People, Planet, Profit

Donald Trump’s first term in the White House undeniably set back the global climate change agenda. What can we expect in his second term? We speak with Dr. Gautam Jain of Columbia University to discuss the ways in which the Trump administration could undo the climate policies of Joe Biden - but also reasons to stay optimistic about the momentum of the energy transition.

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ASEAN is one of the world’s largest consumers of energy but is also especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change. As a result, there is shared acknowledgment that the region needs to accelerate its transition to renewable energy sources - but are we making the right progress? We get industry perspectives from Kavita Gandhi, Executive Director of the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore.

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The World Bank and the Securities Commission of Malaysia recently launched the ESG Disclosure Assessment providing a baseline of reporting practices among Malaysian corporates, ahead of the implementation of the National Sustainability Reporting Framework beginning in 2025. We speak to Fiona Stewart, Lead Financial Sector Specialist at the World Bank to discuss the findings of the report.

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Malaysia has set the clear goal of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050, with the energy transition being a key component. To what extent does Budget 2025 pursue these aims? We go through some of the green initiatives of the budget with Ganesha Pillai, Senior Research Associate at the Asia School of Business.

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The 2024 UN Food Waste Index highlighted that more than 1 billion tonnes of food is wasted annually. With the food services and retail sector accounting for approximately 40% of global food waste, how are industry players addressing this issue? On the eve of World Food Day, we discuss the factors contributing to food waste and initiatives to mitigate them with Lee Qi Ni, Corporate Responsibility and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Lead for Sodexo Malaysia and Singapore.

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What are the major attitudes in Southeast Asia with regard to decarbonisation and energy transition? We unpack some of the findings from the Southeast Asia Climate Outlook 2024 Survey Report with Mirza Sadaqat Huda of the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

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The hydrogen economy is said to be a key lever to the world achieving its net zero targets, but what does the pathway look like? We discuss the role of hydrogen in global decarbonisation efforts with Daniela Vivaesh and Voon Jye Yng of ERM.

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In two months, the 29th United Nations climate change conference or COP29 will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan. How will Baku build on the developments of COP28 in Dubai and what are the sticking points that could dominate discussions? We get a preview of what to expect from Hannah Fernandez of Eco-Business.

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Malaysia is blessed with abundant sources of water, including ample rainfall, but government officials are warning of a crisis scenario in the future if water stewardship doesn’t improve. What are the challenges and available solutions to safeguard this precious resource? We discuss the complexities of water and wastewater management with Olivier Estienne, Malaysia Country Director for Veolia Water Technologies.

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Although women have made immense strides as entrepreneurs, challenges persist in Malaysia and the world over for women looking to take their businesses to the next level. How much has the ESG movement tipped the scales for women in entrepreneurship and what are the initiatives that can make a difference? We get perspectives from Ingrid Vanderveldt, the founder and CEO of Empowering a Billion Women Worldwide, an organisation that provides opportunities for women-led businesses.

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