I recently completed a two-day ESG and Sustainability in Asia Workshop with Eco-Business, led by Junice Yeo, Executive Director at Eco-Business.

The workshop provided a comprehensive overview of sustainability, covering the crucial aspects of Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG). The climate risk is real, and I am grateful that there is now collective attention and action on addressing it.

There is so much to cover in ESG, and I was initially overwhelmed. However, the concept of materiality stood out to me. By focusing on the issues that have the greatest impact on their business, companies can more effectively address sustainability challenges. What actions can we take now that will have the greatest impact?

I am glad and fortunate to be living in Singapore, where the government is leading a progressive charge towards sustainability. The MAS’ Finance for Net Zero (FiNZ) Action Plan aims to decarbonize the financial sector, which will have a domino effect on other industries.

With a greater appreciation of sustainability, my thoughts shift towards marketing. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵, 𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 (𝟯𝗣𝘀) 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳? #SustainableMarketing

𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: How can we promote and adopt consumption patterns that minimize over-consumption, reduce waste, and lower our environmental footprint?

𝗖𝗶𝗿𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆: What strategies can we implement to create and promote a closed-loop system where products and materials are reused, repaired, and recycled?

𝗕𝘆 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀: How can we ensure that our business practices prioritize human well-being, equity, and community engagement?

Personally, I’ll keep doing my part of 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲 (mindful shopping), 𝗥𝗲𝘂𝘀𝗲 (exchange, resell, borrow), and 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲 (Bloobin – I learned from one of the participants, whose i/c of that recycling project, that because there is no separation, we should bag our recyclables to minimise contamination. Not ideal, but still better than throwing away.)

What else?

P.S. Glad to reconnect with Junice after 20 years! We were from the same junior college but different classes. We later connected in Shanghai in 2005 through the business association. While we stayed connected on LinkedIn, we only very recently reconnected when I reached out to learn more about ESG, and she gladly offered to meet for lunch to share openly. Thank you!

Workshop link ➡️ ESG and Sustainability in Asia: A Business Strategy