Overview
Post Event Highlights
Previous Event
5th ESG Summit
Swinging into action
09 November 2022 | 09:00 AM - 11:30 AM | SGT
Overview

Turning commitment into action is crucial to achieving net-zero targets by 2050. COP26 has highlighted the urgency of climate issues and pushed countries into launching green action plans. Covid-19, meanwhile, has uncovered deficiencies in the social infrastructure, particularly with regard to protecting the health and promoting the welfare of the people. Both require deliberate action to shift the world’s trajectory away from certain tragedy to a sustainable future.

Asia, which accounts for over 50% of global greenhouse gas emissions today, must exercise resolve in its transition journey. In the wake of rapid urbanization and industrialization over the past two decades, the region needs to enter a new phase that puts a premium on circular economy solutions, resilient and renewable energy sources, green cities and clean transport. 

This is not only about leveraging resources wisely but unlocking the power of finance, relying on more climate-friendly technology, developing talent, greening procurement processes and improving supply-chain resilience. Most importantly, collaboration among governments, the private sector and financial institutions is crucial to translate plans into actionable opportunities.

Sustainable finance offers a way to support these ambitions. The issuance of green, social, sustainability and sustainability-linked bonds reached US$331 billion as of December 2021. The social bond market, in particular, doubled in size from the previous year, a reflection of how this pandemic is shining the light on the myriad of deficiencies in this area. The volume of green and sustainable loans has also soared, reaching US$98 billion during the period.

However, the rising popularity of sustainable finance has heightened the risk of greenwashing. Investors now require high-quality environmental, social and governance (ESG) data and standardized taxonomy to ensure that their funds contribute towards delivering positive outcomes for the environment and society. And, as investors grow in sophistication, the demand for more diversified sustainable products will only grow.

The Asset Events is delighted to be organizing the 5th ESG Summit - Asia-Pacific’s leading ESG forum alongside the 17th Asia Bond Markets Summit, the annual gathering of thought leaders, policymakers, issuers and investors. This multi-event summit event brings together ESG thought leaders from governments, corporates, organizations, investment funds and financial institutions to discuss the rapidly-evolving sustainability landscape.

Agenda
09 November 2022
08:30 AM SGT
Registration and coffee
09:00 AM SGT
Welcome remarks
Daniel Yu
Daniel Yu
editor-in-chief
The Asset
09:10 AM SGT
Morning address
Stephanie Clement de Givry
Stephanie Clement de Givry
head of global banking & advisory, Asia Pacific
Societe Generale
09:20 AM SGT
Panel one: Committed to change, ready for action

Asia plays a crucial role in the global transition to net zero. The region is home to two of the world’s biggest emitters and, at the same time, it is where a significant number of the most climate-change vulnerable countries are located. And, while Asia made commitments at COP26, it is facing challenges to turn these promises into reality. The region, however, is also a global leader in renewable energy harnessing the power of technology to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate climate change.

  • What has Asia achieved in the past year, and how can it overcome current transition hurdles?
  • What developments have been made in Asia’s technology ecosystem that support the transition?
  • How are regulators and policymakers contributing to the net-zero transition?
  • What can Asia expect from COP27?
Gloyta Nathalang
Gloyta Nathalang
executive vice president, corporate branding, communication and sustainability activation
Bangchak Corporation
Yee May Leong
Yee May Leong
managing director
Equinix South Asia
Dhananjay Phadnis
Dhananjay Phadnis
portfolio manager
Fidelity International
Nelson Huang
Nelson Huang
director, fixed-income and multi-asset product management, Asia-Pacific
FTSE Russell, An LSEG Business
Melissa Cheok
Melissa Cheok
associate director of ESG research
Sustainable Fitch
Daniel Yu (moderator)
Daniel Yu (moderator)
editor-in-chief
The Asset
10:10 AM SGT
Panel two: Sustainable financing and the road to net zero

Sustainability is now an important part of the business agenda. Balancing profitability with sustainability, however, remains a major challenge for most companies, particularly as most corporates face an uphill battle in their post-Covid recovery. Sustainable finance is unlocking new opportunities which enable companies to decarbonizing operations while achieving cost efficiency and meeting client demands.

  • What strategies do companies use to set meaningful sustainability targets?
  • How do borrowers overcome the challenges of issuing green, social and sustainability (GSS) bonds?
  • What should sustainable debt investors look for?
  • What opportunities do sustainable-linked loans offer to corporates?
Peng Er Foo
Peng Er Foo
vice-president for sustainability
CapitaLand Investment
John Wang
John Wang
VP-senior analyst
Moody’s Investors Service
Nicolas Marquier
Nicolas Marquier
country manager, Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam
International Finance Corporation
Raj Malhotra
Raj Malhotra
head of debt capital markets, Asia Pacific
Societe Generale
Aveline Chan
Aveline Chan
vice president of sustainable finance
WWF
Chito Santiago (moderator)
Chito Santiago (moderator)
executive editor
The Asset
11:10 AM SGT
In conversation: How ESG is redefining wealth management
Woon Shiu Lee
Woon Shiu Lee
managing director, group head of wealth planning family office & insurance solutions
DBS Private Bank
Daniel Yu (moderator)
Daniel Yu (moderator)
editor-in-chief
The Asset
11:30 AM SGT
Networking and coffee
Post Event Highlights
0:00
The Asset Podcast
Swinging into action
5th ESG Summit
speed: x
Previous event
Thank you.
Thank you for your registration. An email will be sent to you shortly. Please check all your folders (including junk).
This event has concluded.
Event Photos
Opening Speech
Opening Speech
Keynote Speech
Keynote Speech
Panel 1 discussion
Panel 1 discussion
Panel 2 discussion
Panel 2 discussion
One-on-One discussion
One-on-One discussion
Q&A
Q&A
Networking
Networking