– Environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria are growing in significance globally – ASEAN member states are increasingly oriented to ESG standards across the board – Green infrastructure, social impact and transparency are among the keyfocus areas – Coordinated efforts to boost ESG could spearhead the bloc’s Covid-19 recovery Environmental, social and governance (ESG)…
On encouraging UK businesses to explore opportunities within ASEAN What are the implications of Covid-19 for ASEAN and the work of the UKABC? NEVILLE-ROLFE: In the short term the impact on the UK and ASEAN will be damaging, but this is a worldwide challenge. Most South-east Asian countries have large populations, stretched health services and economies that are dependent on trade and the movement…
On reaching sustainable development goals To what extent are sustainability goals tied to the success of a business? ROBERT OPP: Sustainability does not necessarily contrast with long-term profit; however, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have provided a global framework to address this significant challenge. The SDGs are different from anything I have seen in the past. There…
On channelling innovation to boost sustainability and profits How is sustainability being perceived by business executives in relation to long-term corporate performance? EDWIN CHOW: Large corporations in Singapore are beginning to realise the fact that having sustainability embedded into their work processes is actually good for them as a company. There was no single light-bulb moment, but rather…
On the advantages of listing in Singapore As regional exchanges become more mature, which factors make SGX a standout proposition for Asian companies seeking to list? LOHBOON CHYE: First, Singapore is an international business hub; it is well connected, is a signatory to many free trade agreements and boasts an integrated infrastructure for businesses. Singapore also offers a broad…
In an era marked by rapid technological innovation and turbulence in the global trade environment, China’s ascendance to superpower status is having a profound impact on emerging markets the world over, and nowhere more so than in South-east Asia. Over recent years China has successfully established itself as the largest trade partner for ASEAN and is increasingly being relied upon by governments…
OBG Business Barometer: ASEAN CEO Survey Copyright (c). All rights reserved. This survey has been designed to assess business sentiment amongst business leaders (Chief Executives or equivalent) and their outlook for the next 12 months. Unlike many surveys, the OBG Business Barometer is conducted by OBG staff on a face-to-face basis, across the full range of industries, company sizes and functional…
On financial and regulatory support for renewable energy projects in Asia What obstacles must be overcome for Asia to meet its long-term energy needs through renewables? ALLARD NOOY: In Asia, 45% of all projects – and even more in the infrastructure space and, more importantly to us, in the renewable energy space – are either marginally bankable or not bankable at all. This is due, in part,…
Strolling through Bonifacio Global City on a sunny Saturday, it is easy to spot the groups of smiley teenagers self-learning slick K-Pop dance moves in the shadows of gilded skyscrapers and leafy parks. This joyful scene in a privileged enclave of Metro Manila is replicated every weekend across the sprawling cities of South-east Asia, as teens continue to ride the seemingly unstoppable “Korean Wave”.…
As the rhetoric from the US White House swerves from combative to compromise and back again, uncertainty in the global trading environment is creating potential pitfalls for emerging markets the world over. In the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), which counts China as its largest trading partner, member states watch with trepidation as President Donald Trump ramps up threats of levies…