People, Planet, Profit

Prasarana Malaysia is advancing several ESG initiatives, from electrifying its bus fleet to creating more opportunities for the differently-abled and strengthening ESG compliance across its 5,000 vendors. Idzqandar Abu Bakar, Group Chief Health, Safety, Security, Environment & Sustainable Development Officer, shares the company’s goals and the challenges ahead. See omnystudio.com/listener for...

RHB’s annual “ESG Diamonds in the Rough” report spotlights 10 undervalued ASEAN companies that pair strong financial performance with solid ESG practices. Alexander Chia, Head of Regional Equity Research at RHB Research, explains how these companies are identified, how they have performed, and what sets them apart. Image Credit: Shutterstock.co See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia is positioning itself as a leading data center hub with significant investments from global tech players. On today’s People Planet Profit, Wong Shou Ning speaks with Trung Ghi, Partner and Head of Energy and Utilities Practice at Arthur D. Little Southeast Asia, on how the nation can balance economic growth with environmental sustainability. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...

Yayasan Hasanah, the impact foundation of Khazanah Nasional Berhad, focuses on small initiatives that create big impacts in support of Malaysia’s sustainable development goals. Managing Director, Siti Kamariah Ahmad Subki shares how their unconventional approach to philanthropy has led to diverse projects, including a sex education programme in Kelantan. See omnystudio.com/listener for p...

Internal auditors are stepping up by embedding ESG risks into their audit frameworks, scrutinising sustainability claims, verifying emissions data, and ensuring companies have the necessary systems in place to comply with Bursa Malaysia’s mandatory Scope 3 reporting requirements by 2027. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sabah is capitalising on its unique status as a net carbon sink—absorbing more carbon than it emits—through its groundbreaking Climate Change and Carbon Governance Enactment 2025. Climate Change and Sustainability expert Dr Renard Siew breaks down what this landmark law means for Sabah’s future. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ismet Yusof, CEO of the Minority Shareholders Watch Group (MSWG), discusses the evolution of corporate governance in Malaysia, MSWG’s role in shareholder activism, and the challenges of ensuring transparency and fairness for minority shareholders amid growing privatization and ESG pressures. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The road to low carbon economies is reshaping markets, regulations, and investment strategies. Dr. Joanne Khew, Head of Sustainability at Eastspring Investments discusses how capital can drive an effective and equitable climate transition. Image Credit: shutterstock.cim See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Datuk N.K. Tong, a advocate for nuclear energy, delves into its role in advancing Malaysia’s net-zero ambitions, examining its potential impact, benefits, challenges, and the crucial question of public acceptance. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While there has been extensive discussion on the economic impact of the booming data center industry in Southeast Asia, what are the social risks that should also be considered? Rutuja Tendolkar of ERM weighs in on how businesses should navigate both economic and social risks in data center development. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The evolution of the energy landscape in response to the low-carbon economy momentum will require new skills in the workforce. How can the industry better prepare the workforce of today for the future environment? We discuss this with Alex Spencer, COO of OPITO. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We explore the challenges in achieving a just transition as countries and industries seek to achieve net zero goals with Rutuja Tendolkar of the sustainability consultancy ERM. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China accounts for some 70% of global electric vehicle production and also moved 11 million EVs in 2024. How did China manage to carve out a first mover advantage in the global EV sector? We discuss the policies behind China’s EV dominance with Kyle Chan of Princeton University. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The ASEAN Power Grid (APG) was first mooted in 1997 to establish regional energy security and connectivity. Recent years have seen greater traction for the initiative in tandem with the growth of renewable energy and decarbonisation strategies. We discuss the development of the APG and the latest announcements stemming from the 46th ASEAN Summit. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/l...

At COP 29 in Azerbaijan, UN member states agreed to increase cooperation to scale climate financing up to $1.3 trillion US dollars annually by 2035. What is the pathway to achieving this exponential growth in investment, especially for the Southeast Asian region? We get perspectives from Lisa Sachs, Director of the Columbia Centre on Sustainable Investment.  Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See...

Sustainable fashion is a contradiction, given that the fashion industry is one of the key drivers of consumption - but there are movements looking to make systemic changes in the sector to better protect people and planet. We deconstruct what sustainable fashion means and how the trend is taking shape in Malaysia with Najah Onn, founder of FashinFidelity . See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...

The International Energy Agency estimates that ASEAN's energy transition requires annual investment of USD190 billion until 2030. Could China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) provide a channel to accelerate investment in ASEAN green energy? We discuss the trends with Prof. Christoph Nedopil Wang, Director of the Griffith Asia Institute. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shangri-La Rasa Ria recently became the first hotel in Malaysia to secure ISO 20121 certification in sustainable event management. We discuss the thought process driving sustainability action in the hospitality sector with Fiona Hagan, General Manager of Shangri-La Rasa Ria. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To what extent has climate governance been mainstreamed in the corporate space and what influence does Malaysia wield on regional climate policy? We discuss the trends related to climate policy and decision-making with Dr. Gary Theseira, Council Chair of Climate Governance Malaysia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Securities Commission under the National Sustainability Reporting Framework has mandated that publicly listed companies begin complying with ISSB standards in phases, starting in January this year. How are businesses adapting to the evolving ESG reporting landscape? We get insights from Manohar Johnson of PwC Malaysia. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy info...

Parliament passed the Carbon, Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) bill last month. We discuss what went into the drafting of the law with Amin Abdul Majid and Khoo Yu Lin, who are partners at Zaid Ibrahim & Co. Image Credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the built environment responsible for approximately 40% of global carbon emissions across its value chain, ESG and sustainability considerations have become embedded in the real estate business. How are UK property developers navigating the sustainability imperative amid competing economic priorities and headwinds? We get a snapshot of the situation from Ghislaine Halpenny, Director of ESG &a...

How seriously do businesses take into account human rights, given the widespread adoption of the ESG movement? We discuss this with Dr. Pichamon Yeophantong, the Vice Chairperson of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, with a special focus on how much children’s rights are prioritised by businesses and why this should become part of corporate considerations. Image Credits: Shuttersto...

Gender representation and diversity have become a core component of sustainability benchmarks, but how coherent are the broader aims of ESG with the national policies being implemented? Ahead of International Women's Day, we reflect on the progress and gaps in Malaysia's policies to advance the socio-economic status of women with Adam Firouz, Research Associate at the Khazanah Research Instit...

Malaysia has set the ambitious target of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, which will require a concerted effort by stakeholders of all levels. The Malaysia Green Technology and Climate Change Corporation comes in as the focal agency to coordinate stakeholder involvement towards this aim, including participation at the UN Climate Change Conference. We speak to Shareen Dato’ Abdu...