https://www.scmp.com/rss/501993/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Themis Qi Themis Qi Thanks to tighter budgets and a growing taste for retro tech, Chinese millennials and Gen Z consumers – who once chased the latest iPhone or Android handset – are increasingly turning to second-hand markets for upgrades or bargains. “Consumers on tighter budgets no longer consider buying used items a shameful thing,” said Rex Chen, president and chief financial officer at ATRenew, China’s largest second-hand electronics recycler and trading platform operator. With most the platform’s users born... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3338093/chinas-second-hand-boom-fuels-bruising-battle-trade-traffic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3338093/chinas-second-hand-boom-fuels-bruising-battle-trade-traffic?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 23:30:08 +0000 Mia Nulimaimaiti Mia Nulimaimaiti To fuel its growing AI sector and computing prowess, China is integrating the development of power-hungry data centres into its national energy strategy. Under a new action plan released on Wednesday, Beijing would coordinate data centre planning with energy infrastructure in areas and regions rich in new energy resources, to meet the surging electricity demands of high-performance computing facilities. “We will focus on national hub nodes and resource-abundant non-hub regions such as Qinghai,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3313194/china-hopes-power-ai-boom-green-energy-new-data-centre-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3313194/china-hopes-power-ai-boom-green-energy-new-data-centre-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Jun 2025 11:00:11 +0000 A Chinese tech company has completed the world’s first successful drone delivery tests on Mount Everest, transporting cargo between camps and removing waste left behind on the mountain by climbers at altitudes above 6,000 metres (19,685 feet). The feat by drone maker DJI could one day reduce demands on local Nepalese guides who make treacherous climbs to remove the tonnes of rubbish discarded by thousands of climbers and even deliver life-saving supplies to people in distress. On Wednesday, DJI... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3265666/chinese-drone-scales-new-heights-mount-everest-supply-delivery-waste-removal-missions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3265666/chinese-drone-scales-new-heights-mount-everest-supply-delivery-waste-removal-missions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Jun 2024 13:06:03 +0000 International sports events need to double down on their sustainability efforts to reduce the “huge negative environmental impact” they generate, according to Great Britain rugby sevens player Jamie Farndale. Speaking at the Hong Kong Sport & Sustainability Summit ahead of last weekend’s Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, Farndale said that, according to his research, professional sport emits 350 million tonnes of greenhouse gases – the same amount as countries such as Poland or Spain. Of the 40,000... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3258203/global-sport-emitting-much-poland-or-spain-major-events-including-sevens-must-double-down?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3258203/global-sport-emitting-much-poland-or-spain-major-events-including-sevens-must-double-down?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Apr 2024 07:02:41 +0000 The recently concluded Cop28 UN climate change conference took place while two major wars are being fought. Until we can foster peace among ourselves, achieving a harmonious coexistence with nature seems improbable. A key focus of the Dubai summit was to establish a “loss and damage” fund to help developing countries cope with and recover from the devastating impact of climate change. There is no denying that the world’s most impoverished countries are being hit the hardest by global warming and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3244982/climate-action-first-we-must-stop-fighting-among-ourselves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3244982/climate-action-first-we-must-stop-fighting-among-ourselves?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Dec 2023 21:30:12 +0000 [Sponsored article] After Covid-19 pandemic restrictions kept people largely at home for more than two years, hybrid working is now the norm as the world swings back towards normalcy. The nature of work has become more flexible, with many people working remotely using video conferencing and digital collaborative tools. However, maintaining face-to-face interaction remains crucial, as it can foster a strong company culture, make collaborations more efficient and improve workers’ well-being.... https://www.scmp.com/presented/better-life/environment/topics/building-future/article/3213080/how-office-space-can-be-designed-remain-relevant-new-era-hybrid-work?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/presented/better-life/environment/topics/building-future/article/3213080/how-office-space-can-be-designed-remain-relevant-new-era-hybrid-work?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Mar 2023 10:00:12 +0000 [Sponsored article] It takes an arduous eight-hour bus ride along winding, undulating roads from Chengdu, capital of China’s southwestern province of Sichuan, to reach the remote Yilong County Yinshan Primary School, where a sports playground has been built in the mountains. Yet this sports area created for the use of the 120 children and wider community in the city of Nanchong, is not an ordinary playground; instead of its surface made of the usual hardwood and rubber, it has been layered with... https://www.scmp.com/native/better-life/environment/topics/sustainability-solutions-based-science/article/3203009/why-was-sustainable-playground-built-chinese-mountain-out-old-bicycle-tyres?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/better-life/environment/topics/sustainability-solutions-based-science/article/3203009/why-was-sustainable-playground-built-chinese-mountain-out-old-bicycle-tyres?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Dec 2022 03:00:20 +0000 [Sponsored article] The need to develop more sustainable cities has been highlighted by the financial and social fallout caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. People in cities have had to re-evaluate their priorities, with many realising that lifestyle and well-being are intrinsically linked. On average, people in Hong Kong spend more than 85 per cent of their time indoors, according to a study published by the Housing Authority, so the built environment and the way it functions is crucial to the... https://www.scmp.com/presented/better-life/environment/topics/building-sustainable-future/article/3194865/how?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/presented/better-life/environment/topics/building-sustainable-future/article/3194865/how?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Oct 2022 04:00:09 +0000 Food prices are soaring around the world, while recent global events, including the Covid-19 pandemic, have led to food shortages and disruptions in our food supply chains. Food producers are also having to deal with issues related to climate change. One-third of global food production will be at risk by the end of the century if greenhouse gas emissions continue to escalate at their current rate, according to research from Aalto University in Finland, published in May 2021 in the journal One... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3173376/world-health-day-2022-how-whole-food-plant-based-diet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3173376/world-health-day-2022-how-whole-food-plant-based-diet?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Apr 2022 08:15:18 +0000 International Women’s Day on March 8 is a time to celebrate the achievements – social, economic, cultural, and political – of women worldwide. The Post spoke to three women in Hong Kong making changes for the better. Mashiat Lamisa Mashiat Lamisa arrived in Hong Kong almost five years ago from Bangladesh. But images from her home country of children rummaging through toxic rubbish, some of it imported electronic waste (e-waste), have not left her. “Electronic goods – whether it’s an iPhone or a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3169574/international-womens-day-2022-three-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3169574/international-womens-day-2022-three-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Mar 2022 23:15:12 +0000 Hong Kong is staking a claim as Asia’s green finance hub, as the number and value of bonds related to environment, social and governance (ESG) quadrupled over the past year. As many as 90 ESG bonds were issued this year, raising a combined HK$270 billion (US$34.62 billion), four times what was sold last year, according to Nicolas Aguzin, chief executive of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX), the operator of the city’s bourse. “HKEX has turned climate risk into opportunities by... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3158650/hong-kongs-esg-bond-issuance-quadruples-almost-us35?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3158650/hong-kongs-esg-bond-issuance-quadruples-almost-us35?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Dec 2021 10:05:23 +0000 Hong Kong’s government has raised US$3 billion (US$1.47 billion) through a sale of green bonds, pricing a tranche of them in euros for the first time as it builds a multicurrency portfolio of financial instruments to hone the city’s role as Asia’s hub for sustainable finance. The entire offering of eurobonds and dollar-denominated debt was triple the size of first US$1 billion green bond sold in 2019 and outpaced the US$2.5 billion of 30-year green bond priced in January. The 20-year tranche of... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3156574/hong-kong-sells-us3-billion-green-bonds-pricing-its-first?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3156574/hong-kong-sells-us3-billion-green-bonds-pricing-its-first?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Nov 2021 13:08:01 +0000 Noise pollution is a common complaint among city dwellers in highly urbanised Hong Kong. But the problem runs deeper, affecting species in the ocean, including the vulnerable Chinese white dolphin. To show just how damaging ocean noise pollution is, Hong Kong photographer and documentary maker Daphne Wong last month released the film Sea Of Noise in collaboration with conservation organisation WWF-Hong Kong. “It’s easy to see the impact construction has on land but what’s less obvious is the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3139299/how-ocean-noise-pollution-threatening-chinese-white-dolphins-affecting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3139299/how-ocean-noise-pollution-threatening-chinese-white-dolphins-affecting?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Jul 2021 05:15:13 +0000 As the coronavirus ravages economies, forces countries into lockdowns and empties supermarket shelves, millions of people across Asia have been forced to put their former lifestyles on hold. But amid all the destruction, one pastime has just kept on growing: gardening. In the half a year since the virus first came to public attention, urban farming has boomed in popularity, as green-fingered Asians spot an opportunity to while away those lockdown hours while cutting living costs and putting food... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3095592/singapore-india-urban-farms-sprout-coronavirus-leaves-bollywood?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3095592/singapore-india-urban-farms-sprout-coronavirus-leaves-bollywood?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Aug 2020 08:00:12 +0000 Progress and “civilisation” brought untold harm to Florida’s Everglades. People literally drained the swamp, straightened the river and “reclaimed” land for housing and farming. Is there any hope for it? When the Everglades restoration plan was adopted in 2000, it aimed to turn back the clock to the pre-drainage wilderness. But in the face of rising seas, along with fluctuating temperatures and rainfall distribution, experts agree there is no going back. “Everglades restoration has always been... https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3040947/why-glory-floridas-everglades-will-never-be-restored?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3040947/why-glory-floridas-everglades-will-never-be-restored?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Jan 2020 00:00:14 +0000 Degrowth is an aspirational way of life where economic expansion is no longer a priority and the result is that people form stronger social bonds among each other and within communities. There is greater economic equality and far less environmental damage. People in favour of degrowth decry the current economic/social paradigm of “faster, higher, further” as harmful to nature, given its relentless race to extract and monetize natural resources. They also abhor its competitiveness, stress and... https://www.scmp.com/better-life/well-being/article/3043221/better-life-less-more-according-proponents-degrowth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/better-life/well-being/article/3043221/better-life-less-more-according-proponents-degrowth?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Jan 2020 00:00:10 +0000 There’s an innate human desire to constantly improve – something that extends to wanting each New Year’s Eve party to be better than the last. But this aspiration can be pretty taxing on the environment. Here are some alternative eco-friendly ideas to traditional NYE essentials that will help you start 2020 on the right foot. Make it rain Instead of tossing shiny tinsel or store-bought confetti when midnight strikes, make your own this year by shredding old newspapers or leftover wrapping paper... https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3043920/6-ways-make-your-new-years-eve-party-more-eco-friendly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3043920/6-ways-make-your-new-years-eve-party-more-eco-friendly?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Dec 2019 10:00:16 +0000 Today, we understand that natural systems like the untouched Everglades in Florida provide enormous benefits – water filtration, nurseries for fish and other wildlife, protection from storm surges, even carbon sequestration. But to 19th-century Floridians, all that water – and the mosquitoes and reptiles it harboured – represented an impediment to progress. And so when Florida became a state in 1845, one of the Legislature’s first acts was to pass a resolution asking Congress to survey the... https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3041956/great-rape-everglades?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3041956/great-rape-everglades?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Dec 2019 01:00:13 +0000 The Everglades is known as a “river of grass”, for it is indeed a very slow flowing river. It’s not just a jungle, swamp, or wetland, but also a grassland and a prairie. This article was curated by Young Post. Better Life is the ultimate resource for enhancing your personal and professional life. https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3041682/wildlife-everglades-photos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3041682/wildlife-everglades-photos?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Dec 2019 01:00:11 +0000 The Everglades National Park in the US state of Florida is home to a stunning array of wildlife. There are more than 360 species of birds, including the great blue heron and the diminutive green variety. It is said to be the only place in the world where freshwater alligators and saltwater crocodiles co-exist. And then there are the non-native species that are throwing off nature’s balance. On a blisteringly hot late-October morning, wildlife biologist Ian Bartoszek, who heads the Conservancy of... https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3041579/epic-battle-rid-floridas-everglades-invasive-burmese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3041579/epic-battle-rid-floridas-everglades-invasive-burmese?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Dec 2019 01:00:08 +0000 Christmas is a time to celebrate with family, friends – it’s also a time when we indulge in abundant food, gifts and merriment. But all this jolly holly holiday fun also creates a hefty climate impact and millions of tonnes of waste each year. As awareness about climate change grows, many people are aiming to cut waste and enjoy an eco-friendly celebration. Below are 10 ways to cut emissions and waste at Christmas: 1. Ditch the Christmas jumper. They normally contain plastic and are often only... https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3041845/10-top-tips-greener-christmas-celebration?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3041845/10-top-tips-greener-christmas-celebration?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Dec 2019 08:48:44 +0000 Which came first, the coral or the fish? As scientists desperately search for a way to get the world’s coral reefs to rebound from the devastating effects of climate change, they might just find out. In the Caribbean, researchers are cultivating coral “nurseries” so they can re-implant fresh coral on degraded reefs. And in Hawaii, scientists are trying to specially breed corals to be more resilient against rising ocean temperatures. Last month, British and Australian researchers rolled out... https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3040252/despite-climate-change-damage-future-coral-reefs-could-be?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3040252/despite-climate-change-damage-future-coral-reefs-could-be?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Dec 2019 00:02:38 +0000 If you love to travel, but are very aware of the impact that flying has on the environment, you’ve probably heard of carbon offsetting. You might even have paid for it. But it’s not just airlines that offer this on a small scale to passengers. There’s a bigger, global scale that might have crucial impact on climate change. Here’s why it matters, and how it works. What is offsetting and why is it a tricky topic? Carbon offsetting allows a country to help reach its own emissions reduction targets... https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3039713/what-carbon-offsetting-and-does-it-work?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3039713/what-carbon-offsetting-and-does-it-work?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Dec 2019 00:00:06 +0000 The combination of the start of a new school year followed so quickly by the change in season often feels like a good reason to shop for new additions to your wardrobe. But before you go out to buy more, consider some statistics found in US author Elizabeth Cline’s latest book, The Conscious Closet: The Revolutionary Guide to Looking Good While Doing Good. Data like: ●A third of the microplastic pollution junking up our oceans is coming from what we wear. ●A garbage truck’s worth of unwanted... https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3033596/how-buy-clothes-without-destroying-planet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3033596/how-buy-clothes-without-destroying-planet?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Oct 2019 00:00:12 +0000 An outbreak of a deadly and rare brain disease has killed at least 11 people in the United States so far this year. Scientists say the mosquito-borne illness, Eastern equine encephalitis, may be worse because of unseasonably warm temperatures. It’s one of just several diseases scientists worry are being affected by climate change. The nation’s changing climate patterns are bringing heatwaves, flooding, warming waters and droughts. These in turn alter the environment, and the microbes, viruses... https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3032173/climate-change-causing-diseases-dengue-well-flesh-eating?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3032173/climate-change-causing-diseases-dengue-well-flesh-eating?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Oct 2019 03:30:08 +0000 Let’s face it: we have a serious addiction to plastic. In some cities, it’s so bad that we see individually plastic-wrapped fruit in the supermarket, when nature already gave that banana, orange or apple its own protective packaging. According to non-government organisation Earth Day, more than half of the world’s plastic thrown out in 2015 was plastic packaging. That’s more than 141 million tonnes. You throw that plastic bottle into the bin and don’t expect to see it again. But it will either... https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3027302/five-easy-ways-cut-down-plastic-waste-and-live-green-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3027302/five-easy-ways-cut-down-plastic-waste-and-live-green-life?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Sep 2019 02:37:37 +0000 British supermarkets are starting to go “nude”. Bowing to pressure from environmentally conscious consumers, big brand shops have begun taking steps to strip their shelves of plastic wrapping over concerns about saving the oceans from waste. “Nude zones” and “Food in the Nude” campaigns are already being rolled out in places such as New Zealand and South Africa, where many fresh fruits and vegetables are grown within relatively easy reach. Now shops in Britain – where even bunches of bananas are... https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3027266/uk-supermarkets-get-drastic-plastic-ditch-packaging-nude?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3027266/uk-supermarkets-get-drastic-plastic-ditch-packaging-nude?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Sep 2019 02:33:38 +0000 Nobody is safe from air pollution, the United Nations warned on World Environment Day this year, with nine out of 10 people on the planet now breathing polluted air. This has led to a growing, global health crisis, which already causes about 7 million deaths per year, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Burning fossil fuels for power, transport and industry is a major contributor to air pollution as well as the main source of planet-warming carbon emissions - and tackling both... https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3027294/10-air-pollution-facts-should-terrify-you?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3027294/10-air-pollution-facts-should-terrify-you?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Sep 2019 02:33:37 +0000 Our dependence on single-use plastics is staggering. The consequences of our throwaway habits are even more staggering: The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy report predicted that by 2050 there could be more plastic in the world’s oceans than fish by weight. Dianna Cohen, co-founder and chief executive of the non-profit organisation Plastic Pollution Coalition, has dedicated the past 10 years to making the world plastic-free, which is a lofty goal; Americans alone discard more... https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3027259/how-cut-down-single-use-plastic-everyone-can-do-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3027259/how-cut-down-single-use-plastic-everyone-can-do-it?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Sep 2019 02:27:06 +0000 Thousands of fires are burning in the Amazon, eliciting panic around the world and offers of help from the Group of Seven meeting last weekend. Tropical rainforests cover only 2 per cent of the Earth’s surface, but they have an outsize impact on providing habitat, storing carbon and regulating the flow of water. From the “Save the Rainforest” T-shirts of the 1990s to the sci-fi movie Avatar, these areas have come to symbolise the abundance of the natural world - and its vulnerability. But... https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3027243/five-things-youre-getting-wrong-about-tropical-rainforests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3027243/five-things-youre-getting-wrong-about-tropical-rainforests?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Sep 2019 02:27:05 +0000 We've all heard stories about the impact that cattle have on the environment. We also all have friends who just can't stomach dairy. If you’re thinking about switching from cow’s milk to a plant-based alternative such as almond milk or soy – whether for health or environmental reasons – it’s useful to first find out just what each alternative provides, not to mention the impact it’s having on the planet. We compared the carbon footprint, water footprint, nutritional value and price of cow, soy... https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3027292/which-milk-best-environment-guide-impact-cow-almond-and-soy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3027292/which-milk-best-environment-guide-impact-cow-almond-and-soy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Sep 2019 02:23:45 +0000 It’s safe to say that the global campaign against the use of plastic straws reached fever pitch in the last couple of years, with many companies and people choosing to ditch plastic straws in favour of paper ones. But are paper straws really the eco-friendly alternative they claim to be? Chung Shan-shan, the director of science in environmental and public health management at Hong Kong Baptist University, doesn’t think so. The main argument for using paper straws instead of plastic ones is that... https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3027301/paper-straws-may-be-biodegradable-are-they-really-better?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/better-life/environment/article/3027301/paper-straws-may-be-biodegradable-are-they-really-better?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Sep 2019 02:23:44 +0000