Charity is a big deal in South Africa. The amount that South Africans contribute to charity has increased 9% since 2013. Charity can be performed in a number of different ways. Volunteering one’s time to help others is a form of charity. So too is philanthropy. The most common form by far is individuals raising money, and these funds being pooled, and used by charities to fund their projects. In a international charity event, all of these forms have been united. And the result has been incredible.

The CEO Sleepout is an event held each year. It takes place in multiple cities around the world, including New York, London, and Sydney. On the night of the 18th of June, the annual series of charitable events began in Johannesburg, South Africa. The aim of the event is to encourage businesses and their leaders to look beyond profit as the only measurable positive outcome.

The Johannesburg sleep out was held in aid of Boys & Girls Town, a charity fighting child neglect and abuse. Each event has a fundraising target, and participants ensure that this is met. Each participant is required to donate 100,000 South African rand (around $8000), and individuals are able to donate online to support the cause.

Thursday night’s charity sleep out saw CEOs take to the streets of Johannesburg, and brave the cold to fight child neglect. The fundraising for the event was entirely interactive. Not only could individuals volunteer and donate money online, they could also choose others to do so. People were able to nominate their colleagues or other people they knew to take part in the sleep out. They could then choose to donate money to that person’s cause, or directly to Girls & Boys Town, the beneficiary charity. The abuse and neglect of children is a serious problem in South Africa. Girls & Boys Town was established in 1958 to seriously combat this.

Sponsored by South Africa’s 702 radio station and Sun International leisure group, this was the first year the event has been held in South Africa. It has proven successful. Over 240 CEOs took part, and raised almost 23 million rand, all of which will better arm Boys and Girls Town to fight the issues facing South Africa’s children. 2015 may have seen the inaugural Johannesburg sleep out, but, judging by its success, it is unlikely to be the last.

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Art and ecology are more similar than one might think. The key to both is creativity. In the artistic world, these skills are used to evoke emotions, promote debate, and to challenge perspectives. When it comes to the environment, a healthy dose of creative spirit is often required. The natural world faces many challenges, and these must be met. In order for this to be possible, creative instincts are vital to produce new and innovative solutions. In Mexico, the creative and ecological worlds merge.

Mexico’s Paz Paz Bus

A ragtag band of artists, scientists, and engineers have come together in an extraordinary campaign to transform Mexico. Jumping into a brightly coloured bus, far from the beaten track, the group hope to use artistic energy and scientific methods to meet the growing environmental challenges in rural Mexico.

The time for a re-energised and multi-talented approach to these issues is now. A rapidly growing population will see Mexico City exceed 21 million residents within ten years. Water, a key life line, is increasingly under strain. In Mexico City, 35,000 litres of water are used each second, and 6% of the population has inadequate plumbing. Sustainable living is not just required for Mexico City. The primary goal of the Paz Paz Bus is to use creative solutions to bring sustainability to rural Mexico. The team have already helped to arm the response to water shortages. By installing systems for harvesting rainwater, the members of the Paz Paz Bus have enabled people to have a reliable store of water. Water systems are only part of their goals. The team have also installed digesters, to produce compost for growing crops.

The bus itself is a perfect symbol of the team’s mission. The exterior was brought to life by vivid colours and the spirit of Mexican street art. Inside, the bus is laboratory on wheels, fully equipped with the tools to tackle Mexico’s ecological challenges.

Art also plays a key role in the mission. Through workshops and theatre, the team brings Mexico’s vibrant artistic heritage to the children of rural communities. Social sustainability is also an aim of the team. ‘Paz paz’ comes from the Spanish for ‘peace’, and this is instrumental in Mexico’s more divided communities. Through art and video projects, including murals and parades, the Paz Paz Bus team hope to unite different groups. By fixing these communities, they hope to bring them together to focus on the common goal of sustainable living. That is surely a fight everyone can get behind.

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India has had a long love affair with the railway. The first trains and tracks were brought to India almost two hundred years ago by the British. Since then, their usage has exploded. It is hard to imagined India without the image of winding railways and packed train cars. Almost 8.4 billion is recorded in annual passenger traffic, equivalent to each Indian citizen taking the train several times. India’s rail service boasts over 7000 railway stations, 1.3 million employees, and over 65,000 km of railway. It’s not just reserved for passengers. Railways have long been a crucial means of transporting trade. With India’s over 3 million square kilometres, they are a vital lifeline. It is no surprise then that India’s railways carry over 1 billion tonnes of freight traffic. The extensive nature of India’s rail network means that remote areas are often well-served. Mountains are no exception, and India’s three mountain railways were awarded UNESCO World Heritage Status in 1999.

Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway

In India’s north, in the highlands of West Bengal, and in the shadow of some of the world’s tallest mountains, a train trundles along. India’s Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway was built in 1888, and connects New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling, with several towns and loops in between. The route was always used for trading. Before the construction of a railway, the new settlement of Darjeeling was linked to other towns such as Siliguri by a hill cart road. India’s most famous resource was transported across this route. When tea plantations began to spring up around 1857, new routes for transportation were vital. In 1861, the hill cart road fro Darjeeling was constructed. Eighteen years later, the railway tracks were placed. Today, the route is mainly used to transport people. Commuter or tourists, passengers enjoy majestic views, from heights surpassing 2000 metres, and through the historic towns of West Bengal.

Nilgiri Mountain Rail

Far to the south of the country, another railway traverses through the highlands. Located in the Nilgiri Hill of India’s Tamil Nadu province, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway has been in operation for more than a century. It is known as the steepest railway in Asia due to its steep gradient. The height of engineering at the time was used, with a Swiss inventor creating its unique ‘Alternate Biting System’, to prevent derailment. Like the Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway, the Nilgiri also exceeds heights of 2000 metres.

The Nilgiri Mountain Railway passes through a diverse route. From flat plains, to dizzying heights, and even through tunnels. It starts at Mettupalayam, a small town on the banks of the Bhavani river, to the historic town of Udhagamandalam (known as Ooty for short). The five hour journey whisks travellers through the scenic heights of Nilgiri, and through the forests, where trees cling defiantly to the steep hills.

Kalka-Shimla Railway

India’s last great mountain railway is the Kalka-Shimla Railway. Shimla was once the ‘Summer Capital’ of the British Raj, filled with summer homes for colonial administrators. It also became a base for the British army in India. Today it remains an important tourist capital, and the railway remains well-used. The tracks stretch from Kalka to the old ‘Summer Capital’, in India’s north west. With a steep climb to Shimla, the trains end up 1400 metres higher than where they started. With an adjoining line connecting Delhi and Kalka, it is the safest route to the capital from Shimla. The historic railway has over 800 bridges and 103 tunnels, allowing the train to seamlessly whistle through the foothills of the western Himalyas.

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In colonial times, the British dreamt of a ‘red line’ of territories, linking Cairo to the Cape in South Africa. They dreamt of being able to construct a railway, a direct line between the two, and all in between. A new trade deal may make this reality. At least, in spirit.

On Wednesday, the leaders of 26 African countries met in Cairo to discuss the Tripartite Free Trade Area, which will be signed on the 19th of June. Known as the TFTA, the deal is expected to be momentous for trade within the continent. Prior to the agreement, trade in Africa was conducted between a number of regional zones. The new trade deal has united three of these, and by doing so, connected over 600 million people. Comesa, EAC, and Sadc combined to create a trade bloc covering north, south, central, and east. However, there is a notable exception to this trade deal: Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria.

The countries involved in the trade deal were keen to point out their reasoning. They argued that the division of African economies into many economic zones created barriers, and artificially raised the prices of goods. By establishing TFTA, they argued that trade would be significantly easier, and this would create $1trn of economic activity.

So why was ECOWAS  (Economic Confederation of West African States) excluded? ECOWAS includes fifteen west African countries, and crucially African trade giant, Nigeria.

At over 170 million, its population is more than a quarter of the 26 TFA countries combined. Its population is a sixth of that of the whole of Africa. Nigeria also possesses Africa’s largest economy. What motives could the TFTA countries possibly have for limited trade with this group and excluding Africa’s biggest economy?

The answer is competition. Demographically and economically, Nigeria is undoubtedly Africa’s new unparalleled giant. South Africa, its closest rival, has a GDP over $170bn lower. With less than a third of Nigeria’s population, South Africa also lacks the levels of human capital to take on Nigeria alone. The TFTA trade deal, with its marked exclusion of Nigeria and its neighbours makes this clear. Alternatively, perhaps the inclusion of ECOWAS would simply be logistically impossible. The TFTA trade deal is a fairly loose trade arrangement between the 26 states. Although it has been agreed upon, each affected country must then sign the trade agreement into law. At this stage at least, there are no hints of an ever closer union between these states. ECOWAS, however, is much more serious.

It would not be an exaggeration to compare ECOWAS to a European Union-style system. At forty years old, the union has developed into a much stronger political and economic force. ECOWAS states enjoy the free movement of peoples, with no visas required for travel between the countries. Citizens of member states have the right to live in any other member state. Regional roads between states have been constructed. ECOWAS even cooperates on matters of justice and security.  There are pushes towards a full monetary union. They even have an anthem.

There exists an ECOWAS Commission in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, an ECOWAS Court of Justice, and various organisations such as a development bank, and a health organisation. The TFTA trade ‘group’ is nowhere near as comprehensive; and it shows no signs of heading this way.

The exclusion of certain countries from the TFTA trade deal may simply come down to pure logistics. It may simply be too difficult to include the closely-tied countries of ECOWAS, and the often politically-turbulent central African states of Cemac. With their maxim of regional self-reliance, ECOWAS members seem to be resolute on regional cooperation. A 0.5% levy on trade imports from outside ECOWAS symbolises this commitment. But given the economic realities, it is hard to believe that there is not more to this. With its large population, the inclusion of Nigeria and ECOWAS may make them the largest beneficiaries. As they attempt to boost their own economies, this would surely be the last thing the TFTA ‘trade’ countries need.

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It is only halfway through 2015, and Nigeria has already witnessed great changes. A recalculated GDP saw it rise to over $500bn, and become Africa’s largest economy. A transparent election watched avidly across the world resulted in a peaceful transition of power. Nigeria’s new government, it seems, has embarked on an ambitious programme. Just weeks after President Buhari’s inauguration, the army command centre was relocated to Maiduguri  in Nigeria’s north-east, close to Boko Haram’s main bases. Military might is not the only goal of the new Nigeria. After decades of relying on other countries for imports, the tide is beginning to turn. The first frontier is food.

Sugar is widely used in Nigeria, however, it is not grown locally. A staggering 98% of all the sugar used in Nigeria is imported.

Naturally, this has taken a financial toll, with Nigeria’s exchange rate costs related to these imports exceeding $300m. The establishment of a new sugar cane factory just outside of the capital seeks to begin this change. The new ‘bio factory’ is the first of many. Seeds are held in controlled conditions until they begin to sprout. Once this happens, the seedlings can be delivered to farms and plantations, and planted to grow sugar cane. The establishment of these factories is part of the Nigerian Sugar Master Plan, which has already lead to a ban on the importation of packaged sugar. In the long term, the plan hopes to create 2500 square kilometres of sugar cane plantations, removing the need for importation altogether.

Nigeria’s oil sector also seeks to become entirely self-reliant. Despite being Africa’s largest oil producer, producing 2.7 million barrels per day in 2014, Nigeria does not refine it own crude oil. Crude oil products, such as gasoline, diesel, and other oils must be imported. This too is about to change.

Earlier this year, billionaire entrepreneur Aliko Dangote announced his plans to build a new oil refinery. The refinery will be the largest in Africa, and will transform Nigeria into a net exporter of petroleum products.

With the refinery set to begin production within two years, it won’t be long before imports are a thing of the past. By reinvigorating the military to take the fight to the terrorists, investing in sugar cane, and the commitment to fully harness the power of its oil production, Nigeria is firmly on the move to self-sufficiency. With Nigeria’s new government only just settling in, many more measures may be on the horizon.

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In some respects, China and India are similar. Both countries have vast histories stretching back thousands of years. They both have large populations, each country possessing over a billion citizens. Both China and India have seen some of the strongest economic growth in recent years. China and India achieved 7% and 5.5% respectively, earning them a top-five place in the year’s fastest growing economies. China and India seem to be in close competition.  Over the next few decades, the emerging economies will ascend to take their places at the top. The only question is about who will we sat at the throne. Historically, it has seemed like China would occupy this position. India, however, refuses to back down without a fight.

China is home to a large majority of the world’s manufacturing, and this sector accounts for 32% of its GDP. In India, the story is not quite the same. Agriculture is the dominant sector, and manufacturing only contributes 17% to GDP. With the launch of a new campaign, the Indian government seeks to address this imbalance.

The ‘Make In India’ campaign was launched by President Modi as a challenge to China’s dominance in manufacturing.

The ‘Make In India’ initiative is much more than empty rhetoric. Significant plans are already in place in order for India to transform and dominate manufacturing. The development of a new ‘industrial corridor’ shows the seriousness of the venture. The Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) is a project beyond anything we have seen in India. The government plans to create a chain of manufacturing hubs and sustainable cities along the nearly 1500 km long Dedicated Railway Freight Corridor. The plan is to create a total of 24 such cities, where manufacturing will be their sole purpose. The first phase is to begin with seven cities, and they aim to be completed by 2019.

‘Make In India’ is a long-term strategy to absorb a much larger percentage of the world’s manufacturing. In turn, India hopes to boost the contribution that manufacturing makes to GDP. The first areas have been targeted for this exact reason.

The first seven cities will be built in the six states that already contribute a great deal to India’s economy.  43% of GDP is owed to these DMIC states, and they are home to 40% of India’s workforce.

By launching this ambitious project, India hopes to attract significant foreign capital. India has effectively thrown down the gauntlet, and gone after China’s industrial lifeblood. And they may yet take it.

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China has long had an issue with pollution. It is claimed to contain the greatest amount of pollution, with that over 1 million deaths in 2010 as a result. Beijing is widely reported to be one of the most polluted cities in the world. With China’s industrial economy, this is perhaps not so surprising. However, a large amount of pollution comes from an area which one might not expect: agriculture. The use of nitrogen-based fertilisers has had dramatic effects on air, water, and soil quality in China.

With only 7% of the world’s farmland, China uses 35% of all the world’s nitrogen fertilisers. This is beginning to have severe environmental consequences.

Rice: Nitrogen Related Pollution

Excess nitrogen can have a number of negative effects on the environment. It can kill fish and other marine life, reduce crop productivity, and poison the water supply. A major consequence of nitrogen fertilisers has been air pollution. When nitrogen oxides react in the air, they interact with industrial pollution to form a dense fog known as smog. Not only can smog cause health problems such as asthma, its presence in the air promotes global warming. Rice is a staple of the Chinese diet. It needs nitrogen-based fertilisers in order to grow effectively. However, this may soon be about to change.

Traditionally, a great deal of Chinese rice is grown in the northern provinces. The genetic make-up of the rice grown in northern China means that it cannot easily absorb nitrogen-based substances from the soil. Because of this, Nitrogen-based fertilisers are used to provide these vital nutrients. However, with genetic modification, this could no longer be the case. Scientists have proposed cloning a gene from indica rice, and placing it into the native species. The gene is known as a ‘nitric booster’, and it improves the ability for plants to absorb nitrogen-based nutrients from the soil. As a result, much lower levels of fertiliser need to be used.

Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences found that when genetically modified, the rice species could achieve the same yield with only half as much fertiliser. Thus, reducing related pollution by half.

This scientific breakthrough could have a significant effect on pollution.  By reducing fertiliser usage, nitrogen pollution will decrease. This will contribute towards a reduction in smog, reducing the incidence of pollution-related health complications. Also, China’s contribution to global pollution will decrease, and marine life will be less at risk. Although this is only the beginning, developments like this may help promote a shift towards a greater desire to tackle pollution in China. Though it has yet to be implemented, it shows steps in the right direction. With a rapidly ageing population, even small pollution prevention suggestions are better than nothing.

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In South Africa, a meeting of nations once again takes place. The African Union is made up of 56 states, representing each corner of the continent. From the 7th of June until the 15th, Africa’s leaders have gathered in Johannesburg. Each year, the leaders of Africa’s countries stage a summit to discuss the challenges facing the continent, and how, through cooperation and understanding, they can best be met. No issue is off the table, from women’s issues, raised in a speech by Robert Mugabe on Sunday, to poverty, to the AIDs crisis.

This year, human rights and justice are firmly on the agenda. The presence of Sudan’s president Omar al-Bashir will make sure of this. Al-Bashir is accused of a multitude of crimes. Most serious are accusations that he was responsible for war crimes during the Darfur conflict. The crisis saw over 400,000 deaths since the start of the rebellion in 2003.

2 million people are said to have been internally displaced. President al-Bashir was charged with war crimes by the International Criminal Court (ICC), and has been under an arrest warrant since 2009. In light of these, al-Bashir sought to avoid countries which were signatory to the ICC. As a result, there has been little opportunity for al-Bashir to be caught. Until now. On Sunday, upon President al-Bashir’s arrival, he was told that he could not leave. After much deliberation, South Africa’s Pretoria High Court ruled that the president was to be held in South Africa.

Al-Bashir was allowed to meetings, focus groups, speeches, and seminars. The minute the conference ended, there were planned moves to arrest him.

Al-Bashir denies all charges. Protesters lined the streets outside Johannesburg’s Sandtron Convention Centre. South Africa had faced intense pressure in the days preceding the summit to arrest al-Bashir the moment he landed in the country.  Controversially, it was decided to allow the president to attend the summit, with the promise that he would be apprehended shortly afterwards. However, this was not to be the case. While South Africa’s courts and authorities were still deliberating whether or not he would be extradited to the Hague, al-Bashir slipped away. It seems, at least today, Omar al-Bashir will not face criminal charges. By allowing him to slip through the net, it is likely that the South African authorities may have to face some harsh questioning of their own.

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Malaysia is a country that has faced the negative impacts of climate change. Droughts, floods, and the loss of crops have all plagued the country, and climate change has been linked to these events. Also expensive, attempting to adapt to ever harsher floods has cost the government of Malaysia over $2.6bn this past decade. It is no surprise then that Malaysia has long been a supporter of environmental causes. In 2013, the Malaysian government promised to reduce carbon emissions by 40% by 2020 through a move to more environmentally-friendly fuels. Palm oil is the main source of this.

Malaysia is responsible for producing 10% of the world’s palm oil, which is used in 50% of products worldwide. In order to reduce carbon emissions, Malaysia has set a target known as B10. The goal is to increase the environmental credentials of road fuels. Fuel in Malaysia is often a blend between conventional and biodiesel. The B10 strategy aims to make all blended diesel have a 10% biodiesel content. Malaysia’s rise in biodiesel will have some environmental benefits.

Biodiesel itself is, at least in theory, carbon neutral. Because the fuel is created from palm oil, the carbon present in the palms is simply released back into the atmosphere. Therefore, burning biodiesel does not add more carbon to the air. In addition, the resulting fuel actually has lower emissions than petroleum-based diesel.

Biodiesel created from palm oil releases 52% lower gas emissions than conventional diesel.

The government of Malaysia stated that in the previous B7 programme, 700,000 tons of crude palm oil was used. With its lower carbon content, an increase in its usage looks to be a major positive for environmental goals, and a fundamental part of Malaysia’s push for a greener world.

Malaysia: Palm-Biodiesel Issues

However, it may not be as simple as this. A rise in the use of palm-based biodiesel has the potential to create environmental harm. The production of biodiesel is certainly not carbon neutral. Fossil fuels, heavy in  carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, are used to produce it. Artificial fertilisers are used to grow the palm plants, and the production of these fertilisers requires the burning of fossil fuels. There are also concerns over these fertilisers. For each tonne of palm oil that is produced, 2.5 tonnes of waste water effluent is released. If it seeps into the water stream there could be a negative impact on marine life.

Malaysia’s deforestation also has a significant effect on the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. In order for palms to be planted, forest must be removed. Malaysia has the highest level of deforestation in the world. It is estimated that nearly 8.6% of forest cover was lost in just twenty years.

The establishment of palm plantations threaten endangered plants, and the habitats of endangered animals such as the Orang-utan.

Malaysia has already witnessed 4 million hectares of land transformed by palm oil plantations. With Malaysia’s target to increase palm oil production to 1,000,000 tonnes this year, it is set to increase. The potential negative effects of biodiesel from palm oil raises a dilemma. Malaysia’s biodiesel method may save the environment one way, only by harming it in another.  One in six of the world’s species may be at risk of extinction through global warming. In the production of ‘green’ biodiesel in Malaysia, some already are.

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Last week, the second Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards were held in Shanghai. These prestigious international business awards are presented to recognise the achievements of some of the region’s most pioneering companies. Each category has gold, silver, and bronze awards. Chinese companies won a total of 24 awards including gold awards in marketing, for MSLGROUP China, and Weber Shandwick. The big winners of the night though were Indonesian companies. Businesses from Indonesia won 33 of the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards. One company took home five.

Indonesian telecommunications giant PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia, known as Telkom Indonesia, won five awards across different categories including for customer services, and business-to-business services.

Telkom Indonesia is based in the capital Jakarta, and was founded over a century ago in 1856. It is state-owned, and was part privatised in 1995, with 52.6% of the shares remaining in the government’s hands. Although its services have expanded beyond telecommunications, to business services, media, and even a university, Telkom is still very much the market leader in Indonesia. Telkom Indonesia boasts 1200 business clients, and more than 170 million total users of its mobile and internet connections. With Indonesia’s population at a quarter of a billion, Telkom Indonesia possess a near monopoly over the telecommunications industry. But this may be about to change.

For the eight companies who lay claim to the rest of the market, significant opportunities still exist. Like many emerging countries, Indonesia has more mobile SIMs than its population. It is estimated that SIM penetration is at 133%, and that 75% of the population is connected. This still leaves at least 25% of the market to play for, and this is without taking into account multiples. The dramatic growth of Indonesia’s telecommunications sector is remarkable. A branch of Telkom Indonesia, Telkomsel, has 125 million mobile customers. Indostat, a rival, has 63 million. In 1997, there were only 1 million in the entire country. Internet usage in Indonesia is rapidly rising also.

From only 42 million in 2012, the number of internet users in Indonesia is expected to reach 125 million this year.

Both Indostat and XL Axiata, Telkom’s main rivals in the industry, have seen their users grow significantly over the past few years. Indostat increased its usership by 6.1% in 2014, whereas Xl Axiata gained over 13 million users in 2014 alone. Clearly, the market for internet and cellular services will ensure that the telecommunications industry continues to grow. This presents significant opportunities for Telkom Indonesia’s smaller rivals to continue to expand their user base. Indonesia’s ever-increasing population demand that everyone is covered. It will take more than one company to make sure of that.

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