Singapore-Based Eco-Business to Relaunch with Focus on Giving Green-Friendly Businesses a Publishing Platform

By Tech Wire Asia | 2 May, 2012

Singapore-based news website Eco-Business, which focuses on providing news and expert insights on sustainable business in the Asia Pacific region, has announced plans to relaunch its website. The revamped site will improve the user experience, and will enable contributors to upload their own research.

A visitor takes photos of the financial skyline on the 'OCBC Skyway' linking the Supertrees, ranging from 25-50meters in height and serving as vertical gardens in the nearly completed Gardens By The Bay just next to Singapore's busy financial district on Monday April 30, 2012 in Singapore. This is part of the city-state's efforts to bring and nurture greenery within the city and capture the essence of Singapore as a tropical city.(AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

“It will be more user-friendly for organizations that want to upload their own research or press releases,” says deputy editor Jenny Marusiak. Marusiak likewise reveals interesting facts on the readership of the regional social enterprise based out of Singapore.

700 vetted and approved organizations have been listed in the directory. Upon approval, these can tap into Eco-Business services aimed at helping enterprises getting their stories heard, and possibly get support in their business activities in the Asia Pacific region. Eco-Business services include company directory listing, project and case study showcase, partner and investor linking, events listing, jobs posting and press releases.

Founded in 2009, the site’s launch coincided with the 20th APEC meeting in Singapore. Singapore, the U.S. and India are among the top readers, with 21%, 19% and 9%, respectively.

Eco-Business focuses on Smart Grids, Green Buildings, Waste Water, Lean Manufacturing & Supply Chain, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Food & Agriculture, Carbon Accounting/Trading, Urban Development, Eco-cities, Policy Funding and Investment.

Moreover, Energy, Carbon Climate, and Green Buildings are highlighted as the most popular topics on the site. Eco-Business offers information through Google Analytics, reader surveys and database analysis.

Eco-Business has likewise built up thriving established social media channels to engage with communities, especially those that are struggling to tell their stories. Eco-Business has about 2,600 Twitter followers, about 1,400 Facebook fans, and more than 4,400 LinkedIn group members.

With initiatives like Eco-Business firms, journalists and basically anyone concerned with environmental sustainability and its impact to their businesses will not lack for publishable space, especially in the mainstream media. “I was getting a lot of requests to write about green businesses and sustainability issues, but news-space is finite,” said Jessica Cheam, the site’s editor and founder.

Eco-Business is staffed by less than ten employees, half working pro bono and the other half receiving modest salaries (remember what social entrepreneurship is). Additionally, at least 50% of profit is given to environmental projects across Asia.