About

Starting your own publication is not easy, let alone maintaining and managing it. What are some challenges that you have faced while starting ABC Carbon Express?
No shortage of material. I’m on the receiving end of so much good content from NGOs, from energy and environmental organisations, as well as companies which are innovating in areas like clean energy, energy efficiency, electric vehicles etc. I attend as many relevant events that I can to meet and interview people. From the start, I made ABC Carbon Express free to receive. I’ve also not received advertising income. I don’t charge organisations for coverage, unlike some other media in this space. So I’ve not monetised it all. But in the process it has become a very credible source of information. I do it because I feel it important. But I would welcome some funding to keep it going, by way of sponsorship or advertising, as long as it doesn’t compromise the integrity of the publication.

Climate change, sustainable development, renewable energy, waste management, could be a science-heavy topic for some. How do you engage the public on this issue and how ABC Carbon Express keeps its stories relevant and interesting for its readers?
A lot of my readers are very knowledgeable people, including scientists, teachers, government officials and industry leaders. But I always attempt to write and produce content that will appeal to the general reader. Don’t assume readers know the jargon or the acronyms that abound in this sector, as in others. I once worked on a science programme on TV and saw my job largely as a translator. Scientists get so bound up in their research they often forget what they working on. So I always look for answers, solutions and outcomes. That applies to my current work. I highlight the issues which abound. The problems and the solutions. Issues and opportunities.

The issues that ABC Carbon Express covers includes global warming. What more can be done to create awareness and a sense of urgency about global warming among readers?
Global warming and climate change now get much more mainstream media coverage – and online / social media – than when I first started in 2007-2009. Sometimes I felt I was just one small voice. Now many have climbed on the climate bandwagon. But still there is not enough action by governments and businesses to change habits; to switch off fossil fuels and turn to renewable energy, to drastically cut back on deforestation and illegal logging, to clean up the oceans. The latest United Nations report on climate change brings it home – that every single one of us on earth can make a difference. We can change our ways: consume less energy, water, food, produce less waste. I just keep plugging away. I report success stories as well as “the good, the bad and the ugly”.

Who are ABC Carbon Express’ target audiences and what do you hope readers to take away from reading the publication?
I have to be careful that I don’t just talk to the converted. So my readers are far and wide and at all levels of government, industry, business, science and academia. I focus on Asia Pacific, but as I’m based in Singapore, that’s where my largest readership base is. But I still have a lot of subscribers in Australia and further afield. Besides the direct email distribution of ABC Carbon Express, I post a lot through many LinkedIn groups I belong too, as well as Facebook and Twitter. I also get asked to contribute to many other publications – online and mainstream – around the world. So I spread the word far and wide.

In your opinion, how should journalists or media organisations cover stories about global warming in a way that captures the attention of policy makers?​​​​​​
I see many good examples of how media organisations large and small are devoting attention to these important global issues. The Straits Times, for example, is running an excellent series of features on all the relevant aspects of climate change, featuring the work of David Fogarty, who is one of the most knowledgeable journalists in the world on this subject. Then there’s the brilliant work of BBC and Sky – mostly from Europe – devoting attention to global issues like ocean plastic and habitat loss.

Beside managing ABC Carbon Express, you also maintain a sustainable consultancy – Sustain Ability Showcase Asia (SASA), an art-focused online publication – The Avenue for Creative Arts​​​​​​​, and also a creative content agency – The Hickson Team. How do you juggle the time for everything?​​​​​​​
Frankly, I don’t know how or why I do it! I’m just passionate about it, so I put all my time into these important areas. I do have some clients from the public and private sectors who pay me to provide an advisory service or to organise or support events. Some pay me to create and produce content. As I’ve worked in practically all mainstream media  – newspapers, magazines, radio and tv – as well as online / social media, it seems I can be useful in producing the sort of content companies need. So I get involved in producing scripts for video, opinion pieces for magazines, reports, speeches and even books.  Besides myself, I do have many other writers and consultants I can call on. They are freelancers or on contract. Some act as Contributing Editors to ABC Carbon Express or The Avenue for Creative Arts.

What kind of press pitches entice you and how can PR professionals make your life easier? 
Remember I’ve managed my own communications consultancy before – Hickson PR which was acquired by Fleishman Hillard – so I know what’s best when it comes to pitches from PR people. Because I attend a lot of events as media and they are often run by PR people, I see them at work and I’m on the receiving end of a lot of stuff. Some PR people are very good at emailing a brief description of a product or a person available for interview. To whet my appetite and get me to attend or give coverage, it’s best if the “pitch” is short and sweet. I don’t need pages of background. I don’t need extravagant claims. Whether it’s about the latest clean energy investment or an upcoming arts events, one page description, bio or advisory is all I need. Of course, I welcome the opportunity to attend arts events but if I get sufficient notice, I can also promote the event in advance.

Given all the resources, what would you have done differently to ensure sustainable living in this world (or in Singapore)?
Not sure how to answer that. Because I’ve worked in and with media for all of my working life – that’s 56 years! – I don’t regret that I’ve played the role of communicator. I think that’s what I do best.  What’s important for me is to also “walk the talk”. Live a sustainable life. Practice what you preach. My wife and I only use public transport – and walk a lot. We eat healthy food and nothing goes to waste. We are careful in conserving energy and water. If I had wanted to make more money out of what I do, maybe I should have been employed by a Government, or a University, or an Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), or maybe United Nations. I can’t force other people – or businesses – to be more sustainable or commit to the Circular Economy. But I suppose I can “show by example” or provide good case studies and success stories. That’s why creating content is so important to me – whether about the arts or about needs of the planet.

Any plans moving forward for ABC Carbon Express and The Avenue for Creative Arts?​​​​​​
I’m in the process of re-structuring my businesses – consulting and creating content – and bringing in other partners. Also, I’m still convinced that print media has an important role to play – books, magazines, newspapers – and I’ve had in mind for a while the idea to establish some print magazines in Singapore, but with a regional or global focus. One with a strong focus on energy, one on the arts, one on food and one on what I call “Wood4Good”. Recently, I’ve been doing some work for the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). There’s much to be done to stop deforestation and illegal logging in Southeast Asia. Businesses need to have responsible procurement policies and put sustainable supply chains in place. So there’s much more to be done and more content to produce. So watch out for more magazines which focus on important issues and opportunities like these.