The future world economy will be both greener and smarter. To keep pace with this change, ASEAN countries are working to cut their carbon emissions and move up the value chain. To date, much of ASEAN’s growth has been based on the export of agricultural commodities. Yet forest fires are still a challenge for the region, as the return of the haze in 2023 demonstrates. Efforts must be made to support the resource sector’s transition if agribusinesses are to play a role in the future economy.
Over the past decade, policymakers and businesses in ASEAN have made progress in greening the resource sector. With new governments taking office in two of the region’s biggest agri producers, Indonesia and Thailand, how will national sustainability policy change in the coming years? A new wave of environmental regulations is also affecting trade between ASEAN and major economies, such as the European Union’s Deforestation Regulation set to take effect by the end of this year.
The 11th Singapore Dialogue on Sustainable World Resources (SWR) will explore this unfolding landscape and what is next for ASEAN’s resource sectors in the future economy, as well as how the emerging generation of business leaders and smallholders are navigating the future.
- What trends are shaping the future economy? How will this impact environmental policy in ASEAN and governance of the region’s resource sectors?
- How will sustainability requirements in major developed markets, such as the European Union’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), affect trade and investment in ASEAN?
- How is the emerging generation of agribusiness leaders and smallholders working together to embrace the future – in adopting green financing and digital platforms?
Target Audience
ASEAN stakeholders will be invited to participate in person. These include delegates from government agencies, private sector representatives, especially those from the agribusiness and forestry sectors, financial institutions, non-governmental organisations, as well as academics and members of the media.