Fostering inclusive and sustainable growth for Asean

Despite the weakening of global financial alliances perpetuating fears of further roadblocks in accessing sustainable finance, financial institutions (FIs) across Southeast Asia remain committed to decoupling economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions.

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Asean launched a range of initiatives to propel sustainable finance in the region, from sustainability-linked bond standards to developing domestic and regional taxonomies. In Malaysia alone, FIs have committed over MY$240 billion to environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives up to 2027.

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These efforts are laudable – and increasingly imperative – given a financial landscape mired in divisive geopolitics, trade tensions and slowing global growth.

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Sustainable finance is vital to mobilise solutions for the pressing sustainability challenges facing society which are increasing environmental risks and ratcheting up economic losses.

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The challenge will be tailoring financial regulation and monetary policy for sustainable growth while balancing development needs, building a robust pipeline of financial instruments to support the real economy’s net zero transition and building industry capacity to propagate sustainable finance. Striking this balance, especially amid a landscape of global uncertainties and weakening alliances, will not be easy.  

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Join us for this plenary discussion as decision-makers across policy, finance and industry determine the solutions to navigate these pressing challenges – from central banks’ role in building enabling legal frameworks to reducing financed emissions.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming an indispensable lever for countries to achieve their sustainable development targets. From optimising energy consumption in buildings to enabling vast data analysis and stabilising energy grids, AI offers a pathway to accelerate the energy transition while building resilient, low-carbon cities.

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AI, alongside the rise in cloud computing and digital economies, has sparked a surge in demand for data centres, with Johor well-positioned to capitalise on this demand. The Malaysian state commands 78.6 per cent of the country’s entire operational IT capacity, with capacity projected to grow exponentially in the coming years.

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Regional collaborations, such as the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, will continue to spur investments in this growing space.

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However, this influx of data comes with a high consumption cost, with electricity demand from data centres in Malaysia projected to reach 7.7 gigawatts by 2030 and 20.9 gigawatts by 2040 – exacerbating carbon emissions if renewable energy adoption lags.  

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How can we unlock AI's vast potential for sustainable development while mitigating its inherent energy footprint? What other technological advancements are on the horizon that will enable the rapid decarbonisation of the Malaysian economy as set out by the National Energy Transition Roadmap?

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Join energy experts, regulatory bodies and industry leaders for this plenary discussion as they determine pathways to deliver on decarbonisation targets while leveraging AI and new technologies.

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Nations committed to the world’s first global strategy to finance biodiversity under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) – a significant milestone in addressing the US$700 billion annual global biodiversity funding gap.  

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Nature-linked finance is critical for biodiversity hotspots such as Southeast Asia which houses 18 per cent of all terrestrial and marine species globally but face competing budgetary priorities due to development needs, making it challenging to allocate sufficient funds for conservation.

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Nature-based solutions and carbon projects provide these countries the opportunity to incentivise private capital into this space, reducing sovereign fiscal pressure through global investment flows. However, are capital markets equipped and robust enough to attract the necessary investments into biodiversity and nature conservation? Should conservation be a state-led endeavour, or is another mechanism needed?

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This plenary debate will explore whether governments or the private sector should take the lead in advancing biodiversity and nature-related financing in the region.  

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In an era defined by trade tensions, geopolitical fallouts and weakening global alliances, corporate governance on sustainability faces unprecedented headwinds.

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Companies are grappling with rising economic pressures, supply chain disruptions and backtracking commitments on clean energy transitions – jeopardising hard-won progress in the past. These factors risk destabilising entire value chains, exacerbating vulnerabilities and eroding stakeholder trust.

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Meanwhile, new challenges are emerging as demand for corporate accountability are raising climate litigation risks and greenwashing accusations.  

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Despite these challenges, regional collaboration across Asean is enabling directors to continue to advance corporate sustainability while maintaining competitiveness in an ever-changing market.  

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This fireside discussion will explore the role of corporate directors in unlocking new and innovative partnerships through the Asean network to navigate these complexities, while steering organisations forward by balancing short-term pressures with long-term resilience and embedding sustainability into core business strategy.

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The landscape for corporate sustainability reporting is rapidly transitioning towards a global standard as regulators, financial institutions and investors push for a consistent baseline. 

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Asean countries are increasingly aligning reporting standards to global frameworks, such as the International Sustainability Standards Board and Global Reporting Initiative, to strengthen transparency, incentivise investments and unlock new sources of finance.  

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Malaysia is among the countries leading in this space, adopting a phased approach through its National Sustainability Reporting Framework which commenced this year.  

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While the imperative for globally aligned reporting standards gain traction, adoption rates and corporate readiness vary greatly across the region and Asia, as highlighted by a 2024 PricewaterhouseCoopers report.  

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This is especially true for reporting on emission sources originating from complex supply chains and smaller firms who lack the capacity or resources to adopt these stringent standards.

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Will varying corporate readiness slow progress on the net zero transition? Are companies equipped to cope with non-climate-related challenges? And how will technology, such as artificial intelligence, help companies navigate these challenges? 

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This plenary discussion will convene leading decision-makers, regulators and industry representatives to identify the challenges and solutions to corporate sustainability reporting, while navigating emerging sustainability disclosure obligations across the region.

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Greenhouse gas emissions in Malaysia continue to rise steadily – challenging the country’s ambition to be a net zero economy by 2050. With industries such as energy, manufacturing and transportation driving both economic growth and emissions, innovative solutions are critical to balancing decarbonisation with development.

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Carbon removal technologies, alongside growing carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) opportunities, present a vital pathway – enabling hard-to-abate sectors to reduce emissions while sustaining industrial competitiveness.

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As global demand for these technologies grow, Malaysia has a unique opportunity to establish itself as a regional leader. Its strategic location, existing oil and gas infrastructure and strong industrial base provide a robust foundation for scaling these technologies.

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On the back of a planned CCUS bill, the success of Malaysia's carbon space will further hinge on creating a supportive regulatory framework, catalysing investment and fostering cross-sector collaboration.

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Join key decision-makers and experts from Malaysia’s carbon space as they identify the key policies, frameworks and technologies necessary to position Malaysia at the forefront of emerging, low-carbon economies.

The climate crisis continues to be felt unevenly, with marginalised groups – from low-income earners to women and Indigenous communities – bearing the brunt of its devastating impacts. 

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Continued global warming is increasing the occurrences of debilitating floods, weather-related disasters and heatwaves which are threatening communities’ local livelihoods while stunting their economic development. 

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If left unchecked, climate change is projected to cause a 11 per cent drop in Southeast Asia's GDP by the end of the century, with sectors such as agriculture, tourism and fishing, which employs many local communities, keenly affected.  

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Asean’s vision of shared progress will have to be cognisant of these realities, prioritising development and economic growth alongside climate adaptation and resiliency to build local communities’ capacity to lead solutions to tackle the pressing challenges facing them.  

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This plenary discussion will gather leading stakeholders from government, finance and civic society to determine an inclusive, sustainable and future-oriented framework to realise Asean’s goal of shared progress for all.

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