The Greening of Asia - by Mark Clifford (Paperback)

About the Book

A hopeful look at the next business boom: partnerships between Asian corporations, the government, and civil society to create new technologies that will help save the most crowded places on Earth.

Book Synopsis

One of Asia's best-respected writers on business and economy, Hong Kong-based author Mark L. Clifford provides a behind-the-scenes look at what companies in China, India, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand are doing to build businesses that will lessen the environmental impact of Asia's extraordinary economic growth. Dirty air, foul water, and hellishly overcrowded cities are threatening to choke the region's impressive prosperity. Recognizing a business opportunity in solving social problems, Asian businesses have developed innovative responses to the region's environmental crises.

From solar and wind power technologies to green buildings, electric cars, water services, and sustainable tropical forestry, Asian corporations are upending old business models in their home countries and throughout the world. Companies have the money, the technology, and the people to act--yet, as Clifford emphasizes, support from the government (in the form of more effective, market-friendly policies) and the engagement of civil society are crucial for a region-wide shift to greener business practices. Clifford paints detailed profiles of what some of these companies are doing and includes a unique appendix that encapsulates the environmental business practices of more than fifty companies mentioned in the book.

Review Quotes

The Greening of Asia is an easy read and is filled with anecdotes that make the stories come alive. They range from the humorous and light-hearted to the sobering to the downright horrifying, and serve as a reminder that the region is complex, multi-faceted and needs solutions that are as diverse.--Jean Chua "EcoBusiness"

it is refreshing to see a clear-headed argument... that markets and greenery can go together. Asian companies, he says, are ready to clean up.-- "The Economist"

Clifford is an astute analyst of the financial dilemmas at Asian companies that are either in "green" businesses or have visionary owners, as at Esquel and CLP, who want to adopt environmentally sustainable policies--Victor Mallet "Financial Times"

Essential reading for policy makers and business leaders considering the effects of climate change on Asia and the rest of the world, including the world's political landscape.... [The Greening of Asia] should be on the shelf of every library.-- "Choice"

Picking up a copy of Mark Clifford's new book is a good way to start the New Year. [it] is a terrific reminder that innovation and a core commitment to sustainability can push change in transformative ways. That gives us all something to celebrate in 2015.--Elizabeth C. Economy "Asia Unbound"

Thought-provoking.--Preeti Dawra "Mint Asia"

With wisdom and insights sprinkled throughout, The Greening of Asia demonstrates that innovation and a core commitment to sustainability are beginning to build a greener prosperity in the world's fastest growing region.... A well-researched, hopeful book.--Doug Ogden "Asian Review of Books"

In this well-researched and ultimately optimistic account, Mark L. Clifford makes the case that environmental policies 'can and must be fixed' and gives us examples of companies that have worked to find private-sector solutions. In doing so, he sheds much-needed light on the workings and future of the region's efforts on the environment and on the need for governments to set clear rules so that business can do its part to solve the region's environmental crisis.--Joseph E. Stiglitz, Nobel Laureate in Economics

About the Author

Mark L. Clifford is the executive director of the Hong Kong-based Asia Business Council. During his prize-winning twenty-five-year career in journalism, he served as editor in chief of the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong and held senior editorial roles at BusinessWeek and the Far Eastern Economic Review. He has lived in Hong Kong since 1992.