Rush for rare earth minerals in Southeast Asia compounding dangers for region’s environmental defenders: Report

TURNING Goals

Without solutions or safeguards, soldiers may consider themselves the victims of” lawfare” implemented by governments, who have the power to use legislation to intimidate critics. & nbsp,

For instance, in the Philippines, activists can be” red-tagged” by security forces, the federal police, or state officials in an effort to quell their opposition to projects. This is essentially the same as accusing activists of communist rebellion.

According to Mr. Bonifacio, it is important to hold government agencies, businesses, and social media tycoons accountable for their involvement in inciting or facilitating assault against people.

He cited the continued troubling incident of two young adult activists who were kidnapped by unidentified men on September 2 while visiting a neighborhood in Manila Bay for land reclamation. If the two were in prison, authorities had not yet provided confirmation.

” People are working on the front lines and doing amazing things.” And their job undoubtedly inspires you. However, he claimed that they are also the ones who are being killed, attacked, harassed, and arrested.

” To defend our climate defenders and actively acknowledge the problems at hand, it starts with trying to break that tradition of violence, holding people guilty, and really taking these concrete actions, policy or whatever.”

At the council level in the House of Representatives in February, a bill from the Philippines that aims to defend human rights defenders and condemn harassment or violence against them was approved. & nbsp,

The possible bill has not yet been passed into law, according to a government committee, which described it as” grave, cruel, and insidious threat against the Philippines’ democratic way of life.”

Experts and activists in Indonesia, where 17 defenders have reportedly been killed since 2012, criticized next year’s Criminal Code amendments for having the potential to erode environmental protections while allowing for the oppression of property protectors.

According to the rules, businesses must be shown to be breaking specific regulations before they can be charged with economic crimes, which places a heavier burden of proof on those who take action against polluters.

The code also lessens penalties for economic crimes and makes it a crime to criticize the chairman, making public works projects probably illegal. It is not expected to be completely enacted until 2025 and can be legitimately challenged.

Five well-known climate activists in Vietnam have spent the last two years in prison for tax evasion, claims that their supporters have claimed are politically motivated. & nbsp,

There are grave worries that civil society is being effectively excluded from discussions about the energy transition given the criminalization of climate defenders and rights activists in Vietnam, according to the report.

Another potential solutions are being considered in different parts of the world, such as the nomination of a second United Nations Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders, to whom the general public may file complaints. It is the first global device created to safeguard defenders from harm’s way.

Furthermore, the European Union is now negotiating legislation that would mandate global enterprise application on the part of large corporations.

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Malaysia’s electric vehicle push gets a turbo boost, but speed bumps lie ahead

ATTRACT Buyers WITH POSITIVE Plans

A local car parts supplier, EP Manufacturing Berhad, signed a memorandum of understanding in August with BAIC Motor Corporation Ltd, one of China’s largest automakers, to promote the local production of autos, including EVs, in Malaysia.

Chinese automaker Geely, which owns a 49.9 % stake in Malaysian manufacturer Proton, will spendRM30 billion on the creation and commercialization of the Automotive High-Tech Valley ( AHTV ) in Tanjung Malim, Perak, with an emphasis on EV. In addition, & nbsp,

However, Mr. Shahrol Halmi, co-founder of the Malaysia Electric Vehicles Owners Club( MyEVOC ), told CNA that Tesla’s actions caused the most controversy regarding electric vehicles( EVs ) because many people were taken aback by how” affordable” they were in comparison to other brands. & nbsp,

It is a major development. When BYD was first introduced earlier this year at RM170, 000, it was a big seller. However, he said,” You don’t need to spend much more money to get the Tesla model Y, even though the cost of an equivalent BMW i4 is significantly higher.”

In the Malay marketplace, there are now more than 40 models of EVs for sale.

Along with Tesla, they also sell vehicles from Chinese manufacturers BYD, Ora, and Neta as well as models from BMW, Volvo, Mercedes, Hyundai, Rolls Royce and other newer models on the Indonesian business. & nbsp,

According to Mr. Shahrol, Malaysia’s EV push started when the government approved the Low Carbon Mobility Blueprint ( LCMB ) in October 2021. This policy framework sought to cut emissions from the transportation sector, which is the second-largest emitter of carbon dioxide( CO2 ) after the energy sector.

The government announced full exemptions from trade and excise duties during the 2022 Budget, as well as sales tax deduction for electric vehicles, road tax exclusion for EVs, and income tax breaks for the order of getting facilities. & nbsp,

The import and excise duty exemptions on imported completely built-up ( CBU ) units were then extended by the government this year to 2027, as well as for locally assembled, completely knocked-down ( CKD ) EVs.

While CKDs are vehicles produced in the nation, CBU refers to vehicles that are imported. & nbsp,

Additionally, until 2025, EV people are exempt from paying road tax. & nbsp,

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Analysis: Children can sue governments over climate change inaction, but don’t expect boom in Southeast Asia litigation

A Contested SUMMARY

The UN general commentsupports a developing trend of growth in climate lawsuits around the world, especially in the Global South – a term used to group poor or least developed countries including many in the Southeast Asia region.

According to statistics from the Sabin Center and the UN Environment Programme, there will be 2,180 legal cases worldwide in 2022, away from 885 in 2017.

The highest court in China issued a directive in February encouraging prosecutors to present weather cases to force businesses to abide by environmental laws and aid the country in achieving its decarbonization goals. & nbsp;

China-& nbsp; despite this approval for the court to hear cases on a variety of environmental issues; and usually the majority of the Asia region-& nbsp; is also putting off filing a lawsuit against climate change. & nbsp;

Just a little portion- 6 of the cases documented worldwide between 2017 and 2022. 6 percent of cases have their roots in Asia, with 12 circumstances in Indonesia being the highest in the area. & nbsp;

The country’s Commission on Human Rights found that fossil energy companies were responsible for climate damage in a high-profile event in the Philippines next year.

It implies that those businesses may be held legally responsible for the nation’s climate disasters if the commission determined that they deliberately contributed to climate change and posed” a clear threat to the right to arise.”

The Commission’s ruling may establish potential legal responsibility in any claim for loss and damage caused by climate change, even though it is not legally binding.

It was an exceptional achievement in what is still a limited area of local regulation firms’ target.

A stain and a dearth of scientific evidence that also surrounds climate change locally may be one of the causes. And according to experts, several governments view dispute as a barrier to economic growth because of climate actions.

According to Dr. Tigre,” I believe that in Asia and Africa, most litigators prefer not to use that vocabulary of climate change precisely because they feel that it might hurt their cases.”

In fact, experts concur that bringing climate litigation to Southeast Asia continues to be a controversial and dangerous endeavor for anyone, let alone children.

“What we’re seeing now, is a lot of interest in trying to explore various pathways to hold governments and corporations accountable. But my sense is that you won’t get an explosion of litigation in Southeast Asia,” said Associate Professor Jolene Lin fromthe Faculty of Law at National University of Singapore, who is also director of its Asia Pacific Centre for Environmental Law.

Southeast Asia is never a closed-off area; Each individual nation differs slightly in terms of its legal framework, the circumstances, and the social environment in which prosecution will take place.

” Generally speaking, weather dispute is viewed as hostile to governments who believe they are being pushed to do more and held accountable for their inaction.” “”

Experts claim that even though the UN declaration is not legally binding, it may still have an impact on business behavior, federal legislation, and environmental protection for children.

According to Assoc Prof. Lin,” It is a very motivating growth because it opens up an additional possible route to support litigants’ says.” & nbsp;

It’s crucial to acknowledge the progress or creation of additional help, like a scaffolding process, when discussing the development of climate change litigation. The staging is increased as a result, she said. & nbsp;

Although these decisions from global organizations may not be legally binding, she explained that they are a crucial source of legal advice. & nbsp;

State typically prefer not to be perceived as outcasts. They may therefore want to at least appear to follow these rules. “”

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Heat records topple across sweltering Asia

BANGKOK: Temperature records are being toppled across Asia, authorities said on Friday (Sep 1), in fresh evidence of the impact of climate change. The sweltering temperatures match long-standing warnings from climate scientists and come as countries from Greece to Canada battle record heat and deadly wildfires. In India, the world’sContinue Reading

Fertiliser shortage pushes Indonesia to seek natural alternatives made from animal waste

Urea is manufactured by combining ammonia and carbon dioxide in a chamber at about 200 degrees Celsius.

The compound is later evaporated, and the crystals melted to produce urea as prills or granules.

Pupuk Kalimantan Timur’s complex in Bontang city in East Kalimantan province is Indonesia’s largest fertiliser manufacturing facility, with 13 factories spanning over 400 hectares producing non-organic fertilisers such as urea.

NATURAL ALTERNATIVES

Farmers apply fertilisers to their land by first loosening the soil with an aerator, which encourages the flow of air, water and vital nutrients.

They are now trying to reduce reliance on chemical fertilisers and, instead, produce their own organic fertilisers from animal manure.

Farmer Waryana from the town of Indramayu in West Java told CNA there are many benefits to using organic fertilisers.

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