PROGRAMME
Sustainable World Forum (SWF): Enabling ASEAN’s Green Transition in a Digital World
Date: Wednesday, 15 November 2023
08:30-09:00
Guest Registration
09:00-09:10
Welcome Remarks
Associate Professor Simon Tay, Chairman, Singapore Institute of International Affairs
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Assoc. Prof. Simon TayChairman Simon SC Tay is a public intellectual as well as an advisor to major corporations and policymakers. Prof Tay has held several public appointments for Singapore including as an independent Member of Parliament (1997-2001); Chairman of the National Environment Agency (2002-08) and an Expert and Eminent Person in the ASEAN Regional Forum (2002–2019). He also coordinated the country’s equivalent of the Peace Corps (1990-93). In 2006, Prof Tay received a National Day Award. Since 2020, Tay has been appointed an Ambassador for Singapore, currently accredited to Greece on a non-residential basis. He is also Singapore’s chairman for the EU Singapore Free trade agreement domestic advisory group focusing on sustainability and trade. Based in Singapore, he is Chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, the country’s oldest think tank. The SIIA’s work focuses on the politics, economic policies and sustainability challenges that matter to corporations and policymakers. The SIIA anchors several key initiatives with the ASEAN Asia Forum, Sustainable World Resources Dialogue and in green finance and climate change policy. It was also the key knowledge partner for Singapore’s Emerging Stronger Taskforce to strategise paths forward from the pandemic. He is concurrently a tenured Associate Professor, teaching international law at the National University of Singapore Faculty of Law and has also taught at Harvard Law School, the Fletcher School and Yale University. Prof Tay is also Senior Consultant at WongPartnership, a leading Asian law firm of some 300 lawyers and with offices in ASEAN, China and the Middle East. He served on boards for leading global companies including MUFG Bank of Japan, Toyota Japan, and Deutsche Boerse (Asia), and was previously Corporate Advisor to Temasek Holdings (2006-09). |
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09:10-09:25
Indonesia and ASEAN’s Pathways in Green Transition
- How is Indonesia as ASEAN chair this year encouraging digitally driven sustainable economic growth in the region?
- What are the challenges and opportunities in implementing green and sustainable technology initiatives in Indonesia and ASEAN?
- How can the private sector collaborate with the government to accelerate the adoption of digital solutions for sustainability?
Keynote Speaker:
Dr. Rudy Salahuddin, Deputy Minister for Digital Economy, Manpower and SMEs, Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, Republic of Indonesia
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Dr. Rudy SalahuddinDeputy Minister Digital Economy, Manpower and SMEs, Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs,
Rudy Salahuddin is the Deputy Minister for Digital Economy, Manpower, and SMEs at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia. He is responsible for multiple roles in the government initiatives such as Chairperson of the Pre-employment Card Program Implementation Team (Kartu Prakerja), Digital Economy and SMEs. Dr. Salahuddin possesses great experience in Investment and development planning with his involvement in the Ministry of National Development Planning of the Republic of Indonesia (Bappenas) and investment coordinating agency (BKPM) for Indonesia. He has received the Satyalancana Karya Satya, an honorable achievement for a civil servant.
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09:25-10:25
Trust and Accountability: Transparency in the Green Transition
Consumers and governments today have increasingly requested that companies and organisations be more transparent about their carbon footprint. This panel will highlight the role of statutory disclosures, financial due diligence, markets and technology in driving corporate behaviour to be more transparent. This panel will highlight the role of transparency and due diligence in driving ASEAN’s green transition. Discussions will cover the perspectives from large, listed companies and their preparations for disclosure, the role of financial institutions in considering climate risks, the role of technology is driving tracing and tracking and the regulatory authorities that enforce it.
- What are the regulatory or compliance practices that need to be implemented to accelerate ASEAN’s green transition?
- What are the pros and cons of implementing more ESG reporting for companies in the ASEAN region?
- How can carbon markets and financial institutions increase the trust and reliability of the carbon trading system?
- How can digital technologies be optimised to improve traceability for carbon emissions?
Panellists:
Ms. Hum Wei Mei, Head of Asia Pacific and Global Head of Environmental Products, ACX Singapore
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Ms. Hum Wei MeiHead of Asia Pacific and Global Head of Environmental Products ACX Singapore She is responsible for advancing ACX’s business interests in the Asia Pacific Region, product structuring and development. She represents ACX on several industry led Task Forces and Committees. Prior to her appointment at ACX, Wei Mei spent over 6 years working on Climate Change related matters within the Prime Minister’s Office, Singapore . Other positions she has held include Deputy Director for Regulatory Affairs at one of Southeast Asia’s largest utilities, Principal Analyst in Singapore’s electricity and natural gas market regulator and Investment Banker in the Corporate Finance division of a European Bank.
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Ms. Esther An, Chief Sustainability Officer, City Developments Limited (CDL)
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Ms. Esther AnChief Sustainability Officer City Developments Limited (CDL) A pioneering green building and sustainability advocate for over two decades, Esther has been instrumental in establishing CDL’s leadership in sustainability. It is ranked top real estate company on the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World since 2020. It became the first real estate conglomerate in Southeast Asia to sign the World Green Building Council’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings commitment in February 2021. Named by Reuters as one of 25 trailblazing women leaders in climate 2023, Esther’s pioneering ESG initiatives include publishing the first sustainability report in Singapore in 2008 and issuing the first green bond by a Singaporean company in 2017. The chairperson of the Sustainability Report Advisory Committee in Singapore, she also sits on board the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Supervisory Board, GRESB Foundation Board, and UN PRI Real Estate Advisory Committee. She chairs the World Green Building Council Corporate Advisory Board; the Asia Pacific Real Estate Association’s ESG Committee. A forerunner in embracing the UN SDGs, Esther was conferred 2018 SDG Pioneer for Green Infrastructure and A Low Carbon Economy by the UN Global Compact.
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Ms. Rachel Teo, Head, Government Affairs & Public Policy, Google
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Ms. Rachel TeoHead, Government Affairs & Public Policy Rachel leads Google’s Government Affairs & Public Policy work in Singapore and on a Prior to Google, she spent a decade with the Economic Development Board, and at Outside of time with her two energetic kids, she is passionate about mentoring, quality
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Mr. Eric Lim, Chief Sustainability Officer, United Overseas Bank (UOB)
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Mr. Eric LimChief Sustainability Officer United Overseas Bank (UOB) Mr Eric Lim is Managing Director and the Chief Sustainability Officer at United Overseas Bank Limited (UOB). His role is to drive UOB’s sustainability strategy and objectives of helping businesses and individuals transition to a sustainable future Eric was also the Head of Group Finance from 2013 to 2022, where he was responsible for the Bank’s core finance functions spanning financial strategy, capital management, regulatory and financial reporting, tax management, business finance and performance management. Eric holds positions in key UOB management committees, including Chairperson of the Group Sustainability Committee. He is also a member of the Management Committee and holds directorships in UOB affiliated companies. Prior to joining UOB, Eric was Managing Director and Head of Wholesale Banking Finance, Singapore and Southeast Asia for Standard Chartered Bank, responsible for driving the strategic partnership between the wholesale business and finance Eric began his career with GE Capital where he took on various executive positions in the areas of financial planning and analysis, mergers and acquisitions, audit and controllership. He lived and worked in more than 20 countries, with particular focus in the USA and Japan during that time. Eric holds a Bachelor of Accountancy from the Nanyang Technological University and an Executive Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University.
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Moderator:
Ms. Fang Eu-Lin, Partner and Sustainability & Climate Change Practice Leader, PwC Singapore; Council Member, SIIA
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Ms. Fang Eu-Lin Council Member, SIIAPartner and Sustainability & Climate Change Practice Leader, PwC Singapore; Council Member, SIIA Eu-Lin leads the Sustainability & Climate Change practice across PwC Singapore and she is also a member of the wider PwC Global ESG Leadership Team. She also drives the PwC Asia Pac Centre for Sustainability Excellence. She support organisations strategise, implement, assess their risk and opportunities, report and assure on sustainability matters. This includes but not limited to in the areas of carbon measurement, decarbonisation and net zero pathways, climate risk assessments, impact assessments, green and sustainable finance, sustainability strategy and sustainability reporting. She has worked in London and Singapore and served clients across financial services, government, real estate, marine, oil and gas, consumer, resources and telecommunications. Eu-Lin graduated with a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University and is an alumnus of Harvard Business School. As a practicing Singapore Chartered Accountant, she believes that accountants can play an important role in fighting climate change and advancing sustainability in business and in the community. Eu-Lin serves on not-for-profit boards where she is a board member and Audit & Risk Committee Chairman of a healthcare board and board member and Audit & Risk Committee Chairman of a government pre-school education institute. She is also the board member of an Institute of Higher Learning where she serves as the Audit Committee Chairman and the Chairman of its business school. She also serves on a board and committees under the Ministry of Sustainability and Environment, and serves on the MAS Corporate Governance Advisory Committee and the ACRA-SGX Regco Sustainability Reporting Advisory Committee. She is the Chairman of the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants Sustainability Committee which supports in capability building and technical review of sustainability reporting standards.
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10:25-10:55
Singapore’s Pathways in Green Transition
- What are the challenges and opportunities in implementing green and sustainable technology initiatives in Singapore?
- How is Singapore achieving net-zero targets while driving growth in its digital economy?
- How can the private sector collaborate with the government to accelerate the adoption of digital solutions for sustainability?
In conversation with:
Dr. Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Communications and Information & Ministry of Health, Republic of Singapore
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Dr. Janil PuthuchearySenior Minister of State, Ministry of Communications and Information & Ministry of Health Republic of Singapore Dr. Janil Puthucheary concurrently holds the appointment of Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Communications and Information, and the Ministry of Health. He previously held appointments as Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Education (2017 – 2018) and the Ministry of Transport (2018 – 2020). He is also the Chairman of OnePeople.sg, Chair of Young PAP, and Whip. Dr. Janil Puthucheary became a Member of Parliament (MP) in 2011. Prior to politics, he was a Senior Consultant Paediatric Intensivist and Department Head for Paediatric Specialties in the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, and was also an Associate Professor at Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School.
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Moderator:
Associate Professor Simon Tay, Chairman, Singapore Institute of International Affairs
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Assoc. Prof. Simon TayChairman Simon SC Tay is a public intellectual as well as an advisor to major corporations and policymakers. Prof Tay has held several public appointments for Singapore including as an independent Member of Parliament (1997-2001); Chairman of the National Environment Agency (2002-08) and an Expert and Eminent Person in the ASEAN Regional Forum (2002–2019). He also coordinated the country’s equivalent of the Peace Corps (1990-93). In 2006, Prof Tay received a National Day Award. Since 2020, Tay has been appointed an Ambassador for Singapore, currently accredited to Greece on a non-residential basis. He is also Singapore’s chairman for the EU Singapore Free trade agreement domestic advisory group focusing on sustainability and trade. Based in Singapore, he is Chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, the country’s oldest think tank. The SIIA’s work focuses on the politics, economic policies and sustainability challenges that matter to corporations and policymakers. The SIIA anchors several key initiatives with the ASEAN Asia Forum, Sustainable World Resources Dialogue and in green finance and climate change policy. It was also the key knowledge partner for Singapore’s Emerging Stronger Taskforce to strategise paths forward from the pandemic. He is concurrently a tenured Associate Professor, teaching international law at the National University of Singapore Faculty of Law and has also taught at Harvard Law School, the Fletcher School and Yale University. Prof Tay is also Senior Consultant at WongPartnership, a leading Asian law firm of some 300 lawyers and with offices in ASEAN, China and the Middle East. He served on boards for leading global companies including MUFG Bank of Japan, Toyota Japan, and Deutsche Boerse (Asia), and was previously Corporate Advisor to Temasek Holdings (2006-09). |
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10:55-11:05
Closing Remarks
Associate Professor Simon Tay, Chairman, Singapore Institute of International Affairs
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Assoc. Prof. Simon TayChairman Simon SC Tay is a public intellectual as well as an advisor to major corporations and policymakers. Prof Tay has held several public appointments for Singapore including as an independent Member of Parliament (1997-2001); Chairman of the National Environment Agency (2002-08) and an Expert and Eminent Person in the ASEAN Regional Forum (2002–2019). He also coordinated the country’s equivalent of the Peace Corps (1990-93). In 2006, Prof Tay received a National Day Award. Since 2020, Tay has been appointed an Ambassador for Singapore, currently accredited to Greece on a non-residential basis. He is also Singapore’s chairman for the EU Singapore Free trade agreement domestic advisory group focusing on sustainability and trade. Based in Singapore, he is Chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, the country’s oldest think tank. The SIIA’s work focuses on the politics, economic policies and sustainability challenges that matter to corporations and policymakers. The SIIA anchors several key initiatives with the ASEAN Asia Forum, Sustainable World Resources Dialogue and in green finance and climate change policy. It was also the key knowledge partner for Singapore’s Emerging Stronger Taskforce to strategise paths forward from the pandemic. He is concurrently a tenured Associate Professor, teaching international law at the National University of Singapore Faculty of Law and has also taught at Harvard Law School, the Fletcher School and Yale University. Prof Tay is also Senior Consultant at WongPartnership, a leading Asian law firm of some 300 lawyers and with offices in ASEAN, China and the Middle East. He served on boards for leading global companies including MUFG Bank of Japan, Toyota Japan, and Deutsche Boerse (Asia), and was previously Corporate Advisor to Temasek Holdings (2006-09). |
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11:05-11:30
Networking Reception
Note: This programme is subject to change.
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