From New Delhi to Bangkok to Seoul, Asia is facing the world’s most serious air pollution catastrophe.  Experts say this poor air quality becomes fatal with the onset of heat waves and drought from climate change, but citizens are coming up with their own solutions to tackle the dirty air.

Amid a recent flurry of meetings that brought together officials from the United States and China, along with other world leaders, experts say the two countries can work together on climate change despite lingering tensions.

Investments under China’s Belt and Road Initiative can pose environmental risks to small island nations already vulnerable to harm from climate change, an expert told VOA in late November.

The projected drop in carbon emissions in China because of its slowed economic growth due to pandemic lockdowns – shown in a report released at the recent COP27 – is likely short-lived, experts have told VOA.

Experts said at COP27 that it will be "very challenging" for China to achieve its green ambitions, despite a lauded power decarbonisation effort. What’s standing in its way?

Data monitoring and human dietary changes are among ways China could slash its methane emissions, experts have told VOA.

At COP27, various stakeholders deliberated on ways to accelerate the decarbonisation of the carbon-heavy steel industry. As the world’s largest steelmaker, will China be able to lead a net-zero transition of the industry?

China Wednesday said it would not pay into a climate loss and damage fund for developing nations, after small island nations cited its responsibility as a high carbon emitter at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Egypt, COP27.

Just a harbor away from a cluster of skyscrapers, in the poorest district in Hong Kong, Szeto, a resident who declined to give his full name due to security concerns, struggles to endure the heat inside his shoebox apartment. The heat wins.

Nations throughout the Global South have fought for climate reparations for years, arguing that they are bearing the brunt of carbon emissions emitted by their wealthier counterparts in the Global North.

Scandinavian-style forest schools are booming in Europe and the US – and spreading in Asia, too. Could outdoor classrooms be the future?

Could synthetic tiger claw and bear bile counteract the illegal market for animal products and help protect endangered species?

From condoms that self-lubricate to ones with in-built medication that protects against STDs, the contraception of the future is already in development.

Building sites produce emissions and air pollution. Cities, developers and construction machinery manufacturers are looking for ways to clean them up.

Why is the pandemic fuelling Asia's plastic crisis? 

Is recycling really the answer to the plastic deluge? 

Inside one of Asia's most successful zero-waste communities

From lower carbon emissions to fewer potholes, there are a number of benefits to building a layer of plastic into roads..

With winter chill in the air and the threat of a resurgent pandemic keeping everyone home, Henry Cheung sank into an abandoned couch in the middle of a street in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong, and settled in for the night.

From a stuffy metro station in Paris, to a large shopping mall in the United States, human body heat is helping to lessen the need to burn fossil fuels for warmth.

Exchange traded funds in Taiwan have seen a dramatic surge in popularity over the past year, with one in four Taiwanese investors in their 20s now holding the investment products, data from the Taiwan Depository and Clearing Corporation show.

Two young men are at a nightclub in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Surrounded by fluorescent lights and party goers, they are deep in conversation on the middle of the dance floor. But the pair aren’t there to have fun - they’re watching the dancers intently, musing on how they can harness this manpower to create energy.

There is a growing market for diapers for old people, but soiled nappies create a lot of environmental waste. Now, companies in Japan are inventing new ways of cleaning up the mess and producing energy.

Hunting for a snake in the grass can be a rewarding experience, especially during Covid-19 curbs on conventional nightlife. Award-winning photographer Lawrence Hylton speaks to Chermaine Lee about the art of herping and showcases photos from his trips.

(Words: Chermaine Lee
Photos and captions: Lawrence Hylton)

Lockdown isolation has been a boon for the con artists and catfishers targeting lonely Hong Kong women.

With the majority of young people living with their parents, Hong Kong’s couples are turning to alternative means of having a private life.

Despite being born and raised in the city – and speaking Cantonese – many black residents experience racism as part of their everyday life

When Hong Kong tried to tackle its third wave of Covid-19 by banning diners from inside restaurants, authorities quickly encountered a problem. Some people had nowhere else to go.

As we age our nutritional needs change, but our taste buds and appetites also deaden, limiting what many older people eat. Is it possible to make food better for the elderly?

Could you live an hour from your spouse? The disproportionately expensive housing market in Hong Kong is forcing families to live separately – with few remedies in sight.

China’s interest in Antarctica’s rich fishing grounds has grown significantly over the past 20 years. A member of the international body governing use of these resources since 2007, the country is also involved in managing the Southern Ocean’s two existing marine protected areas (MPAs). 

Men around the world are opening up about their experiences of sexual harassment and violence.

In Hong Kong, however, cultural taboos and obsolete laws stifle their voices.

Living on leftovers, 69-year-old Wong has been sleeping on the streets of Hong Kong for more than a year.

Zheng Churan’s husband disappeared four years after she was arrested for protesting sexual harassment on public transportation.

Lawmakers in Chinese-ruled Hong Kong voted on Wednesday to ban ivory sales in the world’s largest ivory retail market, a move wildlife activists hailed as vital towards halting the slaughter of elephants.

A Hong Kong court found an ivory trader guilty of illegal ivory possession and imposed a relatively light penalty of an HK$8,000 (753 pounds) fine on Tuesday, less than two weeks after China implemented a total ban on ivory sales.

From eczema sufferers to dementia patients, rising temperatures and more common extreme weather events lead to more hospital admissions for mental disorders

Cheung Muk-gun’s home is an illegal, wooden shack under a highway in one of the poorest areas of Hong Kong, where sky-high property prices and a yawning wealth gap have helped fuel a surge in homelessness.

We ask lawmakers, lawyers, students and social organisations to share their thoughts on sexual harassment in Hong Kong and Macao.

Local charity Mind Hong Kong has developed a series of programmes and online resources to destigmatise mental health in Hong Kong.