The Cooler Earth Sustainability Summit 2020

17th September 2020

Enabling Business through SDGs: On Day 5 in the second week of The Cooler Earth 2020, PwC Malaysia, Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Singapore, and UN Global Compact Network Malaysia (GCMY) collaborate to share practical tips on integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into corporate reporting. In this engaging masterclass, Julie Rezler, Director, GRI Singapore, Ezy Rudin, Head of Programmes, GCMY, and Redha Shukor, Director, Operations and Sustainability Leader and Haafiz Nordin, Manager, Sustainability and Climate Change from PwC Malaysia cover what the 17 UN SDGs mean in the context of business, the current and emerging trends and tools to monitor and track sustainability performance, and actionable steps towards adoption and integration of SDGs. The experts also share global, regional, and local perspectives as well as best practices from leading organisations who are already aligning their business strategies to SDGs. The key takeaway is to go beyond incremental approaches and use SDGs to define an ambition, make commitments, and take definitive action.

1st October 2020

Good for Environment, Good for Business: These set of sessions are extremely thought-provoking. Nature provides ecosystem services critical for survival – without the environment, there can be no society, no business and no economy, argues Luanne Sieh, Head, Group Sustainability of CIMB. The key is to make businesses and lifestyles more responsible. She emphasises on the need of the hour to plan and deliver progress and improvements without compromising the ability of our planet to sustain life. She reinforces that sustainable development is not just a solution, it is critical for our very survival. It should mean that we are not uncontrollably plundering the future and stealing from our children for our own enjoyment today.  Dr Dechen Tsering, Director of UNEP (Asia and the Pacific Office) underscores the importance of participating in and normalising green behaviour. The new normal will rely on the choice of consumers and producers, asserts Dr. Tsering reflecting on how people and organisations are scrambling to contain the impacts from Covid-19. She also notes that within the Asia-Pacific region, climate-friendly legislation and policy action is influencing a shift in private and public behaviour. Following this, Denise Coogan, Environmental Partnership Manager of Subaru America, shares how the company transformed its way of business and operations to achieve zero waste sent to landfills. A key driver of their success is the proactive involvement of employees on-the-ground; tapping into their creative ideas to reduce, reuse and recycle waste. The starting point and most critical is to get your inventory of waste. The substantial cost savings generated by the zero-landfill initiative is a perfect example of how going green is good for the bottom line.

6th October 2020

Climate change poses an existential threat to both businesses and communities. It is time to demonstrate leadership and take accountability for present and future generation of stakeholders. This week, climate experts and industry leaders share how concerted efforts from businesses is critical for climate action. Ahmad Shahriman Mohd Shariff, CEO of CIMB Islamic Bank Berhad, reiterates the high business cost of ignoring the climate emergency. There are clear linkages  between socioeconomic and environmental factors. Urgent action is needed if businesses want to not just survive but compete in the long-term. Marco Lambertini, Director General of WWF International continues to build the business case by pointing out that nature loss and climate disruption are major business risks and an environmentally-positive economic model will generate large returns. Everyone needs to embrace a carbon-neutral vision for the world, he urges. Companies and investors need to commit, act and advocate for positive change. Datin Seri Sunita Rajakumar, Founding Chairperson of Corporate Governance Initiative (Malaysian Chapter) ends the session with a moderated panel discussing the collective responsibility for climate mobilisation. During the panel, Pushkala Ratan from IFC speaks on the growing market for climate finance; Dr. Simon Lord from Sime Darby Plantation highlights the importance of sustainable practices in agribusiness; Ralph Dixon from YTL Corporation takes a cautiously optimistic view on sustainable progress; and Margaret Klein Salamon from The Climate Mobilization stresses that a full emergency mobilisation of economy and society is needed to achieve climate targets.

12th October 2020

Green Financing: Driving Change in Indonesia

TCE’s Sustainable Finance Week kicks off with an interactive panel session on Indonesia’s experience in green finance products. Financial strategists and experts discuss the financing models available in the market, and how financial institutions can develop green financing solutions that address key sustainability issues. In her welcoming note, Fransiska Oei, Compliance, Corporate Affairs & Legal Director, CIMB Niaga, points out that though Indonesia is one of the largest economies in South East Asia, its growth is delivered at great environmental expense. Fransiska urges financial institutions to deliver a more effective financing model that creates meaningful impact. Rizkiasari Yudawinata, Sustainable Finance Programme Lead, WWF-Indonesia, shares the key aspects of green and related products that financers and other stakeholders must understand. Financial institutions need to further develop incentive mechanisms that deliver impact at scale while generating attractive financial returns. Bangkit Oetomo, Investment Associate, Tropical Landscapes Finance Facility (TLFF), provides insights into financing programmes that catalyse sustainable investments in Indonesia. Focusing on the financing of renewable energy, Bangkit discusses various challenges, project characteristics, domestic financing products and financial opportunities to mobilise innovative products. Nicholas Gandolfo, Director, Sustainable Finance Solutions, APAC, Sustainalytics, speaks on the importance of measurable impact reporting. He delivers practical tips for the reporting journey, from the materiality assessment process to the global frameworks available. Mohammad Ghozie Indra Dalel, Director, PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur (SMI) ends the session with details on SDG Indonesia One, the Government’s blended finance platform that channels public and private funds into sustainable development projects. He provides multiple examples of how SMI manages extensive funds through grants, technical assistance and capacity-building to accelerate national SDG deliverables. 

13th October 2020

Sustainable Urbanisation: Financing Responsible Development: An overwhelming majority of the population lives in cities and towns. While urbanisation has resulted in great progress and prosperity, it has been at the expense of significant impact to environment and society. Today’s panel of experts emphasise on the need for sustainable urbanisation, which integrates economic imperatives, social progress and environmental health into its development approach. Hamdan Abdul Majeed, Managing Director, Think City, references Georgetown Penang as a sustainable urban development model. It is a prime example of rejuvenating what already exists to meet growing urban demands. He advocates for financers to shift from the funding of conventional urban expansion, and focus instead on urban regeneration and rehabilitation. Wadzi Katsidzira, Initiative Lead, Global Development Incubator, discusses the challenges faced in financing sustainable infrastructure development, such as the lack of high-quality projects and identifying projects that drive impact. Investors can navigate these challenges through innovative finance solutions, institutional partnerships, and community-level contextualisation. Shahira Ahmed Bazari, Managing Director, Yayasan Hasanah, concludes the session with some insights on key considerations by donors and financiers when offering sustainable funding. Reflecting on Yayasan Hasanah’s experience in the sector, she explains how civil societies need to have a solid impact assessment framework, strong governance structure, and high-performance work culture to attract funds for positive development. 

15th October 2020

Delivering Better Value with ESG Financing: The financial sector plays a key role in positively contributing to sustainable development. Experienced speakers share their views on the role of banks as financial intermediaries and providers of capital in applying ESG factors or principles in lending and project financing. Rob Coombe, Sustainability Sponsor, CIMB Board of Directors, highlights the acceleration of innovative instruments in ASEAN, such as sustainability-linked loans and transition bonds. Drawing on CIMB’s experience, Rob emphasises that the push for greater sustainability is complex and should be seen as a journey. Simone Dettling, Banking Team Lead, UNEP Finance Initiative, moderates an insightful session on sustainable finance with panelists from progressive banks and institutions. Kylie Macfarlane, Founder and Managing Director of Novis Aurora Consulting, provides practical details on how sustainable finance can help banks better support their customers, while Gurdip Singh Sidhu, Group Chief People Officer, CIMB Group and Yulanda Chung, Head of Sustainability, DBS Bank, share their experience in putting these practices to work. On behalf of institutional investors, Alizakri Alias, Chief EPF Officer, Employees Provident Fund (EPF), speaks about the increasing focus on ESG investments and how they benefit both investors and investees. Sustainability is a future-fit tool that provides superior risk management and value creation, so there is a strong call for fund managers and businesses to start looking beyond short-term returns.

20th October 2020

Indonesia’s Shift to Sustainable Supply Chains: As the world shifts to more sustainable practices, major supply chains are expected to follow suit. In the second webinar initiated by CIMB Niaga Indonesia, experts discuss stakeholders’ expectations for sustainable supply chains within the Indonesian market. In her welcome note, Fransiska Oei, Compliance, Corporate Affairs & Legal Director, CIMB Niaga, highlights a growing demand for sustainable commodities from financers, regulators and businesses, which should be seen a growth opportunity for supply chain players. Following this, Aditya Bayunanda, Head of Footprint & Market Transformation Programme, WWF-Indonesia, moderates an informative and inspiring panel that provides insight into various supply chain developments across different sectors. Cindy Cheng, Regional Director, FSC Asia Pacific, explains how FSC works with fast-moving-consumer goods companies to incentive responsible forestry practices within Indonesia’s value chain. Household brands are committing to FSC-certified forests, which is driving accreditation across the value chain. Natalia Soebagjo, Member of the Board of Commissioner, PT Hero Supermarket, Tbk, covers downstream commitments and opportunities through the lens of Ikea’s supply chain efforts. The retail giant works closely with its supply partners to produce affordable furniture that complies with a people- and planet-positive approach. Lastly, Felia Salim, Board of Director, &Green, addresses the problem of rapid deforestation from agricultural commodity expansion. She provides compelling case studies in which sustainable financing is used to essentially delink deforestation from major commodity supply chains. 

20th October 2020

Shaping Sustainable Societies Through Good Business: The strongest organisations and leaders are those that have a strong purpose for its employees and communities. Together, they form progressive and sustainable societies. With this in mind, Datuk Mohd Nasir Ahmad, Chairperson, CIMB Group, sets the stage for the esteemed speakers who will deliberate on this week’s theme of ‘Equitable Societies’. He reiterates that taking social responsibility creates positive outcomes for businesses as well as society.  Farid Basir, Chief Human Capital Officer, Telekom Malaysia, shares his perspective on why companies should instil a sense of purpose in their organisation. With rapid changes in the world of work, businesses need to redefine their role in society beyond profits. Doing so will motivate employees with meaningful work that aligns with their personal values. On behalf of civil societies, Prof. Dr. Datuk Denison Jayasooria, CSO-SDG Alliance, highlights five expectations towards responsible businesses – a balanced business approach; protection of human rights; good governance against corruption; alternative business models that create positive impact; and a shift from short-term CSR to real social empowerment. Mabel Wong, Senior Director, Sustainability Consulting Asia-Pacific, ELEVATE, concludes the day with practical tips on identifying and assessing social risks in the supply chain. With a range of emerging supply chain trends, including new legislations and increasing stakeholder expectations, companies need to adopt a risk-based approach in creating a resilient and sustainable supply chain.

22nd October 2020

Preventing Exploitation in the Value Chain: Jet Urmeneta, Senior Director, Capability Building & Consulting, Verité Southeast Asia, provides a masterclass for stakeholders to address their supply chain social responsibility risks. Labour issues are complex and deeply entrenched in recruitment malpractices.  Many migrant workers are forced to pay excessive recruitment fees that keep them in debt, which effectively places them in situations of forced labour and exploitive working conditions. The masterclass looks into the gaps of current practices in supply chain social responsibility. While companies are required to meet the law, what is legal is not always just and fair. There are countries with poor regulatory environments that do not adequately protect labour workers. Also, many companies lack specific policies or requirements related to migrant workers. The scope and quality of supply chain audits are also insufficient in identifying modern slavery. The session ends with practical tips on how businesses can influence the practices of their suppliers. Employers can start by mapping their supply chain risks, monitoring recruitment partners and labour agencies, as well as strengthening governance against forced labour.

22nd October 2020

Sarawak Energy: Leading by Example

Setting the right tone from the top is critical to mobilising the sustainability agenda across an organisation. The commitment of C-suites, particularly CEOs, is needed to successfully manage emerging ESG risks and opportunities. This type of commitment is demonstrated by Datu Haji Sharbini Suhaili, Group CEO of Sawarak Energy, Malaysia’s largest provider of renewable energy and primary energy developer for Sarawak. Moderator, Dr. Joseph Chun, Partner, ESG Practice, Shook Lin & Bok (Singapore), sits down with the CEO to capture his experience and ambitions in sustainable development. This year, Sarawak Energy became the first corporation in Malaysia to commit to the Business Ambition for 1.5 Celsius under the UN Global Compact. The CEO explains his decision with a forward-looking view, in which companies that commit to this target will thrive as the global economy transitions to net-zero carbon by 2050. Although there will be challenges, Datu Haji is confident that Sarawak Energy will meet its commitments. This is evidenced by its achievements in bringing reliable, affordable and clean energy to the Sarawak population. Sarawak Energy also secured a RM100 million Sustainability-Linked Loan (SLL) from CIMB – the first company in East Malaysia to receive such financing. This is part of the company’s efforts to embed sustainability into its funding strategies, thus accelerating its transition towards sustainable development. 

22nd October 2020

Compassion: A Long-Term Solution

In the final webinar of TCE’s Equitable Societies Week, Ivy Soh, Director of Aftercare, Yellow Ribbon Project, shares a heart-warming presentation of second chances. As a former prison guard, Ivy realised that inmates released from prison will often return within two years. This is due to the stigmatism that they face from the community, making it difficult to work and rehabilitate. Community support is crucial to break the reoffending cycle. Therefore, the Yellow Ribbon Project (YR) was set up to help them reintegrate into society. YR organises campaigns and events that demonstrate inmates’ employability potential as well as share their perspective. This creates public awareness, generates acceptance, and inspire community action. Ivy provides uplifting examples of ex-offenders who have successfully turned their lives around to become contributing members of society. Businesses are encouraged to support YR’s mission through funding and employment opportunities. Since 2018, CIMB has contributed to a series of YR activities, such as allocating US$450,000 into YRF CIMB STAR Bursary. Gabrial Choo, YRF CIMB STAR Bursary Student, shares his inspirational story on rebuilding his life after prison. As he continues his journey of rehabilitation, he strives to actualise YR’s message of hope and forgiveness. 

27th October 2020

Circularity for Nations, Cities, and Individuals: The webinar on Advocating Circular Economy Towards Reducing Waste sees three speakers addressing the role of circular economy in building sustainable cities. Dr. Zinaida Fadeeva, a visiting professor at Nalanda University, India, talks about circular economy as an answer to humanity’s overconsumption of resources that exceeds planetary boundaries. Using China and India as examples, she demonstrates the real economic benefits to be gained from circular systems. However, there is a need for a coherent policy design to support greater circularity. Jacqueline Chang, Country Representative of Circular Economy Club Malaysia talks about steps cities can take to reduce waste, citing an example from Medellín, Colombia. To meet the need for Malaysian cities to transition to circular cities, Chang suggests that circular economies focus on opportunities in four key urban systems (resource distribution system, infrastructure, accessibility, and behaviour change). The final speaker, Melissa Tan, a zero waste practitioner and TV host, speaks about the need to reprogramme our mindsets from a packaging-heavy consumer culture to “refuse what we don’t need & reduce what we need”, stressing the power of the individual to leave an impact through their choices. Refusing single use and switching to ‘reusables’; going package-free and shopping second-hand or in traditional bulk stores are some of her personal ways to reduce waste. All three speakers discuss the core principles of circularity and zero waste, which is to design out waste, extend the life of products and materials, and channelling biodegradable materials back into the environment, noting that recycling is always the last resort.

27th October 2020

Learnings in Circular Economy from the Philippines: Moderated by Angela Chen, CEC Manila Organiser, the panel discussion on Opportunities for Circular Economy Post-Covid19 in the Philippines brings various entrepreneurial perspectives on circular economy from different industries and business models. Cecilia Martinez-Miranda, COO of Ananas Anam Philippines, explains how using innovative design thinking and technology, her company is able to rethink the entire lifecycle of their product as well as create equity for communities who become their suppliers. Laurence Lumagbas speaks from the perspective of his work as Manager of Sustainability Practice at Deloitte and his entrepreneurial drive for building affordable housing that incorporates circular principles, looking at green design and architecture. However, he expects Covid-19 to leave a long-term impact on real estate with the virtualisation of work and rationalising the use of spaces. Rejiel “Rage” Gonzales, CEO of Bridge360 IT Solutions and Wayste Philippines explains how her company is playing one part in the circular value chain by tackling the issue of waste through a mobile app that empowers stakeholders to manage waste with the end goal of waste diversion. She puts her faith in youths as the solution to drive the transition to circular, an enthusiasm shared by fellow speaker Carlo Delantar. Highlighting that Asia is the centre of economic progress and also a processor of waste (the world’s dumping ground), Carlo Delantar, Head of Circular Economy and Gobi VC, Core Capital asserts that the answer lies in a circular economy. What is really needed is singularity in the supply chain where all stakeholders are aware of where and how they fit in. Discussing the impacts of Covid-19 on the present and future prospects of circular economy, there is no question that the pandemic has in fact highlighted the need to change our system and the time to do that is now while countries are building back from the crisis. Speaking on data, the speakers concur that data plays a significant role in connecting ecosystem players to accelerate circularity.

28th October 2020

Penang: Leading the Way for Circular Cities in Malaysia

Josephine Tan, General Manager of Penang Green Council shares case studies from Penang on circular projects and steps being taken by the federal government and city councils. Circular economy is one of the chapters of the Penang Green Agenda, a blueprint for transforming into a sustainable state. Recognising circular economy as the solution to the linear take-make-waste model of production and consumption, Penang has been on a drive to adopt and implement circular planning at various levels together with European experts and successful circular cities. One pilot project is already underway in two local communities, which aims to reduce waste generated, targeting single-use plastics as a start. The next aim for Penang is to create a circular economy roadmap for mainstreaming it in the next ten years, which will be replicable for other Malaysian cities. Crucially, multi-stakeholder involvement is critical to the realisation of a circular city, and in Penang’s case of paving the way for Malaysia, city-to-city collaboration with external experts and sharing of best practices. Together with Jacqueline Chang, Country Representative of Circular Economy Club Malaysia, Josephine also shares with us a simple template that urban changemakers can use to communicate their project strategy in one page only.

28th October 2020

Circular Principles for Food Waste Management: Food waste in landfills break down into methane and carbon dioxide, two of the biggest culprits of climate change, and methane is 21 times more poisonous than other gases. Yet we still continue to dump food waste that can mostly be prevented. Sudy Yeo, CEC Co-Organiser for Petaling Jaya takes us through the what and how of waste management using circular principles particularly for the F&B sector. She introduces three simple steps to start managing organic and non-organic food waste in a business: material flow audit; opportunity mapping; and finally, action/implementation. Measuring baseline data is important to understand what works and what does not, with an emphasis on starting first and tweaking as you go along. The first priority is always to reduce as much as possible. Simple yet ingenious ways to reduce waste include practising a first-in first-out storage system, diverting leftovers to food banks or selling them on apps, using returnable container services, among others. When it comes to non-organic waste such as packaging waste, Sudy warns us to be careful about our choices – a paper cup is not necessarily more eco-friendly than the plastic version. Wax or plant-based alternatives are better, but getting customers to bring their own containers is the best. She ends with a reminder that starting small is better than not starting at all, and a key factor of success is the buy-in from your employees who will be implementing your action plan.

29th October 2020

Wonosidi: One Village’s Effort to Go Circular

Wonosidi, a village of about 2,000 households in the Pacitan regency of Indonesia, is too remote for the government to collect waste. Hence, most waste is disposed by burning or dumping openly or into water bodies. Associate Professor Sunil Herat, Waste Management Expert of Griffith University in Australia sets the context with an assessment of the global problem of waste, which is not just a responsible consumption and production problem but also contributes to other issues like marine pollution and climate change, thus posing a challenge to many of the SDGs. Webri Veliana, CEC Pacitan Organiser of Indonesia then shares her personal journey championing a coherent waste management system in Wonosidi. She uses the Greenwave method which she developed to systematically address the various factors and players in the waste management ecosystem. Her activism culminated in the establishment of a waste-centred social enterprise that upcycles waste also provides employment streams for people. Wonosidi’s example has now become a case study that the Indonesian government hopes to replicate in other villages. On a final note, Sunil urges industry to think of ways to decouple economic growth from resource consumption, and Professor Sharyn Rundle-Thiele, Social Marketing and Behavioural Change Expert of Griffith University sums up by reminding us all to reduce our own waste as responsible consumers.  

29th October 2020

The Power of Community to Effect Systems Change: Together with two other colleagues at Thammasat University in Bangkok, Chris Oestereich and Courtney Savie Lawrence, CEC Bangkok Organisers in Thailand, kickstarted a series of public pop-up labs focusing on various challenges such as waste, climate, and air quality. Using a participatory and crowdsourced approach, participants from different communities are invited to understand the dimensions of a problem and then design ways of intervention at specific points in the system. The discussion and design process is driven by the participants. These workshops build capacity in systems design and systems change. Chris and Courtney share systems design tools that help anyone to think and rethink on a systems level. They also share the outcome of one of their labs: a campaign to bring the air quality in Bangkok to zero down from PM2.5, with the ultimate goal to table a legislation on this. The clean air campaign has gained momentum with almost 1,000 signatures to support the proposal, with ongoing events and partnerships with other civil society groups. Importantly, this campaign is being driven entirely by a group of volunteers from different communities, demonstrating the power of a small group of people to drive the change they want to see in the world.

30th October 2020

Penampang: A Case Study of Circular Development in Sabah

Boyd Dionysius Jouman, Senior Vice President & Lead for Resilient Environment, Iskandar Regional Development Authority moderates the discussion with various public and private sector actors who have come together to put the Penampang district on the circular economy map in the last few years. Through his NGO work bringing micro hydro renewable energy to remote villages, Senator Adrian “Banie” Lasimbang, Senator in the Parliament of Malaysia creates a socioeconomic incentive for communities to conserve their watershed. Senator highlights the importance of a participatory approach to ensure the longevity of the project beyond installation. Benny Ng, Council Member, SHAREDA (Sabah Housing and Real Estate Developers Association) then shares about the key role developers can and should play in promoting circular development by leveraging their strategic influence as a bridge between the public and private sectors and engaging with state authorities on the SDGs and proposed bylaws that will help to accelerate circularity as Sabah develops. Freddy Ekol, Councillor of Penampang District Council shares examples of circular economy in Penampang focusing on sustainable economic development and waste-to-energy strategies. The discussion enlightens listeners on the importance of acknowledging native law to empower communities to manage resources in a circular fashion. Chau Loon Wai, Senior lecturer at UTM-Low Carbon Asia Research Centre stresses that incentivising circular practices is key to getting mass buy-in. 

30th October 2020

How Architectural Design can be a Core Element for influencing Circular Behaviour: The built environment is a fixture for circularity because of the scale and impact on the environment as a consumer of materials and producer of waste and greenhouse gas emissions. Yann Follain, Managing Director & Head of Design at WY-TO Singapore takes us through the application of circular approaches to the built environment. The four main domains are: design for longevity; design for service; design for reuse and refurbishment; and design for material recovery. He then shows examples of circular buildings from the Asia Pacific region, and ends by calling for a top-down approach of government policies to drive and centralise circularity, coupled with a bottom-up approach of industry and citizens participating and distributing circularity. 

30th October 2020

Why e-Commerce needs a Circular Packaging Revolution: The second part of this webinar focuses on circular e-commerce packaging. Marialine Verdickt and Laura Iturria, CEC Singapore Organisers highlight the problem of packaging waste and related emissions. They suggest that a packaging revolution is needed to keep up with increasing demand for fit-for-purpose packaging that meets the unique requirements of e-commerce logistics. Sharing innovative examples, they point to two key players: industry players like fulfilment companies and brands themselves to develop their own solutions that can even become marketing strategies, as well as government to establish e-commerce packaging guidelines.

31st October 2020

CEC Vienna & London: Closed Loop Supply Chains and Circular Start-ups

The first part of this webinar convenes a panel discussion on the transition to closed loop systems in global supply chains. Liwah Wong, Guest Scientist, Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC) in Berlin brings the scientific view that much more needs to be know about closed loop systems and the quantifiable impact of various circular approaches. Martin Stavenhagen, Consultant/Coach/Collaborator & Co-Founder of Get Circular with SD Consulting believes more positive direction can be accelerated by government legislation such as the European Green Deal. Drawing parallels with Covid-19, Gabriella Gyori, Sustainable Procurement Officer, CEC Mentor and Procurement Consultant in Berlin says change is not so much a question of responsibility but of cooperation between all parties. The panellists agree that standards are helpful in pointing us all in the same direction. Following this, Dr. David Greenfield, European External Affairs Spokesperson of Circular Economy Club and Founder of SOENECS introduces listeners to CEC London’s activities and some of the exciting developments in circular economy particularly innovations from the start-up scene. He also touches on behavioural change and the funding gap for circular start-ups that must find a way to correlate environmental and social gains with financial value.