Unravel

24/08/2023

Past year’s coral recovery is a positive sign, but increased intensity in marine heatwaves will soon make coral bleaching and marine deaths an annual phenomenon, write Mike Emslie, Daniela Ceccarelli and David Wachenfeld of Australian Institute of Marine Science.

The record high hard coral cover seen last year was welcome news, representing recovery across much of the Reef. However, this year, the rapid coral rebound paused

23/08/2023

Two tools – gamification and nudges can help foster greater financial inclusion and promote global development, write Lotte SZ of Asian Development Bank and Swati Chowdhary of Women's World Banking.

Gamification and nudges are emerging as powerful tools to engage customers, foster sustainable financial behaviours, and promote social development

22/08/2023

Thailand’s Pheu Thai party, a long-standing bearer of democracy stands to lose its credibility as it forms a majority coalition with pro-military and junta-linked party. How will it impact the political situation in the country, only time will tell writes Joshua Kurlantzick of Council on Foreign Relations.



https://unravel.ink/what-now-for-thai-democracy/

21/08/2023

The US-Japan-South Korea trilateral summit is a promising step towards upholding the rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific, which has come under constant threat from China. But Scott Snyder of Council on Foreign Relations writes that the real threat to the trilateral aspirations is the respective domestic political environments of the three countries.

The US-Japan-South Korea summit at Camp David reflects trilateral institutionalisation. However, the real threat to effective trilateralism lies in the domestic political environments of the three countries

21/08/2023

This week we look at the changing geopolitics outlook in Asia. Thailand’s credibility with respect to democracy looks uncertain, while the threat to the US-Japan-South Korea trilateral aspirations come from within. On the other hand, Western allies will need to band together to decouple the stronghold of China Inc.

22 August 2023

08/08/2023

The Cold War may have never ended as Russia never stopped its hybrid warfare activities, culminating into Ukraine’s invasion in the start of 2022, says John West, executive director of the Asian Century Institute.

We are now in the midst of the second Cold War in Europe, according to some analysts. But a close reading of events suggests that the first European Cold War may never have really ended

07/08/2023

Indonesia stands to unlock vast economic growth by tapping into its vast EV minerals resource. But the country first needs to actively address environmental policy gaps and streamline its business environment to firmly establish its foothold in the global EV supply chain, writes Makoto Tsuchiya of Oxford Economics.



https://unravel.ink/rich-in-minerals-indonesia-dares-to-dream-of-an-ev-future-2

07/08/2023

This week we look at: Indonesia’s mineral-rich reserves providing possibilities for a strong EV ecosystem for the country; the need for the Global South to extend its support to Ukraine while the West looks for ways to end what some say is the European Cold War; the need to better understand and counter inflation; and how Southeast Asia can unlock its green economy by meeting its energy transition targets.

8 August 2023

06/08/2023

In its efforts to garner more support from the Global South in its fight against Russia’s aggression, Ukraine has promised to do more to ensure food security in the Global South. But will it be enough, asks Galyna Piskorska, an honorary senior fellow at the Centre for Advanced Journalism, The University of Melbourne.

While the democratic narrative continues to resonate strongly with Ukraine’s western allies, the decolonisation narrative appears to have made little impact outside Ukraine – particularly in the Global South

03/08/2023

Inflation is now a growing reality. Understanding what it means and how it impacts government and household spending is more important than ever. Irfan A. Qureshi and Matteo Lanzafame of Asian Development Bank, suggest ways in which policymakers can implement reforms promoting a low-inflation environment.

ADB economists Matteo Lanzafame and Irfan A. Qureshi define key terms related to inflation in Asia and the Pacific

02/08/2023

Governments, companies and investors stand to gain immensely by pushing for decarbonisation and green investments in Southeast Asia, reveals report from Bain & Company.



https://unravel.ink/southeast-asias-green-ambition

31/07/2023

Indonesia stands to unlock vast economic growth by tapping into its vast EV minerals resource. But the country first needs to actively address environmental policy gaps and streamline its business environment to firmly establish its foothold in the global EV supply chain, writes Makoto Tsuchiya of Oxford Economics.



https://unravel.ink/rich-in-minerals-indonesia-dares-to-dream-of-an-ev-future

31/07/2023

This week we look at: Indonesia’s mineral-rich reserves providing possibilities for a strong EV ecosystem for the country; the need for the Global South to extend its support to Ukraine while the West looks for ways to end what some say is the European Cold War; the need to better understand and counter inflation; and how Southeast Asia can unlock its green economy by meeting its energy transition targets.

1 August 2023

30/07/2023

Countries have a major task at hand to develop a fair and equitable economy that is inclusive and sustainable. The World Energy Council has identified five major areas for global leaders to act upon, write Kelly Hewitt and Keshan Samarasinghe of the Asian Development Bank.

As countries grapple with soaring energy costs and conflict, they must harmonise security, equity, and sustainability for an equitable transition to a low-carbon economy

27/07/2023

Experts predict that 2023 could become the hottest year on record, owing to increasing carbon emissions and climate change factors with the anticipated return of El Niño playing a crucial role in global warming, writes Ian Shine, senior writer at Formative Content.

#2023

Temperature records have been broken in many countries this year, and climate scientists say 2023 could become the hottest year on record

26/07/2023

Stress levels are high among East Asian employees, while South Asian employees are thriving at work. Meanwhile, it’s a good time for finding a job in Southeast Asia, reveals this year’s global workplace report from the Gallup.

Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report 2023 estimates that low employee engagement costs the global economy $8.8 trillion, that’s 9% of global GDP

25/07/2023

Making climate finance both affordable and accessible is the need of the hour. But it will require support from all stakeholders if we are to address the issue of climate change, writes Jurgen Richter, founder and chairman of Horasis.

Making climate finance affordable for developing countries is essential as they are also the most vulnerable to its impacts

25/07/2023

The semiconductor industry is unlikely to see a rapid initial recovery and provide a major uplift to growth in Asia’s major electronics producers. And while the industry should eventually enter an upcycle, geopolitical trends could prove a substantial headwind if they result in a fragmentation of the chip industry, writes Alex Holmes, senior economist at Oxford Economics.



https://unravel.ink/whats-next-in-asias-chip-story

25/07/2023

This week we look at three stories that focus on climate change – rising temperatures and its resulting impacts; why climate-financing is needed; and how countries can achieve a just energy transition. And in other stories we look at geopolitics and its role in Asia’s chip industry and state of the workplace in Asia.



https://mailchi.mp/unravel/this-week-on-unravel-20230725

23/07/2023

Favourable tax system, infrastructure, ease of doing business, volume of venture capital and government grants make Singapore a hub for tech startups in Southeast Asia, write Nitin Pangarkar of National University of Singapore and Paul Vandenberg of the Asian Development Bank.



Favourable tax system, infrastructure, ease of doing business, volume of venture capital and government grants make Singapore a hub for tech startups in Southeast Asia, write Nitin Pangarkar of National University of Singapore and Paul Vandenberg of the Asian Development Bank.


https://unravel.ink/why-singapores-ecosystem-for-technology-startups-is-among-the-best

20/07/2023

Warming temperature and unchecked water pollution are endangering our ocean waters, with cascading impacts for both marine life and humans. Charting a sustainable approach is the only way out, writes Nicola Jones.

Ocean warming, acidification and deoxygenation due to climate change—as well as pollution and development—threaten our global waters, but disaster is far from inevitable

19/07/2023

Consumption of online news via social media channels has grown exponentially, but it has also brought to the fore dangers around fake news and misinformation, reveals Reuters report.

News via social media gains ground but trust deficit becomes wider

18/07/2023

Greening the electricity sector and improving energy efficiency of appliances are ways in which decarbonisation could be achieved in the ICT sector, write Markus Zimmer, Arne Holzhausen and Anand Parmar of Allianz.

Policymakers have to enable change in consumer behaviour to decarbonise the ICT sector

17/07/2023

The growing ICT sector is increasingly contributing to the rise in global emissions, which if left unchecked could prove fatal for climate goals, write Markus Zimmer, Arne Holzhausen and Anand Parmar of Allianz.

What makes the ICT sector a major greenhouse gas emitter

17/07/2023

This week we look at the ICT sector’s growing carbon footprint and ways in which we can decarbonise it. In other stories we look at growing fragmentation and distrust in digital news consumption and factors that make Singapore a hub for tech startups.

18 July 2023

16/07/2023

The gender gap is a pressing issue requiring concerted efforts to address it. Closing the gender gap not only holds socioeconomic benefit for women, but also helps establish an inclusive society that works for the betterment of all, writes Frank Jurgen Richter, chairman of Horasis.

What are some ways in which we can strive towards a more gender equal world?

13/07/2023

Governments and policymakers need to be a step ahead in streamlining the taxing framework of crypto assets. This will not only prevent leakage in tax revenue, but will also protect the integrity of the tax system, write Katherine Baer, Ruud De Mooij, Shafik Hebous and Michael Keen from the Fiscal Affairs Department at the International Monetary Fund.

Tax systems need updating to cope with crypto assets, whose anonymity and decentralised nature poses challenges—not least for the value added tax

12/07/2023

The term Global South has gained momentum in recent years with developing countries choosing to assert themselves on the global stage, which is not always in agreement with the Global North, writes Jorge Heine, interim director of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future at Boston University.

Ambassador Jorge Heine, Research Professor at Boston University’s Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies and Interim Director of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, explains the Global South

11/07/2023

Asia, particularly New Zealand and Australia, registered wide improvement in its cities, but peace and stability are paramount to ensure a higher liveability quotient, as revealed by the Economist Intelligence Unit Global Liveability Index 2023.

Fostering peace and stability is imperative for ensuring high liveability quotient among cities