Greening of Asia

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.

• Preface Introduction: Green Shoots Under Soot-Stained Skies Part I. Energy: Sun, Wind, and the End of Coal 1. The Sun Kings 2. Blowin' in the Wind Part II. Our Human World: Cities, Buildings, Wheels 3. Cities in a Garden 4. Buildings for a Greener Asia 5. Asia on the Move: Cars and Trains Part III. Nature: Forests, Farms, and Water 6. "Water Is More Important Than Oil" 7. The Tropical Challenge: Saving Asia's Lungs 8. "Adhere and Prosper": From Black Coal to Green Power Conclusion. From Black to Green: Asia's Challenge Appendix: Companies to Watch Bibliography Index

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 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 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 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 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 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 Thought-provoking. -- Preeti Dawra Mint Asia 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