Digital Government APAC

India's innovative bid to establish 100 'smart cities' in an effort to support the country's rapid growing urban population may well have a detrimental impact on the environment. A major study conducted by the University of Lincoln in the UK has stated that city planners needed to place a greater emphasis on supporting infrastructure and utilities if they want to avoid the likely prospect of harming the environment.

Chinese government officials have tabled legislation focused on 'energy efficiency' which has been specifically formulated in an effort to reduce Beijing's consumption of coal. The document which was drafted by members of the Beijing Municipal Government, firmly feel the legislation proposed will cut the capital's coal consumption to below 5 million tons by 2020.

The world's leading car manufacturers have come together to issue an appeal to China to delay or soften its planned policy in relation to the sales of its electric and hybrid vehicles. The proposals brought forward by China's Ministry of Industry and IT has been viewed as 'impossible to meet' by global automakers, and added that the introduction of the policy would severely disrupt the automotive sector.

A team of smart city experts have issued a stark warning to many Asian countries currently embarking on a mission to make its cities 'smart'. They have warned that many are at risk of creating 'stupid cities' because of its current approach - which is to work in 'isolation' and resist technological innovation.

CommunicAsia 2017: Minister for Communications and Information, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim has claimed that 'Digitalization' will power Singapore into its next phase of growth. Dr Ibrahim was delivering his keynote address at the Infocomm Media Business Exchange opening ceremony at CommunicAsia which was held in The Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre in Singapore.