People, Planet, Profit

As the final day of COP28 looms, how much progress has been made on the climate change action at this year’s event? We speak to Hannah Fernandez of Eco-Business for her take on issues she’s following at the summit. People, Planet, Profit is brought to you by UMW Toyota. Image credit: EPA-EFE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is global acknowledgment that decarbonisation of power generation is non-negotiable if we are to limit global warming to not more than 2.0 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. But is this predicament being met with urgency by power players? We speak to Datuk Megat Jalaluddin Megat Hassan, the Chief Operating Officer of Tenaga Nasional Berhad at the COP28 Malaysia Pavilion to discuss TN...

The UN Climate Change Conference or COP28 begins this Thursday, and the spotlight will be on emissions-intensive industries. How has the global oil and gas sector evolved amid the push for climate change action, and are they moving fast enough? We discuss some of the themes in the energy transition with Ali Izadi-Najafabdi of Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Ali was a speaker at the JC3 climate chang...

How are capital markets and businesses utilising ESG disclosures in making investment decisions? We discuss the evolution of corporate disclosures on climate, nature and human rights as well as the regional trends in adoption of reporting standards with Claire Elsdon of CDP. Claire was a speaker at the JC3 climate change conference in Kuala Lumpur last month. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omn...

The 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP28, has been mired in controversy over the heavy involvement of the oil and gas industry in negotiations. We discuss the deep-rooted skepticism of environmentalists towards Big Oil with RimbaWatch founder Adam Farhan. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There is concerted corporate action to address climate change through reducing greenhouse gas emissions. But what about other environmental markers that get short shrift but are no less important for the continuity of our planetary existence? We discuss what businesses risk if they ignore nature considerations beyond carbon emissions with Matthew Haddon, Global Leader in Nature & Water at sust...

Quality transition plans by both the public and private sector are crucial in addressing the climate change agenda, but who's keeping track of the outcomes and how well are our businesses equipped to adapt? We compare notes between Malaysia and the UK in mainstreaming climate transition plans with Datin Sunita Rajkumar of Climate Governance Malaysia and Ira Poensgen of the UK Transition Plan...

In the race to achieve national net zero emissions by 2050, the transition to renewable energy sources is only one part of the equation. The recently tabled Energy Efficiency and Conservation Bill (EECA) aims to address the other variable, namely reducing actual demand and usage of energy. We discuss how this proposed legislation fits in the overall framework of Malaysia’s energy transition with A...

The Madani government has expressed a commitment to sustainable development, green growth and climate resilience in various policy blueprints. How does Budget 2024 further this agenda? We discuss some of the sustainability and green initiatives of Budget 2024 with Shalini Chandrarajah of Ernst & Young Tax Consultants. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...

The world is running out of time to limit global warming to the 2 degrees Celsius ceiling set under the Paris Agreement in order to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change. What will it take for governments, businesses and society to not only accelerate decarbonisation efforts but also ramp up climate resiliency amidst the rapidly changing environment? We discuss these themes with Em...

There has been a noticeable backlash against ESG considerations in corporate America, driven by the climate of political polarisation. How prevalent is anti-ESG sentiment beyond the US and how might this impact the sustainability push in business? Long-time sustainability advocate Tim Mohin discusses the evolving notions of corporate responsibility and how the debate over ESG could play out amid u...

The transportation sector accounts for 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and automotive decarbonisation will be a key component in achieving Malaysia's net zero emissions target by 2050. How coherent is the government's policy framework in pushing for low-carbon mobility gains? We discuss the major themes in sustainable mobility with our panel of speakers during the BFM CEO Forum in collabor...

How are perceptions on climate change evolving in the ASEAN region? The 2023 ASEAN Climate Outlook survey report compiled by the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute gives an insightful snapshot of attitudes across Southeast Asia. We discuss some of the findings with Sharon Seah, Senior Fellow and Coordinator for Climate Change of the Asian Studies Programme. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.c...

Malaysian corporates have made strides in improving gender representation in the workplace in line with ESG principles, but more needs to be done to embed a cultural shift in mindsets and attitudes on gender equity. We discuss the progress made and gaps that remain to be addressed with Anne Abraham of LeadWomen. Image credit: Shutterstock.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What makes effective impact-based social programming? We discuss the role of Yayasan Hasanah in advancing Malaysian society across its five pillars of action and the evolving approaches in social impact action.  Image Credit: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia has pledged to achieve net zero carbon emissions as early as 2050 as part of global efforts to mitigate climate change. However, experts are cautioning that actions to reduce carbon emissions should not come at the cost of other sustainability metrics. We speak to S. Piarapakaran, President of the Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysia (AWER) on how these themes apply in t...

It’s estimated that over 90% of high-value plastic for recycling in developing economies is collected by informal workers - and yet they are often left out of policy discussions in the industry. We discuss the inequities in the recycling value chain and measures to improve the livelihoods of informal workers with Anna Douma, Director of Programmes at The Circulate Initiative.  See omnystudio....

The landmark decision by a US court in Montana in favour of young activists has put the spotlight on climate change litigation as a means to hold governments and corporations accountable. Lawyer Kwong Chiew Ee walks us through the evolution of climate change litigation and how cases in both the developed and developing world are shaping the legal landscape. Image Credit: 123rf.com See omnystudio.c...

China and Southeast Asia have become the default manufacturing hub for the world, given its booming population and inexpensive labour costs. But the changing demographics of the region are having an impact on the supply of workers available to produce goods for global consumption. We explore labour trends in the Asian manufacturing sector with Jon Emont of the Wall Street Journal.  Image Cred...

The government has set the ambitious goal for Malaysia to have 70% renewable energy capacity by 2050.  What’s the path to achieving the lofty target as charted by the National Energy Transition Roadmap launched in July? Independent energy analyst Dhana Raj Markandu unpacks some of the key takeaways from NETR Phase 1. Image by: Shutterstock See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inf...

Although there is increasing awareness about the importance of ESG reporting, companies at present are not held to unified standard and have a patchwork of guidelines to sift through. To address the confusion, the International Sustainability Standards Board or ISSB launched the much anticipated standards for sustainability and climate disclosures in June. Claire Herbert of Schroders breaks down t...

With 5 months to go until the United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP28, all eyes are on the UAE and the summit's President-designate, Sultan Al Jaber, whose ties to the oil and gas industry are viewed with deep suspicion by activist circles. How might these dynamics affect the outcome of the summit? We get a preview of expectations for COP28 with Ng Wai Mun of sustainability n...

Green hydrogen is increasingly spotlighted as one of the pathways to reduce carbon emissions and ensure energy security. In this regard, Malaysia is banking on the hydrogen economy to contribute up to RM61 billion ringgit by 2030 to the nation’s GDP. But the cost of green hydrogen is currently exorbitant compared to other energy sources - can Malaysia make the calculations work for us? Dr. Rezal A...

Malaysia’s climate change act is still two to three years in the making, according to Minister for Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Nik Nazmi. What can we learn from the UK experience, which was one of the pioneers in enacting climate change laws? We speak to Datin Sunita Rajkumar of Climate Governance Malaysia and Rose Armitage of the UK Climate Change Committee for insights. See...

The global movement towards electrification and renewable energy is exponentially driving demand for minerals such as nickel, cobalt and manganese. Companies are turning to an unexplored frontier, the deep ocean, to retrieve these precious minerals. How is the international community handling the potential minefield that could come with exploiting untouched marine ecosystems? We discuss the implic...