As the operating and regulatory environment becomes increasingly complex, the ability to successfully navigate the environment, achieve carbon reduction requirement, and positively impact community will ensure businesses remain competitive internationally, as local companies continue to attract capital for sustainable growth and manage operating costs efficiently to bridge the sustainable and carbon credit gap, according to Kevin Lee, Group Head of Sustainability, CGS International Securities Singapore (CGSI Singapore).
In its second annual ESG and Sustainability Conference held in Kuala Lumpur today, CGSI Malaysia highlighted key opportunities in relation to the recent Madani Budget 2025 for companies to integrate ESG considerations into their businesses.
The conference, with a theme on “Elevating Social Goals in Malaysia’s Path Forward”, also hosted a fireside session where the Minister of Finance II Yang Berhormat Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan provided greater clarity on the government’s intent and execution of the Ekonomi MADANI framework to raise the ceiling and ensure sustainable growth, and raise the floor by increasing social protection.
The conference also featured panel discussion that covered critical ESG topics relating to recent developments in data centres, managing national assets and resources for the nation such as food security and water assets, the role of circular economy in managing waste such as recycling and waste-to-energy initiatives in efforts to decarbonise industries and concurrently improve livelihood.
Meanwhile, Puan Azizah Mohd Yatim, Chief Executive Officer of CGSI Malaysia, said, “Together, the financial and capital markets have a large multiplier effect on the economy and its people. We hope that through platforms like our annual ESG conference, we will be able to determine how CGSI Malaysia can offer end-to-end ESG solutions.”
At present, CGSI has its own in-house sustainability-carbon advisory team that recently launched a slew of products and services such as the ESG Share Margin Financing for investing and trading of ESG-rated stocks, a dedicated research arm called ASEAN Institute of Carbon Neutrality to motivate and mobilise finance for climate change action in ASEAN1 to support their Carbon Advisory Services.
- ASEAN: Association of Southeast Asian Nations ↩︎
