People, Planet, Profit

Financial stress can affect employees' mental health, productivity and workplace relationships. Mala Davi, Vice President of the Malaysian Mental Health Association, discusses when employers have a responsibility to step in, how managers can recognise financial distress and whether workplace wellbeing programmes are doing enough to address the problem.

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As COP31 gets underway in Antalya, Malaysia is pushing for progress on climate adaptation, financing, carbon markets and stronger accountability. But beyond international negotiations, how much progress is Malaysia making towards its own climate commitments? Ahmad Farid Mohamed, Undersecretary of the Climate Change Division at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES), joins us on People, Planet, Profit to discuss Malaysia's priorities at COP31, the challenges of securing climate finance and whether existing policies are sufficient to meet national targets. We also examine what needs to change domestically to turn climate pledges into measurable action.

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Malaysia is tightening its sustainability reporting requirements, placing growing pressure on businesses to produce credible and transparent ESG disclosures. While the new framework aims to improve accountability and investor confidence, companies face rising compliance costs, data collection challenges and increasing demands from customers and supply chains. On People, Planet, Profit, we examine how these requirements affect Malaysian businesses, particularly SMEs, whether companies are adequately prepared, and if better sustainability reporting can deliver genuine commercial benefits through improved access to financing, investment and new business opportunities.

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More than half of Malaysia's commercial bank lending goes to sectors highly dependent on nature, making biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation increasingly important financial risks. As businesses face growing exposure to water shortages, deforestation and disrupted supply chains, traditional climate reporting may no longer be enough. On People, Planet, Profit, we explore how Malaysian companies and financial institutions can assess nature-related risks, the challenges of measuring the economic value of ecosystems, and whether protecting biodiversity can create new investment opportunities without reducing nature to just another financial asset.

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Budget 2027 commits billions to flood mitigation, water infrastructure and grid upgrades, but does it add up to a coherent ESG strategy or just a collection of well-meaning measures? And can Malaysia pursue growth through data centres and major investments without leaving households and workers behind?

Richard Bradbury speaks with Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz, President and Climate Advocate at MUDA, about whether the budget puts enough capital behind renewable energy, how fuel subsidies clash with emission targets, and whether minimum wage increases reach the workers who need them most. They examine gig worker protections, water security in Johor's data centre boom, and the structural gaps that remain when investments are approved without accounting for public safety and resource capacity.

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Malaysia faces a significant funding gap in protecting its forests, wildlife and ecosystems, raising questions over whether private capital can play a larger role. On People, Planet, Profit, we explore the potential of nature-based solutions and blended finance, the safeguards needed to prevent greenwashing, and a fundamental tension at the heart of nature finance: can putting a financial value on biodiversity help protect it without turning nature into just another asset?

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Malaysia may be rich in water resources, but a new study suggests that abundance alone does not guarantee water security, with Selangor ranking close to the bottom despite its economic importance. On People, Planet, Profit, we examine what conventional measures may be missing, why governance and infrastructure matter, and how Malaysia needs to rethink water security as demand rises and climate pressures intensify.

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Malaysia is preparing for Budget 2027, with climate resilience, clean energy and sustainability expected to remain important priorities. But beyond how much money is allocated, the bigger question is whether ESG spending is delivering measurable results. Where should public funding be targeted, how can government spending attract more private capital, and what stronger accountability is needed to ensure Malaysia gets meaningful environmental and social returns from its investments?

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Knight Frank Malaysia says it made measurable ESG progress in 2025, from cutting energy consumption and improving recycling to strengthening emissions tracking and investing in its workforce. But as the business grows, some of the hardest challenges increasingly lie beyond its direct control. How can property firms turn ESG commitments into measurable results, influence suppliers and clients, and continue reducing their environmental footprint as their operations expand?

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On People, Planet, Profit this week, we examine the growing problem of climate anxiety, particularly among young Malaysians worried about the future they will inherit. We speak to Dr Ooi Wee Liam, Lecturer in Environmental Humanities and Social Science at Monash University Malaysia, about where rational concern becomes harmful anxiety, the limits of individual action, and whether businesses and governments must recognise the psychological consequences of climate change as part of the “S” in ESG.

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