Ecosperity Conversations
The Business Case for Natural Climate Solutions in Southeast Asia
Natural climate solutions (NCS), or nature-based solutions, are climate mitigation technologies that harness natural processes to reduce or remove greenhouse gases. Studies have shown that NCS can provide over a third of cost-effective climate mitigation needed worldwide to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and keep global warming below 2°C. However, support from the private sector is critical in scaling the implementation of natural climate solutions.
NCS provide an immediately and widely available option for companies looking to make sound investments in climate mitigation, particularly in Southeast Asia which has vast rainforests and dense stock of mangroves and seagrass. Yet, despite their potential, NCS remain undervalued as a credible mitigation option.
Conservation International, National University of Singapore, DBS Bank and Temasek have jointly produced a report that synthesises the potential of NCS in Southeast Asia and the opportunities for businesses to engage in financing them.
Join our live webinar on 8 December 2020 (Tuesday), at 10am (GMT+8) for an exclusive session as we launch the report, The Business Case for Natural Climate Solutions: Insights and Opportunities for Southeast Asia, with a sharing of the key findings. The panellists will discuss:
- why NCS are a key investment opportunity for businesses and investors;
- the challenges and opportunities of implementing NCS in Southeast Asia;
- and the policy and carbon market outlook and trends for NCS.
Ecosperity Conversations sessions are open to friends of Ecosperity and Temasek. For enquiries, please contact us at ecosperity.convo@temasek.com.sg.
Image credit: Joel Vodell on Unsplash
Programme
Shyla Raghav
Vice President of Climate Change, Global Strategy Group, Conservation International
Shyla Raghav
Vice President of Climate Change, Global Strategy Group, Conservation International
Koh Lian Pin
Director, Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions, National University of Singapore
Mikkel Larsen
Chief Sustainability Officer, DBS Bank
Frederick Teo
Director, Sustainability & Stewardship Group, Temasek
About the speakers
Shyla Raghav
Vice President of Climate Change, Global Strategy Group, Conservation International
Shyla Raghav is Conservation International’s leading climate change expert, and drives the organization’s climate change strategy to secure and maximize nature’s potential as a climate solution by leveraging technology, policy, and market innovation. Shyla played an integral role in the negotiations on the Paris Agreement, signed by 195 countries, and has been instrumental in influencing international climate policy for over a decade.
Having worked on both climate change mitigation and adaptation, Shyla has worked at the World Bank, Adaptation Fund, United Nations Development Programmme, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. From both California and northern India, Shyla studied applied ecology and international relations at the University of California, Irvine and earned her master’s degree in environmental management from Yale University. She was named an InStyle’s BadAss women, a Grist Top 50 Fixers, a AAAS/IfTHEN Ambassador for women in STEM, and has been featured on CNN, Vice News, and Elle Magazine.
Koh Lian Pin
Director, Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions, National University of Singapore
Professor Koh Lian Pin brings 16 years of international research experience in the field of sustainability and environmental science, having worked in institutions across Europe, Australia, and the United States. Currently, he is Professor of Conservation Science, Technology and Policy at the National University of Singapore, and Director of the University’s Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions. He is also a TEDGlobal speaker, co-Founder of ConservationDrones.org and a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader.
Mikkel Larsen
Chief Sustainability Officer,
DBS Bank
Mikkel Larsen is the Group Chief Sustainability Officer of DBS and a committee member of Global Compact Network Singapore’s Management Committee.
Mikkel chairs the DBS Sustainability Council, which comprises senior leaders across business and support units and is responsible for developing DBS’ overarching sustainability framework, setting key performance indicators and targets in consultation with the relevant stakeholders, and driving sustainability initiatives across the bank.
He is presently a member of or represents DBS in numerous international and local councils or committees. These include: the Taskforce on Scaling Voluntary Carbon Markets, GRI Stakeholder Council, United for Wildlife Financial Taskforce, World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), Green Finance Working Group [Workstream Chair] under the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)’s Financial Centre Advisory Panel (FCAP), Singapore’s Environment and Resources Standards Committee (ERSC) and the Global Compact Network Singapore (GCNS).
Prior to joining DBS, Mikkel was the Chief Financial Officer for Asia Pacific in UBS from 2009 to 2012 covering Investment Bank, Wealth Management and Asset Management. He was previously the Asia Pacific Head of Accounting Policy and location controller for Hong Kong at UBS. Mikkel has also worked in Citigroup in London and KPMG in London and Denmark.
Mikkel is an adjunct professor at the Copenhagen Business School (CBS), and has an MBA from London Business School, graduate education from Harvard University, a master’s in Sustainability Leadership from Cambridge University, as well as master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Economics from CBS in his native country Denmark where he also holds his CPA.
