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ESG Insights

Issue 217: Time to face palm oil’s transboundary problem

This week in ESG: Singapore issues haze notices to palm oil companies

Summarise
Kenneth Lim

Kenneth Lim

Published Fri, Oct 23, 2026 · 07:00 PM
    • Sustainability certification of palm oil is lagging in South-east Asia, data from the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil suggests.
    • Sustainability certification of palm oil is lagging in South-east Asia, data from the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil suggests. ILLUSTRATION: KENNETH LIM

    Sustainability policy

    The Transboundary Haze Pollution Act isn’t working. Now what?

    A severe season of the haze in Singapore and Malaysia inevitably brings on watery eyes, scratchy throats and angry fists pounding about the injustice of fires in Indonesia spreading harmful air pollution to neighbouring countries.

    Tears and coughs are easily treated, but cross-border pollution is tougher to remedy. As Singapore pursues “every legal and regulatory lever”, tougher requirements on traceability backed by economic consequences should be explored.

    ESG InsightsHazeClimate policyPalm oilSouth-east AsiaESG

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