CONFERENCE COVERAGE: Talks Show Investors Pivoting To ‘Purposeful’ Portfolios
August 24, 2021–Leaders from financial investment firms, consulting agencies, nonprofits and startups met virtually last week to spur collaborations and sustainable investments in Asia. The South China Morning Post’s held the event, called Asia Sustainability Conference.
As investors continue to flock to rapidly-developing markets in Asia, the conference reflected growing demand for investment opportunities in line with environmental, social, and corporate governance criteria.
“Going forward, we are all equal. There is so much pressure to look at sustainable investments that, with new investments, we are on par with the rest of the world,” said Shiraz Poonevala, director of investments at Thailand-based GP Group.
Changing Practices for a Changing Climate
The conference’s main focus was on sustainable investment, but it was constantly cast against the backdrop of climate change. For example, panel discussions frequently highlighted how emerging technologies and infrastructure would withstand the threat of the climate crisis.
“Climate change is an issue that will shape the business context and investment realities for all of us,” said Steve Howard., chief sustainability officer at Temasek International, a Singapore-based investment firm. “With our best efforts, we can actually invest in and help create the zero-carbon future we need. Time is not on our side so, it’s about every investment decision that we make from now on and going forward.”
-August 17, virtual conference by the South China Morning Post
Climate-Sensitive Construction
The construction industry is incorporating new technologies to make buildings greener.
For example, Alessandro Bisagni, founder and president of Shanghai-based BEE Incorporations, explained how his firm uses technology to track energy usage in buildings in real-time.
In his words, competition between Asian developers is no longer about “who has the tallest” or “who has the biggest,” but “who has the greenest.” He added that “tenants have found that having a green and safe space to go into is a human right,” making sustainable development a wiser long-term investment.
According to the company, “buildings are responsible for nearly 40 percent of annual global greenhouse gas emissions and over 50 percent of the world’s energy consumption.”
New Technologies for Sustainable Business
Panels tackled a variety of topics, spanning investments in sustainable food and fashion, smart cities and infrastructure of the future, and a variety of new technologies: GreenTech, FinTech, Agrifood Tech, and HealthTech, just to name a few.
RBC’s Head of Wealth Management Terence Chow suggested the long-term gains of investing in sustainable development outweigh the immediate.
Summary of Event
The event virtually converged over 3,200 panelists and delegates across industries from August 17-19 to discuss sustainable investment, climate-minded technologies of the future, and diversity in finance.
The conference came to an end on the third day highlighting the day’s most notable quotes. One may have summed up the conference’s ethos best: “The world is borderless – there is so much to learn from how people are doing things in different markets as long as you are willing to.”
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