PM Edition: Top 10 Business Articles on LiveNews.co.nz for June 26, 2026 – Full Text

Source: Media Outreach

Live-Fluence League showcases how creators are becoming entrepreneurs, partnering with brands to drive sales and build long-term brand equity, reflecting Ogilvy’s Creator Commerce proposition and principle: Sales Overnight. Brand Over Time

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Source: Media Outreach

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 25 June 2026 – For the first time, Singapore’s accountancy profession will be represented in the National Day Parade (NDP), as the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA) leads a civilian marching contingent made up of accountants, aspiring Chartered Accountants, students, educators and partners from across the profession.

The contingent brings together people at different stages of the accountancy journey, from seasoned professionals to those still pursuing the Singapore Chartered Accountant Qualification (SCAQ). It reflects the breadth of a profession that works quietly behind the scenes to uphold trust, accountability and confidence across businesses, institutions and the wider economy.

The accountancy profession in Singapore is two years older than the nation itself, making ISCA’s NDP debut a meaningful reminder of the profession’s long-standing role in Singapore’s development.

Among those marching is Mr Ng Heng Kuan, a Chartered Accountant of Singapore who is serving as Reserve Contingent Commander. A veteran of the profession, he joined the contingent during a career break and saw it as a meaningful opportunity to give back.

Mr Ng said: “This is not an opportunity that comes by often. Taking part in NDP has given me the chance to reflect on my journey in the profession and to contribute in a different way. What has been especially meaningful is marching alongside younger members of the profession and seeing that shared sense of pride and purpose grow week by week.”

Another contingent member, Mr Vincent Lye Kim Hee, Finance Manager at FOZL and SCAQ candidate, is balancing work, study and NDP rehearsals as part of the contingent.

Mr Lye said: “It has been demanding, but also deeply rewarding. NDP has shown me another side of teamwork, one built on discipline, trust and shared commitment. I am proud to be part of ISCA’s first contingent and to represent a profession that plays such an important role in business and society.”

Led by Contingent Commander Mr Koh Wee Kwang, ISCA Council member, the contingent includes representatives from 10 partner organisations across the accountancy ecosystem, including public sector agencies, professional services firms, institutes of higher learning, professional bodies, ISCA Cares Ambassadors, ISCA staff and ISCA members.

As Singapore marks its 61st year of independence, ISCA’s participation in NDP 2026 recognises the contributions of the accountancy profession to nation building. From strengthening financial stewardship and governance to supporting business confidence and public trust, the profession has long played an important role in Singapore’s progress.

ISCA President Mr Lee Boon Teck said: “This is a proud first for ISCA and for the accountancy profession. Accountants often work behind the scenes, but the work they do helps build trust in business, institutions and the wider economy. Marching at NDP is a meaningful way to recognise those contributions and to show younger Singaporeans that accountancy is a profession with purpose.”

ISCA’s inaugural participation in the NDP marching contingent also aims to raise awareness of the diverse and meaningful career opportunities in accountancy, and to inspire more young Singaporeans to consider a future in the profession.

As the national accountancy body, ISCA’s presence at NDP 2026 reflects its commitment to advancing the profession, strengthening trust in business and contributing to Singapore’s future.

Contingent at a glance

• First NDP marching contingent representing Singapore’s accountancy profession.
• Includes accountants, SCAQ candidates, students, educators and ecosystem partners.
• Drawn from public sector agencies, professional services firms, institutes of higher learning and professional bodies.
• Represents a profession that has supported Singapore’s development from before independence to today.

Hashtag: #ISCA #CharteredAccountants #DifferenceMakers #Accounting #Accountancy

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Source: NZ Department of Conservation

Date:  25 June 2026

Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena tatou katoa.

I’m delighted to be back here at Lincoln; you have a special place in my heart.

The last time I was here – back in November – I was part of a panel talking about what environmental management would look like in the next five years. Back then, I talked about how the environment had gone backwards in the 30 years since I did my Master’s in Resource Management.

I was advocating for a radical re-think of how we approach the way we manage the environment, and to make sure nature counts in decision making. Since then, I’ve doubled down on that view.

In the past five years as Director-General of Conservation, I’ve seen pressures on nature and the assets we manage become more relentless, more intertwined and more costly.

The Department of Conservation turns 40 years old next year – and I commissioned a piece of work to understand what the next 40 years will look like, and what’s needed to make a difference.

Over that time, DOC has done a lot of things right – we’ve intensively managed taonga species back from the brink and we’re a world leader in island eradications.

Take Campbell Island – two decades ago we boldly eradicated rats on an island six times bigger than any island attempted before – not only that but it was 700 kilometres south of the South Island, in wild, wet and windy conditions – a logistical nightmare.

But we did it, thanks to our can-do spirit, pioneering techniques and grunty determination. Where we focus our efforts, we get results.

Campbell Island today is stunning with fields of giant lilac megaherbs. The fields are dotted white and brown, with nests of southern royal albatross – and lounging sea lions.

But grunt will only get you so far. Our analysis shows the challenges facing conservation are growing faster than we can respond.

Nature is under increasing pressure from introduced predators – rats, stoats and feral cats – and invasive weeds like wilding pines, broom and gorse. We’re seeing more biosecurity threats – caulerpa is choking our sea floor and golden clams are clogging our riverbeds.

Wild animals – deer goats, tahr and chamois – are present at 80% of our monitored sites on public conservation land, up from 63% just a decade ago.

Climate change is compounding these pressures, and the cost of responding is rising faster than the resources available to meet them. We cannot rely on doing more of the same – we must make some hard choices.

Some sobering facts

Here are some sobering facts for you.

DOC manages one third of New Zealand’s land on a budget that’s about half of Christchurch City Council’s budget.

Our modelling shows DOC’s current biodiversity budget of around $360 million is not enough to hold the line on species and ecosystem protection.

My team says an extra $207 million a year is needed to prevent extinctions across the 900 threatened species and ecosystems that need urgent intervention.

Last year our modelling showed we needed an extra 150 million to hold the line – so the gap is widening.

And if we want to move from managing decline to enabling recovery, our modelling shows we need an extra 500-million a year.

That investment would target pests, weeds and biosecurity pressures and improve 5,600 key species and critical ecosystems.

This is modelling using DOC’s new BioInvest system and there are caveats on the data. But it shows the scale of the challenge we’re facing and why we need to look more broadly to draw in new sources of revenue and get sustainable levels of investment into conservation.

• We’ve doubled the amount of money we spend recovering from storms.
• Over the past five years we have spent about $10 million dollars a year on major storm events – Cyclone Gabrielle, Cyclone Dovi and heavy flooding in the Southern South Island.
• In any given year we also get one or two lesser events that cost about $3 million each time to recover from.

What were highly damaging but, thankfully rare, storms are happening far more frequently. In most cases we have to absorb those costs and defer other work to create space to fix the damage.

In terms of other climate change impacts 

Last year DOC published an assessment of over a thousand terrestrial species1 including birds, bats, lizards, invertebrates, and vascular plants – against climate change impacts.

Our research found that about a third of the species will be highly vulnerable to climate change by mid-century, rising to almost two thirds by 2090.

Then if you look at the marine environment – New Zealand is a global hotspot for biodiversity because of its remoteness and size.

At least a third of our biodiversity is found at sea. But 87% of marine species could be highly vulnerable to climate change.

From an economic perspective – in 2017, the total value of the marine economy was estimated at $7 billion and it employed more than 30,000 people2

We need to do more to protect our oceans and coastlines.

Nature is not free

One of the biggest problems we’ve got as a country is that collectively, we act as though nature is free. It’s treated as a free backdrop to economic activity and recreation, rather than as critical infrastructure that underpins prosperity, resilience and wellbeing.

For decades we have relied on nature to absorb pressure, support livelihoods and provide resilience. The reality is that in terms of natural capital, we’re living well beyond our means and are racking up debts for future generations to pay.

We risk running down our natural capital and calling it growth. New Zealanders like to think of ourselves as people who love nature. We call ourselves kiwis, we market ourselves to international tourists as clean and green and 100% pure.

So many of our main agricultural producers use images of conservation land – our national parks, rivers, and coastlines – to sell their products. But affection is not the same thing as valuing something properly.

We’ve crunched the numbers and more than 80% of New Zealanders — and over half of international visitors — visit protected natural areas each year. Conservation tourism contributes around $5.4 billion annually3 and demand remains high.

Nature gives us clean air, fresh water, good quality soils. Public conservation land provides these ecosystem services to the tune of about $11 billion per year.4

Despite all this, nature does not feature prominently in national priorities and investment decisions. We are better at praising nature than valuing it, planning for it, or protecting it. We must factor nature into decisions that shape growth, investment and land use.

Our insurance industry for example understands a simple truth: if risk is real, it has to be priced, planned for, and reduced — not just cleaned up afterwards. Resilience is cheaper than repeated recovery.

How do we begin to get the shift we need?

To move to a future state where nature is recovering, heritage is protected, and effort is sustained we need to do three things.

• First, we must protect the expertise and core capability within DOC, the Government’s lead on conservation,
• We must grow conservation well beyond DOC,
• And we need to change the wider system that shapes the extent to which nature can thrive in Aotearoa.

There will always be a need for what DOC does well – the Crown will always have responsibilities that cannot be handed away, for example, the role of protecting and advocating for public conservation land for future generations.

Our role also includes public safety, regulatory functions, and specialist expertise.

We must protect and strengthen field expertise, science, heritage knowledge and the ability to make difficult decisions under pressure. I’m talking about things like bird banding, skills to translocate birds, how to repair a heritage brick wall, how to assess tree felling, and to build swing bridges.

Those capabilities are hard to rebuild if we lose them — so they matter.

Lincoln also has a role to play here – you help us grow the next generation of land managers and spark the passion for conservation. And I’m really proud of the MOU we’ve just signed. This will foster collaboration between Lincoln and DOC over the use of data and digital tools, plus we’re aiming to strengthen pathways between study, applied research and future employment in the conservation system.

This will go a long way towards valuing a career in conservation management and helping us retain the skills and boost the capability we need heading into the future.

The second shift we need is growing ownership of conservation. I believe DOC matters – but DOC is not enough. Conservation already depends on iwi, communities, landowners, councils, businesses, and others.

At the centre of that is the critical role of Māori — as tangata whenua, as kaitiaki, and as long-standing partners in conservation. Many of our most significant conservation gains are built on iwi-led and iwi-partnered approaches, grounded in deep place-based knowledge and intergenerational stewardship.

If conservation is to grow, it will do so with Māori — not alongside, but together.

The question now is whether this wider effort can grow in a way that is consistent, supported, and able to last. And ensuring that DOC is ready to be a powerful partner to those efforts.

We’re already seeing what this looks like at scale. In the Raukūmara and through initiatives like Kotahitanga mot e Taiao, iwi and partners are leading coordinated, landscape-scale conservation. These efforts bring multiple groups together around shared outcomes — and they are delivering real results. This is the model for growing conservation beyond DOC.

Building on these examples means clearer roles, stronger partnerships, and better systems that make it easier for others to act with confidence.

Third — and most importantly over time — we need to change the wider system that shapes the extent to which nature can thrive in Aotearoa

Many of the pressures on nature are coming from decisions made outside of the conservation system. They come from decisions about land use, infrastructure, investment, and development.

We already know a great deal about what drives nature decline, what happens when action is delayed, and which approaches and resources make a difference. But we are yet to gain traction on the changes needed to ensure this is reflected in decisions.

If those decisions don’t account for the values of nature upfront, we’ll keep mopping up after the fact, once damage has already occurred.

One of the main battles for nature is before any conservation dollars are spent – in the choices that shape land use, investment and infrastructure. Part of the answer here will be new financial tools to expand how we pay for the cost of protecting and restoring nature.

I’m talking about mechanisms like bonds, co-investment models, natural infrastructure funding, carbon markets and biodiversity credits.

To realise these opportunities, we need robust and visible accounting of everything that nature does for us, as well as the opportunities and risks that creates. And we need the reporting, audit and monitoring that goes with that.

This isn’t about commodifying nature, it’s about giving it a voice in the language that decisions are made in.

It is now urgent to gain traction on these system changes so that nature’s value is reflected in decision-making and investment. This requires a whole-of-New Zealand shift — across government, iwi/Māori, the private sector and communities. DOC can and is supporting and helping to shape this, but we can’t deliver it on our own.

DOC has invested in comprehensive analysis of the ecosystem services provided by conservation land, is advising on the design of a voluntary nature credits system, contributing to development of nature-related financial disclosures and a national Natural Infrastructure Plan, and exploring instruments such as green bonds.

Canada is leading the way. Their Nature Strategy is so inspirational – they’re expanding the amount of protection across land, sea and freshwater systems – connecting habitats so species can move more safely. They’re focused on building Canada well and designing infrastructure that works with nature instead of against it. And they’re using finance tools to create capital to fund conservation in a sustainable long-term way.

Other leading jurisdictions are moving in similar directions: Costa Rica, a much less wealthy country than our own, is one of the clearest examples of a country that deliberately stopped treating nature as valueless.

• Through its national Payment for Environmental Services programme, landowners are paid for carbon sequestration, biodiversity protection, water regulation and scenic protection, shifting nature from an unpriced constraint to a recognised asset.

I believe that future prosperity will favour countries that learn to value nature properly.

Lincoln’s programmes strongly emphasise sustainability, ecological systems, restoration, and human–environment interactions.

Your Natural Resource Management and environmental degrees are exactly the disciplinary base used for nature-based solutions work (e.g. catchment restoration, ecosystem-based adaptation, biodiversity finance, etc.).

This thinking is needed more than ever the shift the system to meet current and future challenges.

Conclusion

We have got to stop taking nature for granted. What we don’t value, we will keep losing.

Across Aotearoa New Zealand, people already care about nature.

They already act for it, in many different ways.

The task now is to build a system that can hold and grow that effort, and make a difference at a national level.

To protect what matters most, support others to lead, and to make sure nature is considered early — in the decisions that shape our future.

The challenge ahead is not choosing between these shifts, but balancing our effort across all three.

Together, they are what will build a more resilient conservation system, capable of meeting the pressures we face now and those still to come.

That is what it will take for nature to thrive.

Ngā mihi.

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Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/06/25/public-speech-at-lincoln-university/

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Source: Media Outreach

BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach Newswire – 25 June 2026 – SCG, ASEAN’s leading low-carbon cement manufacturer, co-hosted Cemtech ASIA 2026, a world-class conference and exhibition for the global cement sector held from June 14 to 17, 2026. Driven by a shared commitment to accelerating low-carbon transition and achieving Net Zero goals, industry executives and experts from across the world gathered to explore breakthrough innovations, expand business networks amidst global challenges, and navigate sustainable business transformations in response to tightening environmental regulations and resource conservation demands.

At Cemtech Asia 2026, SCG demonstrated its commitment to advancing the cement industry through tangible low-carbon cement innovations. Mr. Surachai Nimlaor, President of SCG Cement and Green Solutions, stated:

“As the region’s leader in the low-carbon cement industry, SCG is dedicated to developing breakthrough innovations that minimize resource consumption and maximize eco-friendliness. By steadily reducing carbon dioxide emissions, we directly address the evolving demands and adaptation challenges of the construction industry across ASEAN and global markets.”

Alongside showcasing its cutting-edge LC3 low-carbon cement prototype at the exhibition, SCG hosted an exclusive site visit to its Ta Luang Cement Plant in Saraburi Province for global delegates. Key highlights of the showcase and tour included:

• SCG LC3 Structural Cement: Developed from limestone, calcined clay, and specialized additives, this next-generation low-carbon cement reduces CO2 emissions by up to 30–40%. Its production process incorporates up to 40% biomass alternative fuels (such as rice husks and straw) and over 35% renewable energy. This is achieved without compromising any product performance or structural integrity, with its environmental performance independently verified through an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD).
• Rondo Heat Battery: SCG has pioneered ASEAN’s first installation of the Rondo Heat Battery at the Ta Luang Cement Plant. Developed in collaboration with Rondo Energy, this breakthrough thermal energy storage solution converts intermittent renewable power into high-temperature thermal energy, storing it at up to 1,500°C in thermal media. With an exceptional energy recovery efficiency of up to 97% and a lifespan exceeding 40 years, the system provides a continuous 24/7 supply of clean heat, supporting the decarbonization of industrial manufacturing processes.

• Refractory Solutions by The Siam Refractory Industry Co., Ltd. (SRIC): As a leading global refractory solutions provider, SRIC showcased its advanced technologies and innovative solutions designed to enhance operational efficiency, reliability, and sustainability, including:
  1. Anti-Hydration Brick: The world’s first Anti-Hydration brick, extending shelf life from 6 to 24 months. This breakthrough innovation helps minimize material degradation, reduce production downtime, and improve overall operational efficiency.
  2. Thermal Media for Heat Battery: Co-developed with Rondo Energy, these high-performance heat storage blocks deliver up to 97% thermal efficiency, enabling reliable 24-hour energy availability and supporting the transition toward cleaner industrial energy solutions.
     • Solar Floating: Installed at the Ta Luang Cement Plant, this floating solar array generates 16.6 million kWh of clean electricity annually, cutting greenhouse gas emissions by over 8,000 tons of CO₂ equivalent per year. By repurposing the plant’s industrial reservoirs, the system optimizes resource efficiency and highlights SCG’s integration of green energy into heavy industry.

As co-host of Cemtech ASIA 2026, SCG reaffirmed its role as a trusted industry leader on the global stage. The event served as a major catalyst for expanding business networks and facilitating high-level technology and knowledge exchanges with world-class industry players. Moving forward, SCG is dedicated to cultivating global alliances to propel Thailand’s cement industry toward a Net Zero pathway, solidifying its position as ASEAN’s cement leader.

Watch the video:

CEMTECH ASIA 2026 | SCG Driving ASEAN’s Cement Industry Towards Net Zero

Hashtag: #SCG

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Source: Media Outreach

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 25 June 2026 – Recently, SCNet.AI (www.scnet.ai) headquartered in Hong Kong has officially launched as a global AI&HPC computing service platform. With an e-commerce-style operational model, the platform redefines how AI for Science (AI4S) computing resources are accessed, enabling researchers worldwide to access AI, supercomputing applications and diverse compute resources as seamlessly as online shopping.

Simplifying Innovation: From Bioinformatics to Industrial Simulation

SCNet.AI is positioned to bridge supply and demand for computing resources and unify an ecosystem of research software, delivering user-friendly research computing and scientific large model innovation environments for global research institutes, enterprises and independent developers.

SCNet.AI covers three core research scenarios:

• Life Science & Bioinformatics: Tailored for biopharma firms and universities;
• Industrial Manufacturing: CFD fluid simulation and FEA finite element analysis for automotive and semiconductor sectors;
• Physical & Chemical Research: Molecular dynamics simulation for researchers in materials and new energy sectors.

Built around the integrated development philosophy of “data, computing power, models and applications”，SCNet.AI addresses pain points of open-source large models including difficult deployment, high usage costs and complicated adaptation, and provides end-to-end technical support from environment deployment to task tuning, substantially lowering the operational barrier for researchers to access AI4S computing resources.

E-commerce-style Operational Model: Instant Access & Elastic Scheduling

SCNet.AI’s standout innovation lies in its proprietary AI4S application marketplace model. Much like mainstream e-commerce platforms that connect physical goods buyers and sellers, SCNet.AI matches computing power, datasets, research models and industry applications with researchers.

This model delivers three distinct competitive advantages:

• Instant on-demand access. All software is delivered via SaaS, while research AI agents are deployed under MaaS. Users can run tools online after subscription without local downloading, installation or maintenance.
• Elastic scaling. Computing resources can be precisely allocated on demand for workloads ranging from simulation calculations to large model training.
• Unified innovation ecosystem. Beyond being a computing power trading hub, SCNet.AI serves as a global collaborative platform for scientific research and innovation.

Currently, hundreds of premium applications, datasets and model products have already been listed on the platform. Users can select research applications on demand just like browsing an e-commerce site, eliminating the need to build in-house computing clusters or hire dedicated operation and maintenance staff. Simple registration unlocks full access, drastically cutting the overall hidden AI4S cost.

To lower entry barriers for researchers worldwide, SCNet.AI offers a complimentary resource kit for all newly registered users, including 10M Tokens, 100 GPU Hours (AI Inference) and 100 CPU Core Hours (HPC). These resources can support dozens of inference runs for mainstream foundation models, lightweight model fine-tuning, or complete end-to-end CFD and molecular dynamics simulation experiments.

This promotion is valid from June 23 to July 23, 2026 and open exclusively to first-time registrants. Each new account entity is entitled to claim the resource kit only once. All redeemed resources expire 90 days after collection. Quantities are limited and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis until exhausted.

For full information, please visit our official website at www.scnet.ai.

Hashtag: #SCNet.AI

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Source: New Zealand Government

Legislation to implement the historic New Zealand – India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has passed its first reading, Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay says. 

“India is one of the world’s largest economies and is the fastest-growing economy in the G20. With a GDP equivalent to seven trillion New Zealand dollars and an average growth of 8.25 percent since 2021, India represents a major opportunity for New Zealand businesses.

“Many New Zealand products are effectively locked out of the India market because of high tariffs and restrictive quotas. This FTA will level the playing field for Kiwi businesses in the India market because it will reduce or eliminate tariffs on 95 per cent of New Zealand’s exports to India, when fully implemented. 

“From day one, 57 per cent of our exports will be tariff-free. This will unlock new opportunities to grow our goods and services exports into a market of 1.4 billion people and contribute to achieving the Government’s goal of building the future by doubling the value of exports by 2034. 

“The FTA also futureproofs our wine exports and priority services access by securing a Most-Favoured-Nation commitment, which ensures that we will automatically benefit from improved access given to other Indian FTA partners. 

“The Bill will be referred to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee where the public will have an opportunity to make submissions. We are working towards ratification later this year, after the select committee has completed its process and the implementing bill is passed.” 

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/06/25/india-fta-bill-passes-first-reading/