03 May Why forests will make or break the climate fight
SIIA Director Lee Chen Chen was quoted in an article by Vaidehi Shah published on the National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS) website and on Eco-Business on 3 May 2016. An excerpt is below.
Lee Chen Chen, director of policy programmes at think-tank Singapore Institute of International Affairs, notes that the transboundary haze bill “shows gumption”, and underscores the city-state’s political will to tackle illegal forest fires.
But financiers, retailers, and consumers can also do much more to address the issue, she says. Banks should carry out more stringent environmental, social, and governance checks before making investments; this is an area where Singapore lags behind international best practices, she says.
Retailers can do their part by stocking more products bearing sustainability certifications, and educating consumers on the merits of supporting these companies, notes Lee.
“This sort of public education may not result in people changing their habits overnight, but it is a conversation we need to start right now,” she adds.
Photo Credit: Rainforest in Brazil with cleared land, CIFOR / CC BY NC ND 2.0