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Why Smog in Pakistan Is Worse Than Ever in 2025

Pakistan is gripped by a year-round smog emergency, with PM2.5 levels far exceeding WHO guidelines and cities like Lahore among the world's most polluted. The crisis stems from a combination of industrial emissions, unregulated brick kilns, vehicle exhausts and seasonal crop burning, all of which are compounded by cross-border pollution and ageing infrastructure. Urgent, system-wide action — accelerating the adoption of renewables, reducing emissions from transport, and strengthening regulations — is needed to safeguard public health and restore the country’s air quality.

Singapore’s 2025 Election Sets Stage for Renewable Energy Strategy

Singapore's recent general election propelled the ruling party's renewable energy mandate and set the stage for the city-state's sustainable future. However, obstacles remain, including a limited landmass for solar and wind power projects, an overreliance on natural gas in the power sector and coordinating and managing renewable energy imports from its neighbours in the region.

Smog in India: A Nation Struggling to Breathe

India’s air quality crisis has reached crisis levels, with PM 2.5 concentrations far above WHO guidelines and city skies routinely choked by smog from biomass burning, vehicle emissions, industry and crop burning. Short-term fixes like cloud seeding and emergency measures mask deeper, systemic failures. Lasting improvement requires stronger emissions controls, sustained policy action and equitable access to clean air.

Gas Turbine Shortage in Vietnam and the Philippines

Experts note that delays, exacerbated by global gas turbine shortages, and regulatory and bankability challenges are giving clear market signals to move away from gas projects and scale up renewables and battery storage deployments instead.

Domestic Banks Are Propping Up Indonesian Coal Despite Climate Risks

Despite global financiers halting support for coal power, Indonesia's major domestic banks are filling the void by funnelling billions into new coal projects. This continued investment risks locking in decades of pollution, making the country's climate goals impossible to achieve and hindering the uptake of cleaner energy alternatives.

China’s 2035 NDC: Emissions to Drop 7-10%, Analysts Concerned

There are targets, and then there’s reality, and China’s 2035 NDC perfectly embodies this. While the targets are weak, it is hard to imagine that they weren’t set on purpose, just to be broken afterwards — a habit China has demonstrated over the years.

CREA: Indonesia’s RUPTL Plan Puts Fossil Fuels First, Renewable Energy Later

According to CREA, Indonesia’s RUPTL 2025-2034 reveals major discontent between the ambitious climate pledges and public commitments of the country’s leadership and the real plans, which see a projected growth and a pivotal role for fossil fuels.

The 2025 APEC Meeting: Opportunity For South Korea to Step Up

The sluggish global emissions reduction progress and the worsening climate emergency necessitate all hands on deck. South Korea, which has historically been among the biggest climate laggards, can change course and help lead Asia towards a cleaner and more sustainable future.

China’s Green Manufacturing Industry Brings Massive Investments to 54 Countries

A new database reveals that a rapid acceleration in overseas investment by Chinese green technology manufacturers is reshaping the global clean-tech landscape and bringing economic benefits to over 50 countries worldwide, with ASEAN attracting the most capital. 

Foreign Direct Investment in Bangladesh: The Economic Impact

Bangladesh’s foreign direct investment in power and energy has entrenched fossil fuels, leaving renewables a mere 3% of electricity and worsening energy poverty and overcapacity. Policy hurdles, land conflicts and biased incentives have stalled a green transition, heightening economic and development risks.

Perovskite Solar Cells Race: Japan’s Plan to Lead

Japan is racing to lead the global perovskite solar cell industry, aiming to install 20 GW by 2040 and build a self-sufficient supply chain. Despite promising technological advances and ambitious targets, cost and durability barriers remain, highlighting the need for bolder policy support to turn perovskites into a game-changer for decarbonisation and energy independence.

The EU-China Meeting Marks a New Era in Climate Diplomacy

The world has reached the moment when emissions must peak to keep the 1.5°C target within reach and avert the most devastating impacts of climate change. In the absence of the US, the China-EU climate cooperation offers hope that this might still be possible. 

AI Data Centre Development in Japan and Clean Energy Transition

As AI data centres rapidly expand globally, their immense energy demands threaten to undermine decarbonisation efforts — unless powered by 100% renewables. Japan’s proactive “Watt-Bit Collaboration” aims to coordinate data centre growth with renewable energy development, but challenges around location and definitions of “clean energy” remain. The future of sustainable AI hinges on smart policy and clear energy standards.

2025 House of Councillors Election Results Bring Uncertainty For Japan

The election results indicate that the government may now need to make concessions to other parties to pass legislation. And with the growing influence of Trump-inspired parties, climate action and renewables-favouring energy policies might take yet another blow.

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