How are major palm oil players ensuring smallholders in their supply chain comply with evolving sustainability regulations? We hear from Dr. Shariman Alwani, CEO of SD Guthrie International about the company’s support for smallholders under its Beyond Zero Framework that was launched last year as well as efforts to make sustainable palm oil more mainstream.

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US President Donald Trump took immediate steps to reverse the energy policies of his predecessor, Joe Biden, including by declaring a national energy emergency via Executive Order. How might these moves shape the energy sector moving forward? We discuss this with Kenneth Medlock, Senior Director at the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University's Baker Institute of Public Policy.

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How can digital technology improve the productivity and supply chain issues of the Malaysian agrofood sector? We speak to Syed Aiman Jaafar, CEO of the agritech platform Farmbyte on how they see digital tech contributing to food security by reducing waste.

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2024 was the year marked by diverging views of ESG between those that support its implementation versus the skeptics, driven by a rise in right-wing politics around the world, especially in the US and Europe. Will we see continued backlash against ESG in 2025 and what does that mean for businesses trying to navigate the international ESG regulations? We discuss how this and other themes could play out in 2025 with Pieter E. Stek of the Asia School of Business.

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Carbon markets received a big boost during the COP29 UN Climate Change Conference with member states adopting new guidelines for Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. How will this shape the development of the carbon market landscape moving forward especially in ASEAN? We discuss this with Dr. Renard Siew, President of the Malaysia Carbon Market Association.

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When it comes to philanthropy and social responsibility, does corporate Malaysia put their money where their mouth is? That’s what social enterprise Wiki Impact aims to explore in their annual "Bursa Top 20: Who’s the Most Charitable?" report, with the latest edition covering 2023 data issued in November. We discuss what the findings reveal about corporate philanthropy in Malaysia with Terence Ooi, co-founder of Wiki Impact.

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The world is experiencing higher temperatures each year as a result of climate change, with 2024 projected to be the hottest on record so far. How prepared is Malaysia to deal with a hotter reality? We discuss the findings of a working paper by KRI Research Associate Wan Amirah Wan Usamah on the policies that should be considered to adapt to warmer climes. Read the full report here. 

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The UN Climate Change Conference or COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan recently reached an agreement on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement governing how countries can cut global emissions through carbon markets. We discuss the implications of this with Matt Sechovsky of Fitch Solutions.

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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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