Marina Bay Sands
Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Level 5
Chairman, Temasek Holdings
Chair, UN High-Level Expert Group on Net-Zero Commitments of Non-State Entities, Former Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Infrastructure, Canada
Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, Republic of Singapore
The world has less than a decade to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C to avoid the catastrophic effects of climate change. With a rising Asia forecasted to account for just under half of global greenhouse gas emissions, it is critical that the region accelerates its transition to sustainable practices to reduce its impact on the environment. Yet higher levels of economic activity tend to go hand-in-hand with additional energy use and consumption of natural resources.
Are decarbonisation and economic growth complementary, or does Asia need to cease "the rise" and purpose "degrowth" rather than "growth"?
This panel discussion aims to take stock of breakthrough climate solutions and policies to fast-track decarbonisation while growing economies and uplifting livelihoods.
Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, Republic of Singapore
Chair, UN High-Level Expert Group on Net-Zero Commitments of Non-State Entities, Former Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Infrastructure, Canada
Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs, Republic of Indonesia
Director, Institute for Environment and Sustainability, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy
Private and public institutions of today are grappling challenges of providing secure, affordable, and sustainable energy amidst growing demand, escalating costs and geopolitical tensions.
While the cost of transiting to renewable energy sources has been the biggest barrier to the mainstreaming of sustainable energy thus far, this is no longer the case today. Cost reductions and scale, together with technology improvements in complementary clean energy solutions such as energy storage systems means that policymakers and investors could have clean energy solutions that can provide clean energy securely, and affordably.
However, barriers to entry continue to exist, and unlocking clean, affordable, and secure energy sources will require comprehensive strategies that take into account all aspects of the energy system.
Lord Nicholas Stern will share the opportunities and challenges of building energy security through the energy transition in this fireside chat.
Chair, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment
President & CEO, Resources for the Future
China accounts for more than a quarter of annual global greenhouse gas emissions, and the future pathway of its emissions will play a central role in determining the extent to which the world can meet the climate targets laid out in the Paris Agreement. China's Special Envoy for Climate Change, Xie Zhenhua, will shed light on China's domestic and global environmental policies and initiatives in this segment.
Special Envoy for Climate Change, People's Republic of China
Climate action has been steadily rising and 2023 represents a pivotal year. Governments, corporate leaders, and investors are riding global tailwinds of greater green investment and global actors from the US to Europe and China, among others are doubling down on climate action with ambitious industrial policies to set an accelerated course to net zero.
Yet Southeast Asia (SEA)’s game plan is still being written and the region needs to define its own pathway forward – one that balances climate action, incentives for the green industries of tomorrow, and ensuring a just transition that meets the needs of citizens and nature. Plotting that course amid competing solutions and the immense, uncertain price tag on achieving net zero demands trade-offs and choices be made on what paths to follow, what solutions to enable, and what bets to make. Equally important is how to seize the regional opportunity for SEA to work together, collaborate and be more than the sum of its parts driving greater innovation and collective action.
This year’s Southeast Asia Green Economy report by Bain & Company, Temasek, GenZero and AWS provides an independent stock take on where the region is headed, where progress is being made, where more action individually and collectively is needed now and what specific actions can be taken to enable the region to make an impact today – not tomorrow – with a focus on the energy and nature sectors.
Global Head, Carbon Markets & Director, Global Sustainability Innovation Center, Bain & Company
As the world looks to transition to a low-carbon economy, scaling up transformational decarbonisation innovations will be key. From catalysing near-term solutions such as natural climate solutions to accelerating the growth of proven, next-generation renewable technology, eliminating carbon emissions at the pace we need will require new investment vehicles, radical approaches and unprecedented cross-sector collaboration.
This panel will showcase the breadth of decarbonisation solutions available, discuss the hurdles to scaling these innovations, and highlight the importance of new platforms and pathways in ramping up decarbonisation ambitions and actions.
Executive Director, Breakthrough Energy
Global Head, Decarbonization Partners
CEO, GenZero
Head, Strategic Development & Joint Head, Enterprise Development Group, Temasek
As we strive towards a clean energy future, both developed and emerging markets have their own unique challenges in meeting their energy needs while reducing carbon emissions. However, emerging technologies and radical breakthroughs in clean energy offer new opportunities to overcome these challenges and accelerate the transition to a sustainable future.
CEO, Power-to-X, Topsoe
Managing Partner, At One Ventures
There is growing recognition that climate change is integrally related not only to other ‘environmental’ issues (water stress, biodiversity, etc.) but also to a range of social factors, and that the human rights impacts of climate change need to be integrated into planning and transition plans. A ‘Just Transition’ refers to the concept of a fair and inclusive transition to a low carbon economy, where the social and economic opportunities of climate action are maximized, and challenges are minimized, and no one is left behind.
A just transition requires effective social dialogue among all groups impacted, and respect and consideration for fundamental labour principles and rights. There is the risk that without a just transition, economic changes could result in exacerbated social inequality, worker disillusionment, strikes or civil unrest, reduced productivity, and less competitive markets. Dialogue between governments, businesses, and worker representative organizations must be integral to the development of just transition action plans.
Former General Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
CEO, Council on Energy, Environment and Water
Senior Sustainability Advisor, Standard Chartered, Former COP26 Envoy, United Kingdom
Group President & CEO, Sembcorp Industries Ltd
Secretary General & CEO , World Energy Council
“Without international collaboration, the transition to net-zero global emissions could be delayed by decades.” - International Energy Agency.
Standard Chartered will organise a lunch-time fireside discussion featuring Dr John Murton, Senior Sustainability Advisor at Standard Chartered and keynote speaker. John was also UK Government Envoy for COP26.
Standard Chartered will also organise two afternoon panel discussions featuring renowned experts and champions of sustainability and transition finance on 6 and 8 June. The panel topics include the critical role a circular economy can play to achieve net zero (6 June, 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM) and the role of private capital in sustainable infrastructure and net zero cities (8 June, 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM).
Events are by invite only. Please contact events.standardchartered@sc.com for enquiries.
Last year, COP27 reached a breakthrough agreement on new “Loss and Damage” fund for vulnerable countries. The net-zero transition paradigm has been extended beyond the environment to also encompass other social aspects especially in Asia.
At UBS we reimagine the power of people and investment, to help create a better world for everyone. We strive to extend our leadership in sustainability with the goal of mobilizing capital as a lender and as an arranger, underwriter and structurer of securities. Our ambition is to be the financial provider of choice for clients that wish to mobilize capital toward the achievement of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (the SDGs) with a focus on three key areas to drive that transition: Planet, People and Partnerships. In 2022, our invested assets in sustainable investments reached USD 268 billion. All these initiatives support our clients’ sustainable finance and investing needs in the transition to a low-carbon economy as we help them mobilize their capital toward a more sustainable world.
This closed-door invite-only session, provides attendees with actionable ideas and success stories in corporate transition to sustainable business models and the role of blended finance in nature-based solutions. Gain insights from experts through a series of panels and networking opportunities.
According to ENGIE Impact’s 2023 Net Zero Report, only 12% of the organisations believe they are on track to meet or exceed their decarbonization goals and 75% of leaders believe they have achieved most of the quick wins. As organisations face more complex barriers to decarbonization, leaders must innovate to advance their net zero goals.
ENGIE Impact 2nd deep dive dialogue at Ecosperity Week 2023 aims to convene leaders to discuss how organisations can incorporate innovations in their approach to green technology choices (renewable energy, hydrogen, sustainable mobility), business and supply chain models to address scope 3 emissions, and new products to take advantage of green growth opportunities and advance net zero goals. This deep dive session is by invite only.
Climate technology is a US$60 billion industry, investing in emerging technologies that are critical to achieving net zero.
GreenSpace Tech is a global orchestrator - navigating the rapidly changing climate tech landscape to identify opportunities for organisations to decarbonise and create competitive advantage.
Join Deloitte live, as they demonstrate the power of collaboration and ecosystem connection in the race to net zero. Discover how to combine start-up commercialisation and climate knowledge to unlock value in your industry, via an ecosystem spanning start-ups, research institutes, incubators, accelerators and universities.
For more information, please visit Deloitte Singapore's Sustainability & Climate page.
Momentum on sustainable development has been steadily accelerating, including in Asia. Emissions mitigation, climate change adaptation, net zero, climate risk assessment, material topics, impact, greenwashing, greenhushing, science-based targets, nature-based solutions, climate technologies and others, are common nomenclature and considerations in the sustainability world.
Sustainability reporting standards play a key role in enabling the trust and transparency which is so needed for the urgent mission ahead of us, as we address many of the challenges and considerations highlighted above. While the call of “harmonisation” of sustainability reporting standards has been heeded, the bar has certainly been raised as sustainability reporting standards continue to evolve. Standards development has moved at breakneck speed, and the attention is now on the Big 4 of the sustainability standards world: The ISSB, CSRD, SEC and the GRI.
This by-invite only session will convene a panel of senior representatives from the global standards bodies as well as professionals from PwC Sustainability practice to discuss what’s next for standards, sustainability reporting updates from the region and misconceptions of ESG vs sustainability.
The GCNS CEO Roundtable brings together business leaders, experts, and a select audience of observers for a candid discussion addressing business progress on net zero transition. It provides an opportunity for top executives to discuss critical national and global priorities, explore partnership opportunities, share advanced commitments and challenges, and reach consensus on the path forward for the private sector to deliver greater impact.
The 8th GCNS CEO Roundtable 2023 takes place on the first day of Ecosperity Week 2023, Tuesday, 6 June 2023. It is set against the conference’s overarching theme, “Breakthroughs for Net Zero”, which reinforces the need to address policy and finance levers to bring about the transformational breakthroughs we need for our planet, businesses, and communities. The dialogue examines the strategy, commitments and challenges of the private sector using the lens of people, policies, and practice. The roundtable is convened under the Chatham House Rules and participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed.
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) will host its first-ever member event in Asia Pacific, bringing together sustainability experts and leaders during Ecosperity Week 2023. Over three afternoons, the event will dive into a series of sessions that will focus on the “how-to” of addressing priority topics such as tackling scope 3 emissions, financing net zero cities and accelerating nature-positive solutions. The sessions will help WBCSD members and guests exchange best practices and provide clear guidance on implementing strategies in their operations, all within the context of the region.
Guests and partners are also invited to celebrate the first APAC-dedicated event at WBCSD’s dinner reception on June 6, co-hosted with APRIL.
More information on the programme and speakers can be found here. Please register here.
Accounting for Sustainability (A4S) will host a CFO roundtable to address the crucial role of finance in operationalising net zero. This invitation-only event will bring together senior representatives of the finance community to discuss the key role that finance must play in transition planning and achieving net zero.
The session will explore the challenges and opportunities for finance in supporting the transition to a net zero economy and drive discussions on how finance leaders can use transition planning to communicate to investors and stakeholders a clear set of practical steps to turn net zero commitments, ambitions and targets into concrete actions.
The session will also provide opportunities to network with peers, exchange ideas and best practices, and gain insights from industry experts. Register your interest here and be a part of the discussions on how finance can lead the way in achieving a sustainable future. If you have any questions, please contact the organisers at events@a4s.org.
Enterprise Singapore launched the fourth edition of Sustainability Open Innovation Challenge (SOIC) in 2022, bringing together global industry partners and creative innovators to co-develop sustainable solutions in Singapore, for the world. Each industry partner brings unique challenge statement(s) addressing key themes of Green Buildings, Renewable Energy, Sustainable Food Source, Zero-waste, Sustainable Materials and Packaging.
Join us at the SOIC 2022 closing ceremony, where the top innovators of SOIC 2022 will be pitching and competing for a S$70,000 cash prize from Hexagon Group. This is on top of unique co-innovation opportunities with leading corporates and potential grant support from Enterprise Singapore.
For more information, please visit Sustainability Open Innovation Challenge 2022.
While the physical event is by-invite only, the closing ceremony will be live-streamed. We welcome interested partners to join us by signing up here: Register Your Interest
The Green Economy Salon is an invite-only event jointly organised by Bain, Carbonless Asia and Temasek for leaders from business, investment, technology and policy across Southeast Asia to connect deeply and purposefully. The Salon goes beyond a typical networking event or gala dinner as it is specially designed to spark frank exchanges on topics of shared interest in a safe space. We convene peers in an intimate and inspiring setting to build trust and form the basis of ongoing relationships, and ultimately action. This event is an opportunity to share ideas and foster collaborations that can become projects manifesting in a greener, low-carbon Southeast Asia.
HSBC and GFANZ will host a Goals Night Out in Singapore and convene a moderated conversation focusing on transition financing and what this means in the Asia-Pacific region. Carbon emissions remain one of the most pressing concerns in the region and this discussion will address the challenges of ensuring a just transition for emerging economies, exploring the role of blended finance in driving the energy transition and how financing can accelerate the adoption of sustainable practices. The discussion will provide a forum for thought-provoking discussions and action-oriented solutions to the challenges of transition financing in the region.
This distinct moment will be led by a powerful action-led agenda that drives inclusivity and is strongly connected with Goals House’s core ambition to drive progress and impact towards achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
10:00 pm - Midnight
The dinner will be followed by a drinks reception hosted by Goals House, a forum for guests to continue the conversations happening on the official agenda; including how to promote sustainable solutions and accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy, particularly in the APAC region.
This is an invite-only event. For more enquiries, please email singapore@goalshouse.com