The Latest Sustainability Trends in Asia

Sustainability has never been more important than today, as scientific evidence of climate change and other environmental problems continues to mount. While some countries and industries have always paid attention to sustainability, others are only now considering doing everything they can to help protect our planet for future generations. The latest sustainable practices may differ in every country, but here’s an overview of three of the biggest sustainability trends in Asia — and what you can do to make your home or business more sustainable.

Sustainable Fashion

As more and more people around the world are buying clothes, there is an increased interest in sustainability. People are now looking for ways they can ensure their clothes are eco-friendly. One thing they may need to learn is that a movement of sustainable fashion is taking place all over the world. This includes people like Stella McCartney and Vivienne Westwood, who use natural fabrics and work with organic cotton farmers. There’s also a growing trend among consumers to buy secondhand clothing because it reduces waste and saves money without sacrificing style. Other countries like Japan are leading the way regarding sustainable fashion trends.

Sustainable Food

Consumers are starting to care more and more about how their food is grown, processed and distributed. This new trend has led many companies and brands to emphasize sustainable practices when making their products. Increasingly, consumers are refusing to buy produce shipped long distances or only available during certain seasons of the year, opting instead for produce grown locally and sustainably. Furthermore the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that one-third of all food produced for human consumption gets lost or wasted globally every year, amounting to about 1.3 billion tons annually. This means that if everyone threw away just half of what they do now, we would have enough food to feed everyone worldwide!

Sustainable Homes

For many homeowners, deciding which home to buy is heavily influenced by their desire for a sustainable lifestyle. Thankfully, there are more and more companies that are innovating sustainable housing solutions for people all over the world. Of course, different parts of the world will have different needs, so we’ll go over some of the most popular sustainability trends related to Asian countries. The Asian Government has been promoting eco-friendly homes for a while now. These homes are energy efficient and use solar power (or renewable sources) for heating and cooling. Solar panels can be placed on rooftops or installed on windowsills, and many houses also have rainwater collection systems that help with water conservation.

New Sustainability Laws and Regulations in Asian Countries

The theory of ESG, or Environmental, Social and Governance investing, is gaining traction among investors worldwide, including in Asia. With companies publicly disclosing more information on sustainability in their operations, environmental regulations, and social responsibility initiatives, investors are using this information to choose better investments that will help the environment and society but also help them earn a profit. Below are some new laws and regulations in Asian countries about ESG investment.

China: Water Law

Promulgated by the President on 29^th Aug 2002, the purpose of this Law is to provide for the rational development, utilization and protection of water resources, as well as the prevention and control of water hazards, so as to meet the needs of national economic development and people’s welfare.

Japan: Switch from incandescent light bulbs to LEDs

The Japanese Government announced that from October 2016, incandescent light bulbs will be banned to make way for more energy-efficient LEDs. The new law is expected to save about 40 billion yen per year on energy consumption. The move follows a similar ban on incandescent bulbs implemented by Taiwan’s Environmental Protection Administration (EPA).

Thailand: Plastic Bag Ban

A law that bans the use of plastic bags came into effect on June 23, 2020. This law prohibits retailers from providing customers with a bag made from plastic or other non-biodegradable material for carrying goods. This is the latest attempt by Thailand to reduce its contribution to global warming.

South Korea: Ban on Consumer Plastics

South Korea has banned all single-use plastics by 2030. This ban is a result of the country’s major contribution to the world’s plastic pollution problem. In 2017, they created an environment ministry to help tackle these issues, which has been quite successful.

Hong Kong: Energy Management Bill

Hong Kong is an international hub for trade, commerce, manufacturing, finance, and tourism. Hong Kong’s economy is one of the most open in the world. The Government has been striving to enhance Hong Kong’s competitiveness by enhancing its eco-environmental sustainability. To achieve this goal, the Government adopted a new Energy Management Bill. This bill sets out a new regulatory framework for energy efficiency and other greenhouse gas emissions reduction measures.

Philippines- energy management

The Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. In recent years, many natural disasters have caused a lot of economic damage to the country. This has led government officials to take action by issuing new sustainability laws and regulations. The first law is on sustainable energy management, which was signed last year by President Duterte. The second law is on climate change adaptation, signed by President Duterte. The third law was on biodiversity conservation for marine ecosystems; this law was signed last year by President Aquino III, who will be stepping down this month after six years as president.

Malaysia

In Malaysia, the Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA) has published the guidelines for implementing a green building rating system. The Green Building Rating System comprises five levels, with Level One being the most stringent and level five being the least. This rating system has already been put in place. The Sustainable Energy Development Authority (SEDA) is also responsible for awarding certification to sustainable buildings that meet certain requirements. These requirements include high-efficiency air conditioning systems, water-efficient plumbing fixtures or fittings, renewable energy sources as a power supply, etcetera.