RI Asia 2022

• Does ESG have an image problem in APAC?
• Service-based economies are naturally going to have a lower carbon footprint than those heavily involved in manufacturing/raw material extraction, how does this reality in Asia impact the practicality of a transition to net zero?
• Which sustainability KPI’s should be prioritised for disclosure?
• Which sustainability metrics will be penalised by investors?
• What are the regional differences in sustainability agendas and how do they translate into what investors are doing?

• How do investor balance decarbonisation efforts with energy security and the social imperative for economic development?
• How are the very painful short-term effects of rapid decarbonisation to be navigated and weathered?
• Is the just transition concept being applied enough in emerging markets?
• What social risks does rapid decarbonisation present to Asian economies?
• Climate impact won’t be achieved through business as usual, so what needs to change?
• What partnerships and new models are needed to create scalable climate impact?
• How do regional regulators align their environmental requirements with financial institutions in their net-zero ambitions?

• Understand the ongoing evolution of sustainable finance regulations in key Asian markets
• What is the outlook for approaches being taken by Asia’s regulator, in terms of mandatory vs soft-touch, principle-based disclosure requirements?
• Is there a second mover advantage for Asia’s regulators?
• What is the regulatory agenda for the next 2-3 years?
• How are investors reconciling local regulations and regional, such as ASEAN, disclosure frameworks?
• To what extent do emerging Asian regulations align and differ with other jurisdictions such as the EU taxonomy and the SEC’s upcoming rules?
• EU is often regarded as the leader when it comes to sustainable finance regulatory frameworks, how far is Asia as compared to the EU?
• How long before Asian regulators make climate disclosures mandatory?
• Given the global scope of investors, will there be a natural converge in disclosure standards over time?

• How will ESG data & disclosure practices develop in the coming decade?
• How have disclosure initiatives such as the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) progressed?
• To what extent are Asian institutions using voluntary standards to guide their sustainability reporting?
• Will voluntary standards be adopted by regulatory bodies in key Asian markets?
• To what extent should investors rely on regulations and external standards to guide their data gathering, engagement and disclosure?

• Do profitability and sustainability always go hand in hand?
• Are investors willing to accept lower short term returns in exchange for long term resilience?
• Will the green transition put pressure on the bottom line? What about compliance with global social and human rights standards?
• What are the opportunities available to Asian companies?

• How are banks delivering on their sustainability pledges?
• What is the state of current sustainable banking practices, where is there room for innovation?
• What are the main challenges faced by lenders in creating credible ESG-orientated incentives to their borrowers in sustainability-linked loans?

• SE Asia is particularly exposed to sea level rises, severe typhoons, tsunamis and other natural disasters, how are financial institutions capturing climate risks to the economy and financial system?
• How sophisticated and accurate are climate models as it stands?
• How can climate analysis be translated into actionable practices for investment decision making and mitigation?
• Considering other risks including physical risk and interaction between physical and transition risks

• What are some of the more innovative models being applied in climate-orientated and adaptation finance?
• What is the opportunity for investors in climate finance in Asia?
• Brown-to-green transition finance: what financial products can incentivise development of a more renewable energy mix in the region?
• To what extent are sustainability-linked loans, green bonds and blended finance solutions able to move the needle on net zero achievement?
• What is the future role of ‘catalytic’ subsidised capital in blended financing structures?

• Comparing ESG data practices for public and private companies
• How can investors and bankers analyse an ESG score and dig deeper into what it means for a company?
• How can investors and companies avoid drowning in ESG data and purposeless data gathering?
• How do investors determine what is material ESG information and how should it be used?
• What data is available to properly assess deforestation, human rights and other crucial ESG risks?
• How can investors make the most of new sources of information e.g. satellite data, artificial intelligence, big data?

• Do ESG ratings penalise Asian companies unfairly?
• Should providers provide more transparency on ESG rating methodologies?
• Should metrics that feed Asian companies ratings be different to other regions to reflect different priorities?