapore, accounting for nearly 2
per cent of the total greenhouse gas emissions.

And with 2,000 rooms to be added over the next couple of years and another
4,300 by 2010 - courtesy of the integrated resorts - they are now in the
green movement's spotlight.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) has added hotels to the Energy Smart
Building labelling scheme, a two-year-old programme that recognises
establishments for being energy efficient.

"I would say the next eight months is a critical time," said Dr Lee Siew
Eang from the National University of Singapore (NUS), who headed the team
that developed the benchmarks for the scheme.

"When all the design work (for the hotels) is going on, we can use this
opportunity to put energy efficiency at the forefront of (the developers')
minds."

To qualify to be Energy Smart, hotels need to engage an accredited energy
service company to conduct an audit on their energy efficiency.

As an incentive, the NEA will fund 50 per cent of the cost of the audit,
up to a maximum of $200,000.

If the audit shows that the hotel ranks among the top 25 per cent in terms
of energy efficiency, it will be awarded the label.

The trouble, Dr Lee said, is that many hotels in Singapore are ignorant of
how energy inefficient they are.

"And some of the posh hotels told us that energy saving was not their
priority because they were luxury hotels," he said.

"They think that saving energy means compromising on quality."

But four hotels that were awarded the inaugural Energy Smart Hotel label
on Friday prove this is not necessarily the case.

The Regent Singapore, for instance, shaves about $20,000 from its monthly
utilities bill thanks to clever tweaking of current operations.

The hotel now uses a heat recovery system - using the heat emitted when
water is cooled - for the hotel's heating needs.

The system cost the hotel $500,000 to install, but it is confident that it
will recoup the amount within 18 months.

"That's what this whole scheme is about - improving energy efficiency
without compromising the guests' stay," said Ms Ann Verbeek, public
relations director of The Regent.

"We are doing all this without sacrificing luxury."

The other three hotels - InterContinental Singapore, Shangri-La Hotel, and
Changi Village Hotel - have similar heat recovery systems, as well as
energy efficient lighting systems to reduce electricity usage on lighting.

Energy Smart Office labels were also awarded to five other commercial
buildings on Friday, along with a special award for the National Library
Building.

This brings the total number of buildings under the labelling scheme to 13
office buildings, four hotels, and one library.

"There are real savings which contribute to the bottom line and the
systems are a business asset," said Dr Lee, who also heads NUS Energy
Sustainability Unit.

"The challenge is to convince developers that energy efficiency is not
just a running cost, but can become a capital gain."

Plans are in the pipeline to extend the scheme to other types of buildings
including shopping centres, hospitals and schools.

Climate Change Can Give You Returns

Cheow Xin Yi
cheowxinyi@mediacorp.com.sg
Aug 4 2007 (TODAY)

Climate change doesn't always have to be negative.

Investors could put their money in companies that "prosper as a result of
having a direct impact on efforts to mitigate or adapt to climate change",
said Shroders Singapore's Head of Retail Chin Szu Yi.

Through "Shroder ISF Global Climate Change Equity", its
climate-change-related retail fund that invests in companies benefiting
from efforts to cut carbon emissions, Ms Chin said, the firm hopes to
"pick out these winners".

Launched by the global asset management company on June 26, the fund -
described as the first such initiative to hit Singapore shores - currently
invests in over 70 companies in its portfolio.

United States companies make up 35 per cent of the portfolio, while the
rest comes from Europe, Japan and other emerging markets, with about five
to six per cent in Asia.

The fund's portfolio manager, Simon Webber, said Sinomem Technology and
Hyflux, Singaporean companies that deal with water management, are two
firms the fund could include in its portfolio because of the problem of
water shortage in Asia, particularly in China.

The current fund size stands at more than US$100 million ($152 million),
excluding the $100 million raised in Singapore so far. In addition to
Singapore, the fund has been offered to retail investors in South Korea
and Hong Kong.

Mr Webber said that there are plans to launch the fund in Japan, the
United Kingdom and Europe in the next three months, adding that the fund
will use the MSCI world index as its reference.

"We believe this is the biggest investment theme in the next 20 years or
more, and as a result, we expect to be able to outperform the broad world
market. We believe we can beat (the MSCI world index) consistently," he
said.

Following Schroder, Deutsche Bank Group launched a similar product, the
DWS Global Climate Change Fund, in July.

money on the weather

Fund: Shroder ISF Global Climate Change Equity

Launch Date: June 26 to Aug 8

Launch Price: $10

Minimum Initial Investment: $2000

Minimum Subsequent Investment: $2000

Sales Charge: Up to 5 per cent of gross investment

Annual Management Fee: 1.5 per cent

Administration Fee: 0.4 per cent yearly

Dealing Frequency: Daily

Subscription Mode: Cash

New Green label for energy smart hotels

03 August 2007 (CNA)

SINGAPORE - A scheme to promote energy efficiency in hotels has been launched by the National Environment Agency (NEA) to give recognition to energy efficient hotels and promote energy efficiency by the better use of resources.

At the launch of the Energy Smart Hotel Label scheme, four hotels - The Regent, Shangri-la, Intercontinental and Changi Village - made it to the inaugural list.

Noting that recognition given to the four hotels, Dr Amy Khor, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Water Resources who was at the launch said, "I’m sure we will be able to get more on board, because they will be able to see there are really direct, tangible benefits that can be reaped with not very significant investments really, and the payback period because of the improvement in technology is getting shorter."

Studies conducted in Singapore and other parts of the world have identified hotels as one of the more energy-intensive buildings in a city.

And having acceded to the Kyoto Protocol in April 2006, the NEA’s Chief Executive Officer Lee Yuen Hee pointed out that Singapore’s commitment to combat climate change will require support from all sectors, especially the energy and carbon-intensive ones such as the hotel industry.

Speaking at the launch of the Energy Smart Hotel Label scheme, Mr Lee stressed that energy efficiency is important to maintain Singapore’s competitiveness.

"The productive use of energy, which is what energy efficiency is about, is one additional tool that Singapore businesses can make use of to stay ahead of global competition," added Mr Lee.

Hotels currently account for almost two percent of Singapore’s total greenhouse gas emissions, mainly due to electricity consumption. In the next few years, the emissions are likely to rise with higher hotel occupancy rates and the addition of more hotel rooms.

The industry expects occupancy to increase by 1,000 rooms per year over the next two years and 4,300 new rooms by early 2010 when the two integrated resorts are completed.

By recognizing the best-performing hotels in terms of energy efficiency, it is hoped that the scheme will motivate others to make improvements to their buildings. At the same time, the building owners get to enjoy a quick payback on energy efficiency investments as they can be amortized through immediate savings from the lower energy-related operating costs.

The Regent, which is among the first to receive the Energy Smart Hotel Label, was able to realize an energy reduction of about 26% in kilowatt-hour (kWh) terms after doing an energy audit. The initiative led to measures such as the replacement of diesel boilers with a new heat recovery system which saw economic returns in about 18 months.

To participate in the scheme, hotels can engage an accredited Energy Service Company (ESCO) to conduct an audit of their energy efficiency against a set of benchmarks developed jointly by the NEA and Energy Sustainability Unit of the National University of Singapore.

The benchmarks were developed after a thorough survey involving a representative sample of 30 hotels. Building physical features, operational characteristics, and data on energy use were amongst the key factors taken into consideration in designing the benchmarks of the system.

If a hotel meets all the criteria, it qualifies for the Energy Smart Hotel Label. If not, it can conduct a more detailed study, aimed at identifying areas of inefficiency and drawing up a set of realistic targets for improvement.

NEA will fund 50% of a hotel’s audit, up to a maximum of $200,000, from its Energy Efficiency Improvement Assistance Scheme introduced in April 2005 to help companies defray the cost of conducting energy audits. - CNA/ym

Shell fined S$25,000 for safety lapses which led to death of worker

19 July 2007 (CNA)

SINGAPORE: Petroleum company Shell has been handed a S$25,000 fine for safety lapses that led to the death of its worker.

It pleaded guilty in court on Thursday for failing to put in place work safety procedures at its offshore refinery.

35-year-old Goh Kean Lam died in an accident two years ago while carrying out chemicals replacement processes.

He succumbed to the injuries after suffering chemical burns to 17 per cent of his body.

Shell said it has looked into its processes more critically to make sure safety is not compromised.

The company could have been fined up to S$50,000 under the Factories Act. - CNA/yy

MediaCorp aims to do its part to protect environment

By Wong Siew Ying, Channel NewsAsia
06 July 2007

SINGAPORE: MediaCorp is using its various media platforms to spread the message on the importance of protecting the environment, as the organisation feels climate change and its potential for disaster calls for a more concerted effort from the society.

This is the first time that the broadcaster is launching a month-long Green Campaign across its television, news, radio and print platforms.

From 23 July, Channel NewsAsia will screen a six-part documentary called "Saving Gaia" ('Gaia' in Greek means 'Earth'), which looks at how countries in Asia are addressing environmental issues.

Woon Tai Ho, Managing Director, MediaCorp News, said: "It is, if you like, our inconvenient truth – the earth is not in such a good shape. The topics discussed in the documentary range from what happens when rivers dry up to what happens when cities start to sink.

"The matter is actually more urgent than we give it credit for. In fact, the consequences of the climate change can actually happen within our life-time. When we asked movie star Joan Chen to narrate it, she said 'yes' because she knows it's for a good cause."

Members of the public can also chip in to help ease climate change.

MediaCorp will launch a "Saving Gaia begins with me" online campaign from 7 July where the public can pledge to protect the planet.

The first 5,000 to do so will receive a reusable shopping bag from sponsor Singapore Petroleum Company.

MediaCorp is also encouraging its staff to bring their mugs to the cafeteria so as to cut down on the usage of styrofoam cups, which are not biodegradable.

Channel NewsAsia plans to invite business partners to a "Saving Gaia Breakfast Forum", which will touch on the practice and value of going green.

MediaCorp Channel 5 will be screening the round-the-world Live Earth! concerts, which will last for 24 hours, from 7pm on Saturday, 7 July, to promote the fight against global warming.

MediaCorp Channel U will also be broadcasting the full version of the Live Earth! Shanghai concert from 9.30pm on Saturday.


- CNA/so

Sentosa corals to get new home as work on integrated resort begins

By Teresa Tang, Channel NewsAsia
06 July 2007

SINGAPORE: Corals from Sentosa's Northern coastline are being permanently moved to a new home, to make way for the construction of the integrated resort on the island.

To ensure a successful migration, marine biologists are assisting Resorts World at Sentosa in a major conservation project.

Galaxia and Turbinaria are two hard corals having to leave Sentosa which has been their home for some five years.

The corals will first be chiselled off rocks, placed in an underwater holding site and then transported to the Southern Islands.

But not all corals will make the move.

Sonja Pans, Head, Environmental Management Services, DHI Water & Environment, said: "Our divers must be able to carry them around, which limits the size of the corals, maybe to 30 cm, maximum 50 cm in diameter.

"We chose them as well in terms of the suitability of survival rate, meaning how likely it is that the coral will survive... if they are really healthy, you want to take them."

Organisers say preserving corals like these means preserving a part of Sentosa.

Said Patrick Too, Deputy Director, Projects, Resorts World at Sentosa, "This is another one of our efforts for Resorts World to conserve whatever we can. We try to protect whatever's available right now, because this marine life is part of the heritage in Sentosa."

The coral conservation project complements the resort's tree conservation programme, to ensure the island's natural habitat is protected.

The coral project is expected to be completed by early August. - CNA/yy

Environmental issues hit S'pore screens as MediaCorp goes green

By Margaret Perry, Channel NewsAsia
04 July 2007

SINGAPORE : MediaCorp is going green this month in an effort to make Singaporeans more aware of environmental issues.

The green programming starts on Saturday with a 24-hour worldwide concert.

"Live Earth" will hit Channel 5 at 7pm on July 7 and last for 24 hours.

Channel U will also telecast Live Earth from 9:30pm on July 7.

Countries from seven continents, including Japan, Brazil and the US, will be hosting concerts featuring over 100 stars and bands committed to saving the environment.

They include Madonna, the Black Eyed Peas and the Police.

Two billion people are expected to watch the event worldwide.

Hollywood's finest are also lending their support, offering green facts and tips.

In Singapore, the MediaCorp television logos will go green for the day.

The broadcaster is also calling on the public to show their support too.

"We hope that by encouraging Singaporeans to wear green on July 7 and 8, it will bring a new level of awareness in Singapore, and for people to show their support for the environment in a highly visual manner," said Joy Olby-Tan, VP of Programming, MediaCorp TV.

As part of Arts Central's month-long celebration of Earth, the channel will air "Life in the Undergrowth" - a documentary that exposes the private lives of creepy crawlies such as spiders, worms and insects. It also includes the mating rituals of the leopard slug.

From July 23, Channel NewsAsia will start screening "Saving Gaia" - a six-part documentary series examining how countries in the region are tackling climate change.

Gaia in Greek means "Earth" and is synonymous with "Mother Earth".

This is the first time MediaCorp is launching a month-long Green campaign across its television, news, radio and print platforms.

The decision follows its signing of the UN Global Compact, with the pledge to support four key principles - human rights, labour standards, anti-corruption and the environment. - CNA /ls

Haze in two weeks' time?

By Nazry Bahrawi in Pangkalan Kerinci, Riau, TODAY
20 June 2007

Somewhere on an open airstrip in Riau, an airplane is ready to spring into action as a fire-fighting machine. The AT602 plane, used more frequently to spray fertiliser on plantations, can also carry about 2,400 litres of water — enough to help douse fires in the haze-prone region.

But, it hasn't been busy on that front lately. Its owner, pulp and paper manufacturer Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (April), had offered to share the one-seater plane with the Riau authorities to control fires about three months ago. The firm has yet to receive a reply.

"We proposed it in March this year but they (the Riau government) haven't signed it yet. They probably will once the fire starts," said Mr Brad Sanders, head of fire and safety at the Singapore-based April.

And that would be soon — the haze period is slated to start in two weeks' time. Officials from five Asean countries, including Singapore, are in Jambi to hear how Indonesia plans to tackle the problem this year (see box).

Forest fires in parts of Indonesia, such as the Riau and Jambi provinces in Sumatra, are largely the cause of the transboundary haze that had hit Asean in the past few years. Last October, Singapore's haze situation reached unhealthy PSI (Pollutant Standards Index) levels — between 101 to 200.

With two weeks left to the dry season, farmers in Riau are preparing to clear their lands using the inexpensive slash-and-burn method — inevitably leading to forest fires — again.

Last year, the province recorded almost 9,000 hotspots, said Mr Sanders. But only about 2 per cent of these took place within April's plantation areas, which measures more than twice the size of Singapore.

And this is not solely because of their fire-fighting capabilities, which includes another 70 full-time fire-fighters, 20 pick-up trucks, an airboat and a helicopter, said Mr Sanders. This, he believes, is also due to April's active attempts to provide economically viable avenues for locals living in its jurisdiction to steer clear of slash and burn practices.

He said: "We help communities develop small profitable enterprises such as haircut shops and honey production. So, people have other sources of income other than the agrarian-based one. There will be a lesser chance of them resorting to slash and burn."

But there is only so much one company can do.

A large part of the problem in tackling the haze situation boils down to bureaucracy and a lack of political will — at all levels. "In Indonesia, there is really no system in place to respond to all the sources of fire at one time. The problem here is that the people want the fires to burn. They are lighting them on purpose to clear the land. ... It's a conundrum," said Mr Sanders.

He also cited the inefficient use of two fire-fighting airplanes that the Indonesian government leased from Russia late last year: "By the time they (the airplanes) arrived, the rainy season had already started. They spent US$5.2 million ($8 million) and it wasn't used effectively, unfortunately."

Mr Fitrian Ardiansyah, programme director of climate and energy for WWF Indonesia, believes Indonesia's commitment to reduce the number of hotspots by 50 per cent this year is a "big challenge".

He told Today: "Transforming political pledge to action on the ground requires more than just willingness. Infrastructure and coordination to prevent and fight fires need to be under one command. Nowadays, the blame game is still happening among different sectors and levels — that is, between the central and local governments." - TODAY/sh

FINGERS CROSSED IN JAMBI

It has promised to reduce its hotspots by 50 per cent this year.

And today will see Indonesia updating its immediate neighbours of its progress towards achieving this objective.

Representatives from five Asean countries – Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia – are in Jambi to attend the third meeting of the sub-regional steering committee on the transboundary haze pollution.

Singapore's Minister of Environment and Water Resources, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim – leading the Singapore delegation – told reporters last week that he hopes Indonesia can keep their promise.

He also said that Singapore had submitted to Indonesia a haze masterplan that covers fire prevention and suppression, legislation and enforcement as well as regional and international collaboration.

But Indonesian Forestry Minister M S Kaban was quoted by its national news Antara as saying that he had not received the proposal.

Google Aims to Go Carbon-Neutral by End 2007

US: June 20, 2007
Story by Timothy Gardner
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
Source

NEW YORK - Google Inc. aims to cut or offset all of its greenhouse emissions by the end of the year, the Web search leader said on Tuesday .

Google is one of a number of companies, including News Corp., that are attempting to cut all of their emissions of gases scientists link to global warming.
To boost energy efficiency, Google is investing in renewable energy like solar, and will purchase carbon offsets for emissions it cannot reduce directly, the company said on its Web site.

"On their own, carbon offsets are not capable of creating the kinds of fundamental changes to our energy infrastructure that will be necessary to stabilize global greenhouse gas emissions to safe levels," Google said on its Web site. "But we believe that offsets can offer real, measurable, and additional emissions reductions that allow us to take full responsibility for our footprint today."

European companies invest in carbon offsets through the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism. The United States did not ratify Kyoto, but some US companies have begun to offset emissions on a voluntary, unregulated basis.

The company said it would invest in projects like capturing methane, a greenhouse gas with about 20 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide, from animal waste at Mexican and Brazilian farms.

"Our funding makes it possible for anaerobic digesters to be installed, which capture and flare the biogas produced while simultaneously improving local air quality and reducing land and water contamination," Google said.

Nonprofit emissions advisors The Climate Group said they will partner with Google to support its offset plans.

"This is just a start," Google Chairman and Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said in a release issued by The Climate Group. "We are actively looking for more opportunities to help tackle climate change."

Google last week launched a program with semiconductor maker Intel Corp. to introduce more energy-efficient personal computers and server systems.

News Corp. pledged in May to become carbon-neutral by 2010.

Canon Tops List of Climate-Friendly Companies

US: June 20, 2007
Story by Deborah Zabarenko, Environment Correspondent
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
Source

WASHINGTON - Canon Electronics Inc., athletic gear leader Nike Inc. and food and consumer goods giant Unilever Plc topped a list rating climate-friendly companies released on Tuesday.

There was a cluster at the bottom of the list of 56 companies. Six tied for last, with a score of zero on a 100-point scale -- Jones Apparel Group Inc., CBS Corp., Burger King Holdings Inc., Darden Restaurants Inc., Wendy's International Inc. and Amazon.com.
Even for those at the top, there was room for improvement on the Climate Counts scorecard, put together by a nonprofit group organized by the New England-based environmental entity Clean Air-Cool Planet and Stonyfield Farm, a US organic yogurt maker that placed sixth on the list, with 63.

"It's not enough to recycle paper and change lightbulbs," said Gary Hirshberg, Stonyfield Farm's chief and chair of Climate Counts. "We need to significantly reduce our carbon footprint ... Nobody deserves, or for that matter is getting, an A."

Stonyfield offsets 100 percent of its carbon emissions from manufacturing, Hirshberg said, but it needs to do more with renewable energy to cut the greenhouse gases that spur global warming.

The survey ranked the 56 companies chosen for their popular household use among mainstream consumers in North America and Britain, and for leading their respective sectors, from electronics to fast food.


CLIMATE-CONSCIOUS ELECTRONICS

Companies in the electronics/computer sector did well in addressing climate change compared with media and Internet companies, the survey found, with six of the 12 studied scoring above 50.

Besides Canon, these were International Business Machines Corp., Toshiba Corp., Motorola Inc., Hewlett-Packard Co. and Sony Corp. Dell Inc., Hitachi Ltd., Siemens, Samsung Corp. and Nokia were all in double digits and Apple Inc. scored only 2.

Food services as a sector was worst in terms of climate change impact, with none of the six scoring above 50 and three with a zero rating. Starbucks Corp. ranked highest in this group, with 46, followed by McDonald's Corp., at 22. Yum Brands Inc. -- which includes Kentucky Fried Chicken and Taco Bell -- scored a 1.

The rankings were based on 22 criteria that roughly broke down into four categories: how well a company had reviewed its global warming impact, how much it had reduced that impact, how much it supported public policies that encourage this reduction and whether the company made this information available. The amount of carbon reduction was weighted most heavily, worth a possible 56 out of 100 points.

Hirshberg and others on a telephone news conference announcing the scorecard stressed that this was seen as a "snapshot" of companies' progress. But it was also supposed to work for consumers who want to make an environmentally sound choice.

To do so, they can check the group's Web site, climatecounts.org for individual company rankings and the complete scorecard.