Seafood Sourcing Risks
This briefing for investors and companies sets out the major categories of seafood sustainability risks. It presents the results of a disclosure review of the steps that leading retailers and hotels from Asia-Pacific, the EU, and North America are taking to address them. The review finds a mixed policy response from Asia-Pacific retailers and hotels. […]
Time Out: Coal Capex in China
In 2016, seven leading Chinese power companies planned to spend an estimated CNY 238 billion on 89 coal power plants to drive China’s economy forward. Will these plants be able to make decent returns as China takes a driving seat in the Paris Accord? Published by ARE (2016) Download Report Here
CG Watch 2016
ACGA’s eighth CG Watch survey in collaboration with CLSA and the first to include Australia. If there is a single message for this survey, it is that the ecosystem of corporate governance in any market is not just important, it is the differentiating factor between long-term system success and failure. In various ways the previous […]
Investing for the Climate in Asia
Are “green finance” and climate change gaining traction in the Asian financial sector? We reviewed the practices of 88 leading financial institutions across Asia-Pacific to find out. We discovered growing momentum: 28% of banks and 30% of investors have incorporated climate change into their respective policies. Commissioned by AIGCC with support from ANZ (2016) Download […]
Palm Conundrums: Ranking Consumer Companies on Sustainable Palm Oil Use
Southeast Asia’s 2015 haze highlighted one of many problems with the expansion of palm-oil production. While the industry has become controversial, it also has great sustainability fundamentals such as poverty alleviation and higher land yields than alternative oils. Can consumer companies help palm oil rescue its reputation or will links to the commodity damage their […]
Sustainable Path: Who Is Leading Palm-Oil Reform?
Constant criticism of plantation companies has seen a major shift in attitude among the leading players. Having previously regarded sustainable practices as a chore, they now promote them as a key differentiating factor in marketing their products to discerning customers. This report analysed the major listed players, considering policy adoption, approaches to traceability, responsible planting […]
A Contribution to Singapore’s Food Future
Food security and animal welfare are not mutually exclusive concepts. Rather, when viewed holistically, they are complementary objectives. Improving animal welfare in protein production reduces epidemic risks and reduces impact on the environment. ARE wrote this paper in response to ministerial comments to support policy development and coordination across various ministries. Download Report Here
Sustainable Finance in Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia
There is a strong case for ASEAN banks and investors to address environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues in assessing companies for loans and investment. There are increasing reputational risks associated with financing companies that practice slash-and-burn agriculture as the haze has gained global attention. How do ASEAN financial institutions fare against their international counterparts? […]
CG Watch 2014
CG Watch is a joint publication between the Asian Corporate Governance Association (ACGA) and CLSA. The 2014 edition, published in September 2014, was their seventh survey of corporate governance in Asia. It generally found more cause for optimism among the middle-ranked markets, namely Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan and India, than either the top- or bottom-ranked […]
Measuring ESG footprints
As sustainability risks manifest, how do you know which companies in Asia can leverage on opportunities and which are at risk? We worked with CLSA to develop a framework to assess their coverage. Investors can use the framework to focus on the most material issues and factors for each sector. CLSA also used this framework […]