Eco-Business has been recognised as a finalist in the Society for Publishers of Asia (SOPA) 2025 awards for its investigation into the use of transition credits to phase out coal-fired power plants in the Philippines.
The SOPA awards, which were established in 1999 to recognise and reward excellence in journalism, are open to entry nominations from global and regional outlets, including submissions from the world’s largest media publications.
This year, more than 180 finalists were announced across 21 categories.
Eco-Business’ multimedia feature report, Killing them softly: Southeast Asia’s cautious quest to phase out its coal fleet using transition credits, was shortlisted for the Excellence in Journalistic Innovation category.
The report, published in August 2024, scrutinised the use of a new class of carbon credits known as transition credits, which were proposed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, to support the retirement of coal-fired power plants in Puting Bato West, Calaca, Philippines. It featured a combination of explanatory graphics, original photography, on-the-ground video and long-form reporting.
The Eco-Business team leveraged its on-the-ground presence in both the Philippines and Singapore, combined with its track record of covering sustainable finance developments, to investigate if the novel financing mechanism was working as promised.
Eco-Business’ chief correspondent in the Philippines, Hannah Alcoseba Fernandez, conducted extensive interviews with individuals living near the coal facility, as well as community leaders and experts, and worked with Singapore-based finance correspondent Gabrielle See to explain the development and corporate use of transition credits.
Graphic designer, Philip Amiote, designed and produced the visual elements of the report, which featured a transition of illustrations into original photography to depict the experiences of local communities in Puting Bato West.
Last year, Eco-Business won the award for excellence in explanatory reporting for its Decoding sustainable finance series and received an honourable mention for its Wasted: 360 documentary, which tackled Asia’s mounting waste crisis.
Other Southeast Asian media outlets which were recognised in this year’s list of finalists include Kontinentalist, Project Multatuli, Malaysiakini and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism.
Winners of this year’s awards, who will be chosen from the list of finalists, will be announced at an awards ceremony on 26 June.
