Protecting people from themselves: Can a proposed law help bring down scam numbers in Singapore?

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CAN THEY MAKE POOR CHOICES?

The walk, however, may be criticised for not allowing people to exercise individual responsibility, said prosecutor Mark Yeo, who was also on the radio.

On the other hand, it may protect the elder in specific, who may be ripped off of everything they have, he said.

The chairman at Fortress Law Corporation said that the majority of the money that is being taken out of them is life discounts, and once that happens, world has to pick up the pieces when they need cultural services assistance.

You feel the need to defend them a little bit from themselves because of the group aspect of it.

A 82-year-old man who was targeted by cybercriminals three days in less than two decades prevented losing S$ 3.7 million as a result of the action of the government and businesses in March of this year. &nbsp,

Despite its possible advantages, Mr. Yeo noted that it appears that the police force has all the authority to act in the suggested costs because appeals will also be handled by them.

” I’m not sure in practice how often ( the appeals process ) will be used, or whether it will be an effective check, given that it’s the police checking the officer’s own actions. So there is that issue”, he said. &nbsp,

He pointed out, however, that having a independent body to tackle appeals, like the judge, had compromise any continuing investigations by the authorities.

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South Korea’s opposition plans to impeach Yoon after martial law attempt

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EPA Protesters hold placards and flags during a demonstration calling for the dismissal and impeachment of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol outside the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, 04 December 2024EPA

The opposition politicians in South Korea have stated that they will begin the legal action to remove Yoon Suk Yeol from office soon after his failed attempt to enact martial law.

After a day of extraordinary scenes that saw Yoon quickly impose martial law, 190 legislators gathering to reject it, and eventually a sudden reverse of the decision, the nation woke up to an ambiguous reality on Wednesday.

The Democratic Party, South Korea’s key opposition group, announced on Wednesday that it wants to charge Yoon with” acts of revolution.”

Seoul’s institutions, banks, and government buildings were operating as usual, but rallies have continued throughout the city.

” Arrest Yoon Suk-yeol”, unhappy people chanted as they filled the streets.

The Democratic Party even named Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun and Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, as “key individuals” of the military law charter, saying it even wanted them charged alongside Yoon.

” The]party ] condemns the unconstitutional and illegal emergency martial law of Yoon Seok Yeol’s regime as a crime of rebellion.

As the whole country is aware of the rebellion, I urge the analytical agencies to launch an investigation and prosecute the perpetrators,’ the party’s official Seung Rae-cho told reporters.

Reuters South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers a speech to declare martial law in Seoul, South Korea, December 3, 2024.Reuters

The statement on Wednesday comes after unexpected events immediately, in which opposition lawmakers walk fences and break barricades to enter the voting chamber.

After Yoon declared martial law, hundreds of troops stormed the congress as military planes circled the location.

190 politicians evaded authorities lines and forced themselves inside the National Assembly as a riot of activists gathered at the walls of the National Assembly.

His next statement, in which he was changing his previous order, attracted cheers from demonstrators outside South Korea’s parliament on early on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Yoon’s top aides, including chief of staff Chung Jin-suk and national surveillance director Shin Won-sik, tendered their defections. It’s not clear whether or not they’ll accept their defections.

The leader himself, however, has remained silent since his short-lived declaration of martial law.

How do presidencies in South Korea operate?

When an impeachment act is proposed, more than two-thirds of South Korea’s 300-member National Assembly may vote to indict- that translates to at least 201 seats. The voting may take place within 72 days.

When the prosecution is approved, the president will soon become suspended from company, while the prime minister becomes acting president.

A trial will then be held before the Constitutional Court, a nine-member committee that oversees South Korea’s branches of government.

If six of the court’s people vote to preserve the prosecution, the president may be removed from office.

EPA Police officers stand guard outside the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, 04 December 2024. EPA

Have another North Korean president been impeached?

In 2016, then-President Park Guen-hye was impeached after she was charged with corruption, abusing state authority and leaking state techniques.

In 2004, another South Korean president, Roh Moo-hyun, was impeached and suspended for two weeks. He was then reinstated by the Constitutional Court.

Within 60 days of Yoon’s resignation or impeachment, the government will need to hold an election to choose a new leader for a new five-year name.

South Korea’s past with military law

Under South Korea’s law, the president has the authority to declare martial law during combat, armed conflict, or other federal situations.

The next day the country’s long-standing military dictator Park Chung-hee was assassinated in a revolution occurred in 1979, when martial law was implemented there.

A group of military officials, led by General Chun Doo-hwan, declared martial law in 1980, banning social activities and arresting rebels.

Before the 1981 lifting of military law, hundreds of people died as a result of a crackdown on demonstrators.

Since South Korea became a political democracy in 1987, military law has not been in force.

Yoon pulled the trigger on Tuesday, saying he was trying to save the nation from” anti-state troops”.

However, some experts believe that the action is his attempt to thwart political opposition.

Since the opposition won a resounding majority in the government’s general election in April this year, Yoon has been a lame duck leader. His government has been reduced to vetoing legislation that the opposition has suggested, leading to a pathetic bird presidency.

The government’s approval ratings have hit record highs of 17 % this time, as he and his family Kim Keon-hee have been mired in a deluge of crises.

Woongbee Lee and Frances Mao both provided further reporting in Seoul and London.

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BRI’s recent award triumphs point to its focus on becoming a champion of financial inclusion | FinanceAsia

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According to Sunarso, leader director, Bank Rakyat Indonesia ( BRI),” Tr I will continue to focus on the MSME section to realize its dreams of becoming the most important banks group in Southeast Asia and a champion of financial inclusion by 2025.” He continued,” As the nationwide economic structure is dominated by Enterprises, providing loans to MSME people is anticipated to have a significant positive impact on the Indonesian business.”

The 130-year-old company’s outstanding achievement in FinanceAsia Asia’s Best Businesses Poll 2024 and the FinanceAsia Awards demonstrate how focused this perspective is on BRI’s peers in the industry.

In FinanceAsia Asia’s Best Companies ballot, the banks won silver in the following categories: Best Director for Sunarso, leader director, BRI, Best Managed Company – Indonesia, and Best Investor Relations – Indonesia.

Additionally, BRI won bronze in the types of Best Big Cap Company in Indonesia and Best CFO in Indonesia for Viviana Dyah Ayu Retno K, Most Committed to DEI – Indonesia, Most Committed to ESG – Indonesia, and Best Big Cap Company – Indonesia.

The bank had a stellar run at the FinanceAsia Awards 2023-2024 winning Best Bank for Financial Inclusion ( Domestic ) and Best Commercial Bank- SMEs ( Domestic ), apart from securing commendations for Best Sustainable Bank ( Domestic ), Most Innovative Use of Technology – Banks ( Domestic )

View Sunarso, the president’s director ,’s acceptance speech, below.

¬ Capitol Media Limited. All rights reserved.

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Critics question Laos dam project

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An aerial view of the section of the Mekong River where the controversial Pak Beng hydropower dam project would be built, in Oudomxai province of Laos. (Photo supplied)
An aerial view of the section of the Mekong River where the controversial Pak Beng hydropower dam project would be built, in Oudomxai province of Laos. (Photo supplied)

Environmentalists have raised concerns about a 100-billion-baht dam project on the lower section of the Mekong River in Laos, warning of adverse effects on the livelihoods of those living on both sides of the Thai-Lao border.

The Pak Beng hydropower dam project is one of 11 planned for the lower Mekong.

It is part of Laos’ economic strategy to become the “Battery of Southeast Asia” by selling hydropower to neighbouring countries.

Located in Pak Beng district, Oudomxay province, about 90 kilometres from the border with Chiang Rai, the run-of-river dam will be designed to produce 912 megawatts of electricity.

Work is expected to take eight years, with electricity sales to the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) slated to begin in 2033.

Cross-border impacts

A transboundary environmental impact assessment (TBEIA) has been underway to study the dam’s potential effects on both countries, with findings to be presented to Egat before financing is finalised.

However, local communities, academics, and civil groups in Thailand have opposed the project for years, citing inadequate public consultation and outdated environmental studies.

Pianporn Deetes, regional campaign director of International Rivers, said a recent survey showed work on the dam had not yet begun, apart from a bridge and access roads.

In Laos, authorities have told residents of impending relocations to accommodate the dam.

Ms Pianporn criticised the environmental study supporting the project as outdated and said it underestimated the number of people likely to be affected.

She also noted insufficient public participation in planning and raised concerns about higher electricity bills in Thailand resulting from Egat’s 29-year power purchase agreement.

“Banks providing loans are waiting for the TBEIA results. We hope the study addresses broader impacts, ensures stakeholder participation, and considers rising electricity costs,” she said.

Pianporn: Building has not yet begun

Pianporn: Building has not yet begun

Flooding and ecology

Flooding is another major concern.

Severe floods in northern Thailand, including Chiang Rai, in recent months have heightened fears the dam could worsen future flood scenarios by slowing the flow of Mekong tributaries.

Ms Pianporn added that civil groups have asked for a mathematical model to assess potential flooding impacts on residents and farmlands but have received no response.

Locals in Chiang Rai’s Chiang Khong, Wiang Kaen, and Chiang Saen districts have voiced fears about water backing up from the dam, which could inundate homes and farmland.

Legal and governance challenges

Sor Rattanamanee Polkla, a lawyer with the Community Resource Centre, highlighted legal loopholes in Thai law, which lacks requirements for transboundary impact assessments.

The Supreme Administrative Court rejected an appeal against the dam in 2021, ruling Thailand has no jurisdiction over projects in Laos.

“This legal gap shows Thailand cannot govern projects outside its borders, even when they affect Thai communities,” she said, adding the TBEIA is being conducted under Lao laws, raising concerns about the scope and inclusivity of the study.

After the lower court rejected their case, the groups appealed to the Supreme Administrative Court.

However, the court ruled Thailand does not have a law requiring transboundary impact assessments, and so has no jurisdiction over projects located within Laos.

Ms Sor Rattanamanee said the transboundary environmental impact assessment (TBEIA) will be submitted to Lao authorities for approval.

It is unclear to what extent ordinary Thais as opposed to Egat will get a say in the process, especially as they lack jurisdiction, she said..

“We do not know how the TBEIA is being conducted or to what extent it will cover impacts on Thailand,” she said.

Sor: Little Thailand can do

Sor: Little Thailand can do

Call for wider impact assessments

Hannarong Yaowalers, an adviser to the Thai Water Partnership Foundation, stressed the importance of incorporating feedback from all stakeholders.

He criticised the TBEIA for focusing only on areas near the site in Laos and neglecting areas in Thailand which could also be affected, such as Chiang Khong and Wiang Kaen districts in Chiang Rai.

“Egat must ensure the TBEIA covers broader assessments, including impacts on fisheries, natural resources, and social issues, as part of its power purchase agreement requirements,” he said.

“As far as we know, Egat does not include these as part of its requirements,” Mr Hannarong said. Activists would keep an eye on progress to make sure their concerns were addressed.

Critics also said the planned purchase of electricity was unnecessary as the country has more than enough power in reserve.

Energy demand questioned

Critics argue the additional power that would be generated by the dam is unnecessary.

Surichai Wankaew, an emeritus professor at Chulalongkorn University, said Thailand already has 69% of power in reserve.

The Pak Beng project continues to face scrutiny from civil groups and environmental advocates, who are urging authorities to reconsider the dam’s long-term implications for the region’s ecology, livelihoods, and energy needs.

The Mekong River Commission (MRC) is an intergovernmental agency that collaborates with the governments of Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam to manage the Mekong’s resources.

Advocacy groups have criticised an original community survey by Thai agencies for being flawed in terms of legal compliance, lacking adequate assessments of transboundary environmental, health, and social impacts.

Hannarong: Feedback essential

Hannarong: Feedback essential

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Critics question Laos dam project’s impact on Thailand

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In: South-East Asia
An aerial view of the section of the Mekong River where the controversial Pak Beng hydropower dam project would be built, in Oudomxai province of Laos. (Photo supplied)
An aerial view of the section of the Mekong River where the controversial Pak Beng hydropower dam project would be built, in Oudomxai province of Laos. (Photo supplied)

Environmentalists have raised concerns about a 100-billion-baht dam project on the lower section of the Mekong River in Laos, warning of adverse effects on the livelihoods of those living on both sides of the Thai-Lao border.

The Pak Beng hydropower dam project is one of 11 planned for the lower Mekong.

It is part of Laos’ economic strategy to become the “Battery of Southeast Asia” by selling hydropower to neighbouring countries.

Located in Pak Beng district, Oudomxay province, about 90 kilometres from the border with Chiang Rai, the run-of-river dam will be designed to produce 912 megawatts of electricity.

Work is expected to take eight years, with electricity sales to the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) slated to begin in 2033.

Cross-border impacts

A transboundary environmental impact assessment (TBEIA) has been underway to study the dam’s potential effects on both countries, with findings to be presented to Egat before financing is finalised.

However, local communities, academics, and civil groups in Thailand have opposed the project for years, citing inadequate public consultation and outdated environmental studies.

Pianporn Deetes, regional campaign director of International Rivers, said a recent survey showed work on the dam had not yet begun, apart from a bridge and access roads.

In Laos, authorities have told residents of impending relocations to accommodate the dam.

Ms Pianporn criticised the environmental study supporting the project as outdated and said it underestimated the number of people likely to be affected.

She also noted insufficient public participation in planning and raised concerns about higher electricity bills in Thailand resulting from Egat’s 29-year power purchase agreement.

“Banks providing loans are waiting for the TBEIA results. We hope the study addresses broader impacts, ensures stakeholder participation, and considers rising electricity costs,” she said.

Pianporn: Building has not yet begun

Pianporn: Building has not yet begun

Flooding and ecology

Flooding is another major concern.

Severe floods in northern Thailand, including Chiang Rai, in recent months have heightened fears the dam could worsen future flood scenarios by slowing the flow of Mekong tributaries.

Ms Pianporn added that civil groups have asked for a mathematical model to assess potential flooding impacts on residents and farmlands but have received no response.

Locals in Chiang Rai’s Chiang Khong, Wiang Kaen, and Chiang Saen districts have voiced fears about water backing up from the dam, which could inundate homes and farmland.

Legal and governance challenges

Sor Rattanamanee Polkla, a lawyer with the Community Resource Centre, highlighted legal loopholes in Thai law, which lacks requirements for transboundary impact assessments.

The Supreme Administrative Court rejected an appeal against the dam in 2021, ruling Thailand has no jurisdiction over projects in Laos.

“This legal gap shows Thailand cannot govern projects outside its borders, even when they affect Thai communities,” she said, adding the TBEIA is being conducted under Lao laws, raising concerns about the scope and inclusivity of the study.

After the lower court rejected their case, the groups appealed to the Supreme Administrative Court.

However, the court ruled Thailand does not have a law requiring transboundary impact assessments, and so has no jurisdiction over projects located within Laos.

Ms Sor Rattanamanee said the transboundary environmental impact assessment (TBEIA) will be submitted to Lao authorities for approval.

It is unclear to what extent ordinary Thais as opposed to Egat will get a say in the process, especially as they lack jurisdiction, she said..

“We do not know how the TBEIA is being conducted or to what extent it will cover impacts on Thailand,” she said.

Sor: Little Thailand can do

Sor: Little Thailand can do

Call for wider impact assessments

Hannarong Yaowalers, an adviser to the Thai Water Partnership Foundation, stressed the importance of incorporating feedback from all stakeholders.

He criticised the TBEIA for focusing only on areas near the site in Laos and neglecting areas in Thailand which could also be affected, such as Chiang Khong and Wiang Kaen districts in Chiang Rai.

“Egat must ensure the TBEIA covers broader assessments, including impacts on fisheries, natural resources, and social issues, as part of its power purchase agreement requirements,” he said.

“As far as we know, Egat does not include these as part of its requirements,” Mr Hannarong said. Activists would keep an eye on progress to make sure their concerns were addressed.

Critics also said the planned purchase of electricity was unnecessary as the country has more than enough power in reserve.

Energy demand questioned

Critics argue the additional power that would be generated by the dam is unnecessary.

Surichai Wankaew, an emeritus professor at Chulalongkorn University, said Thailand already has 69% of power in reserve.

The Pak Beng project continues to face scrutiny from civil groups and environmental advocates, who are urging authorities to reconsider the dam’s long-term implications for the region’s ecology, livelihoods, and energy needs.

The Mekong River Commission (MRC) is an intergovernmental agency that collaborates with the governments of Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam to manage the Mekong’s resources.

Advocacy groups have criticised an original community survey by Thai agencies for being flawed in terms of legal compliance, lacking adequate assessments of transboundary environmental, health, and social impacts.

Hannarong: Feedback essential

Hannarong: Feedback essential

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Flood death toll rises to nine in South

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Half a million households affected in eight provinces, 13,000 people in emergency shelters

PUBLISHED : 30 Nov 2024 at 21:04

UPDATED : 30 Nov 2024 at 21:52

Rescue workers evacuate a child stranded by flooding in tambon Sateng Nok of Muang district in Yala on Saturday. (Photo: Poh Teck Tung Foundation via Reuters)
Rescue workers evacuate a child stranded by flooding in tambon Sateng Nok of Muang district in Yala on Saturday. (Photo: Poh Teck Tung Foundation via Reuters)

SONGKHLA – The death toll from the worst floods in decades in southern Thailand climbed to nine on Saturday, as thousands of people were evacuated due to rising water levels.

The floods across eight provinces have impacted nearly 554,000 households, leaving about 13,000 people in 200 temporary shelters that have been set up in affected areas, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said.

Chana district of Songkhla province suffered the worst floods in 50 years, with video showing people being carried out to trucks from their homes inundated by a torrent of flood water.

Authorities in neighbouring Malaysia reported three flood-related deaths in nine northern states, where nearly 140,000 people have been displaced.

Floodwaters have begun to recede in key economic zones of Hat Yai in Songkhla, while other parts of the tourist district remain inundated.

The inner economic zones of Hat Yai were largely spared, with water levels in the U-Tapao and Rabainam Ror 1 canals falling about one metre below their banks. 

However, Phet Kasem Road leading to downtown Hat Yai was still flooded on Saturday morning. The inbound lanes were open to vehicles but the outbound lanes were closed starting from Hat Yai intersection.

Motorists heading downtown were advised to use alternate routes via Big C-Khlong Hae, Khlong Wa and Sriphuwanart.

Hat Yai municipality on Saturday dispatched workers to clean roads in areas where floodwaters had receded.

However, neighbourhoods outside downtown, including Noppakao, Khuan Santi and Bangfaeb, remained flooded due to their proximity to canals.

The Meteorological Department said several areas in the South could expect more heavy rain and warned of more flash floods in affected areas.

Hat Yai shows signs of improvement, with floodwaters receding in some key economic areas on Saturday. However, other areas remain inundated. (Photo: Assawin Pakkawan)

Hat Yai shows signs of improvement, with floodwaters receding in some key economic areas on Saturday. However, other areas remain inundated. (Photo: Assawin Pakkawan)

Several areas in Hat Yai are still flooded. (Photo: Assawin Pakkawan)

People wade along a road in a flooded community in Hat Yai on Saturday. (Photo: Assawin Pakkawan)

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Floodwaters recede in Hat Yai’s economic areas

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In: South-East Asia

PUBLISHED : 30 Nov 2024 at 14:04

The flooding in Hat Yai shows signs of improvement, with floodwaters receding in economic areas on Saturday. However, other areas remain inundated. (Photo: Assawin Pakkawan)
The flooding in Hat Yai shows signs of improvement, with floodwaters receding in economic areas on Saturday. However, other areas remain inundated. (Photo: Assawin Pakkawan)

SONGKHLA — Floodwaters have begun to recede in the economic zones of Hat Yai, while other parts of the tourist district remain inundated.

Flooding conditions improved in Hat Yai on Saturday, particularly in the outer economic areas, as water levels continued to drop.

The inner economic zones of Hat Yai were largely spared from flooding, with water levels in U-Tapao and Rabainam Ror 1 canals falling about one metre below their banks. 

However, Phet Kasem Road leading to downtown Hat Yai is still flooded. The inbound lanes are open to vehicles, but the outbound lanes are closed starting from Hat Yai intersection. Motorists heading downtown are advised to use alternative routes via Big C-Khlong Hae, Khlong Wa and Sriphuwanart.

Hat Yai municipality on Saturday dispatched workers to clean roads in areas where floodwaters had receded.

However, neighbourhoods outside downtown Hat Yai, including Noppakao, Khuan Santi and Bangfaeb, remain flooded due to their proximity to canals.

Several areas in Hat Yai are still flooded. (Photo: Assawin Pakkawan)

A flooded community in Hat Yai district of Songkhla province on Saturday. (Photo: Assawin Pakkawan)

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Crypto boss eats banana artwork bought for .2m

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In: Asia
Getty Images Justin Sun eating the banana Getty Images

A Chinese-born cryptocurrency entrepreneur has followed through on his promise to eat the banana from a $6.2m (£4.9m) artwork he bought last week.

Justin Sun outbid six others to claim Maurizio Cattelan’s infamous 2019 work Comedian – a banana duct-taped to a wall – at Sotheby’s auction house in New York.

He ate the fruit during a news conference in Hong Kong where he used the moment to draw parallels between the artwork and cryptocurrency.

The banana is regularly replaced before exhibitions, with Mr Sun buying the right to display the installation along with a guide on how to replace the fruit.

It has been eaten twice before – first by a performance artist in 2019 and again by a South Korean student in 2023 – but neither paid any money to do so, let alone $6.2m.

“Eating it at a press conference can also become a part of the artwork’s history,” Mr Sun said.

“It’s much better than other bananas,” he added.

The 34-year-old said he was intrigued by the work, admitting he had “dumb questions” about whether the banana rotted.

The New York Times reported a fresh banana was bought for 35 cents on the day of last week’s auction, before becoming possibly one of the most expensive fruits in the world.

Each attendee at the event on Friday was given a banana and a roll of duct tape as a souvenir.

“Everyone has a banana to eat,” Mr Sun said.

Getty Images Mr Sun stood with two people dressed as auctioneers, beside a banana duct-taped to a wallGetty Images

Mr Sun runs the Tron blockchain network – a service where users can trade in cryptocurrency.

Cryptocurrencies are digital currencies that operate independent of banks, offering the potential of very secure decentralised transactions.

Mr Sun compared the artwork, and other abstract pieces like it, to NFTs.

These “non-fungible tokens” are pieces of digital artwork that have no intrinsic value, other than that prescribed by people.

NFTs can be traded on platforms like Mr Sun’s.

Last year, he was charged by the US Securities and Exchange Commission for offering and selling unregistered security tokens. Mr Sun denies the charges and the case is ongoing.

This week, Mr Sun disclosed he made a $30m investment in a crypto project backed by US President-elect Donald Trump.

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Will China pay up to take the climate change lead? – Asia Times

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The 2024 UN climate talks ended in Baku, Azerbaijan, on November 24 after two weeks of arguments, agreements and side deals involving 106 heads of states and over 50,000 business leaders, activists and government representatives of almost every country.

Few say the conference was a resounding success. But neither was it a failure. The central task of the conference, known as COP29, was to come up with funding to help developing countries become more resilient to the effects of climate change and to transition to more sustainable economic growth.

The biggest challenge was agreeing on who should pay, and the results say a lot about the shifting international dynamics and offer some insight into China’s role. As a political science professor who has worked on clean tech policy involving Asia, I followed the talks with interest.

Slow global progress

Over three decades of global climate talks, the world’s countries have agreed to cut their emissions, phase out fossil fuels, end inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies and stop deforestation, among many other landmark deals.

They have acknowledged since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, when they agreed to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, that greenhouse gas emissions produced by human activities, including the burning of fossil fuels, would harm the climate and ecosystems, and that the governments of the world must work together to solve the crisis.

But progress has been slow. Greenhouse gas emissions were at record highs in 2024. Governments are still subsidizing fossil fuels, encouraging their use. And the world is failing to keep warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius compared with preindustrial times – a target established under the 2015 Paris Agreement to avoid the worst effects of climate change.

Extreme weather, from lethal heat waves to devastating tropical cyclones and floods, has become more intense as temperatures have risen. And the poorest countries have faced some of the worst damage from climate change, while doing the least cause it.

Money for the poorest countries

Developing countries argue that they need US$1.3 trillion a year in financial support and investment by 2035 from the wealthiest nations – historically the largest greenhouse gas emitters – to adapt to climate change and develop sustainably as they grow.

That matters to countries everywhere because how these fast-growing populations build out energy systems and transportation in the coming decades will affect the future for the entire planet.

Four people work at a table.
Negotiators at the COP29 climate talks. Less developed countries were unhappy with the outcome. Photo:Kiara Worth / UN Climate Change via Flickr

At the Baku conference, member nations agreed to triple their existing pledge of $100 billion a year to at least $300 billion a year by 2035 to help developing countries. But that was far short of what economists have estimated those countries will need to develop clean energy economies.

The money can also come from a variety of sources. Developing countries wanted grants, rather than loans that would increase what for many is already crushing debt. Under the new agreement, countries can count funding that comes from private investments and loans from the World Bank and other development banks, as well as public funds.

Groups have proposed raising some of those funds with additional taxes on international shipping and aviation. A UN study projects that if levies were set somewhere between $150 and $300 for each ton of carbon pollution, the fund could generate as much as $127 billion per year.

Other proposals have included taxing fossil fuels, cryptocurrencies and plastics, which all contribute to climate change, as well as financial transactions and carbon trading.

China’s expanding role

How much of a leadership role China takes in global climate efforts is an important question going forward, particularly with US President-elect Donald Trump expected to throttle back US support for climate policies and international funding.

China is now the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases and the second-largest economy. China also stands to gain as provider of the market majority of green technologies, including solar panels, wind turbines, batteries and electric vehicles.

Whether or not China should be expected to contribute funding at a level comparable to the other major emitters was so hotly contested at COP29 that it almost shut down the entire conference.

Previously, only those countries listed by the UN as “developed countries” – a list that doesn’t include China – were expected to provide funds. The COP29 agreement expands that by calling on “all actors to work together to enable the scaling up of financing.”

In the end, a compromise was reached. The final agreement “encourages developing countries to make contributions on a voluntary basis,” excluding China from the heavier expectations placed on richer nations.

In a conference fraught with deep division and threatened with collapse, some bright spots of climate progress emerged from the side events.

In one declaration, 25 nations plus the European Union agreed to no new coal power developments. There were also agreements on ocean protection and deforestation. Other declarations marked efforts to reenergize hydrogen energy production and expanded ambitious plans to reduce methane emissions.

Future of UN climate talks

However, after two weeks of bickering and a final resolution that doesn’t go far enough, the UN climate talks process itself is in question.

In a letter on November 15, 2024, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and a group of global climate leaders called for “a fundamental overhaul to the COP” and a “shift from negotiation to implementation.”

After back-to-back climate conferences hosted by oil-producing states, where fossil-fuel companies used the gathering to make deals for more fossil fuels on the side, the letter also calls for strict eligibility requirements for conference hosts “to exclude countries who do not support the phase-out/transition away from fossil energy.”

With Trump promising to again withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement, it is possible the climate leadership will fall to China, which may bring a new style of climate solutions to the table.

Lucia Green-Weiskel is visiting assistant professor of political science, Trinity College

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Deeper Dive: What’s behind Thailand’s flooding?

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In: South-East Asia

Watch or listen to the latest episode Bangkok Post’s “Deeper Dive” podcast

PUBLISHED : 29 Nov 2024 at 08:47


In the second half of 2024, 42 out of the 77 Thai provinces faced flooding. At least 50 people were killed and billions of baht were lost in damages to property and farmland.

The flooding was particularly severe in the northern provinces of Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai. In the central district of Chiang Mai, the Ping River overflowed for the first time. Thousands were evacuated by boat.

So what caused it all? The release of water from hydropower dams upstream, particularly in China and Laos, causes acute flooding and erodes the river banks.

Encroachment on the river – by building structures next to the banks or that jut into the river itself – blocks drainage and prevents construction of flood barriers.

But the larger issue is deforestation, partly for mining activities but mostly to plant feed crops for animal agriculture. Forests don’t just absorb carbon, they also absorb water, and when we cut them down, the water cascades down the fields, taking the topsoil with it and causing the invasion of mud we’ve seen this year. 

To unpack the layers of Thailand’s flood crisis, Dave Kendall speaks with “Pai” Pianporn Deetes, campaign director for the Southeast Asia Programme at International Rivers, on the latest episode of Bangkok Post’s “Deeper Dive” vodcast.

Press “Play” below or search for “Deeper Dive Thailand” wherever you get your podcasts.

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