Asia Sustainability Reporting Summit 2023

Media | 06 Sep 2017

Singapore, 06 September:In the lead-up to the Asia Sustainability Reporting Summit taking place on 19 and 20 September in Singapore, we briefly interviewed some of our speakers. We asked them why it is important for Asian companies to embrace sustainability reporting.
Here is what they said.

CSRWorks: Why is it important for Asian companies to adopt sustainability reporting?

Nafis Alam: Sustainability reporting is an important tool for organizations to measure, understand and communicate their environmental, social and governance performance to the stake holders. Asia is going to be the forefront of global investment and to attract responsible investors, Asian firms need to showcase their initiative in sustainability reporting.
Lawrence Loh: Sustainability reporting is important for the companies’ long-term strategic plan and it will benefit the stakeholders, especially the shareholders. It will also allow Asian companies to be more transparent and give emphasis to disclosure and transparency in the growing Asian market.
Aditi Haldar: All business have impacts and relations that they need to manage in their local context. To do this reporting helps in measuring, managing and communicating to their stakeholders on their key impacts and relations.

CSRWorks: What needs to be done to encourage more Asian companies to adopt sustainability reporting?

On one hand, both Nafis Alam and Lawrence Loh agree that regulators such as the government and stock exchange will be the first bodies to encourage Asian companies to adopt sustainability reporting. On the other hand, Aditi Haldar insists more on the incentives and empowerment of companies to better identify risks and opportunities…
Nafis Alam: Asia has been much slower than the West to adopt sustainability reporting except for stock exchanges in countries such as Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong which has now mandated publicly listed firms to report the impact they have on society and the environment.Government should educate companies on the benefits of sustainability reporting and if possible share reporting burden of the companies mainly for SMEs.
Lawrence Loh: Support and emphasis from regulators (the government and stock exchange) can promote sustainability reporting, as guidelines, policies and enforcement level play an important role in the companies’ reporting performance. In addition, regional platforms, such as indices, awards and reports, on sustainability reporting will increase the awareness among Asian companies as well as investors on sustainability issues, thus encouraging sustainability reporting.
Aditi Haldar: To empowerthem to identify the key risks and opportunities with reference to the environmental, social and governance topics that will determine their growth path. Once this is done, companies will find a ‘friend’ in Sustainability Reporting.

Join us at the Summit

Join the Summit and hear from more than 50 top sustainability experts and leaders to stay ahead of the curve. Be part of this exciting conversation with the reporting elite in Asia!
Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) Chairman Christy Wood will deliver the opening address. The Stock Exchange of Thailand President KesaraManchusree will give the inaugural address to kick off the Summit which creates the region’s first collaborative platform for the sustainability reporting community. The opening plenary session will include keynote addresses by StarHub CEO Tan Tong Hai and Tata Consultancy Services’ Asia Pacific President Girish Ramachandran.
Keynote speakers for plenary sessions over two days include GRI’s South Asia Director Aditi Haldar, Caesars Entertainment Corporation’s Vice President of Sustainability and Corporate Citizenship Gwen Migita and Mahindra Sanyo’s Managing Director Uday Gupta.
Other notable speakers include leaders from IIRC, Hang Lung Properties, DBS, CDL, CLP Power, Suntory, John Swire and Sons, Airport Authority Hong Kong, PT Pertamina, Eco-business, MSCI, SGX and Bombay Stock Exchange among others.
See the complete list of speakers here and the full agenda here.
To register, simply visit the Summit’s website (csrworks.com/Summit/) or write to:
[email protected]

Contact
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About the Organisers
The Asia Sustainability Reporting Summit is organised by CSRWorks International, a leading boutique-style sustainability consulting and training firm in Singapore with a successful track record of more than 12 years. CSRWorks closely collaborates with businesses and other stakeholders to promote excellence in sustainability reporting across the region.
CSRWorks also organises the annual Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards (ASRA), the highest regional recognition for reporting excellence.
CSRWorks International is a GRI Data Partner and a GRI Gold Community Member.