A breakthrough in sustainable finance - Solutions lie in the actions of all
HONG KONG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The 10th Anniversary Conference of the Association for Sustainable & Responsible Investment in Asia (ASrIA) was held from 28-29 September 2011 at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong Hotel. This two-day conference and gala dinner gathered over 250 attendees from over 15 countries and resulted in fruitful discussions under the theme of Scaling Up Sustainable Finance in Asia. The conference included plenary presentations, panel discussions, networking lunch and breakout discussions.
The conference highlighted the increasing trend of taking social and environmental issues into account when making an investment decisions in Asia which is also the main belief in Sustainable Finance. "There is tremendous potential to accelerate the development of sustainable finance. We see enormous investor focus on Asia, due to the turmoil in Western markets and the continuing growth in this region," said ASrIA Chairman Alexandra Boakes Tracy in her welcoming speech to the conference.
The panel discussions and presentations by global leaders and experts from the Asia Pacific region examined the industry's progress and shared perspectives on the key challenges it faces to shape Asia's next decade. Sustainability in traditional asset classes and alternative assets was one of the key concerns identified by many of the delegates.
Environmental issues are playing crucial roles in the development of Sustainable Finance. "Climate change is such a threat to social and economic development, it is essential for industries to contribute to ecologically and socially responsible economic growth," Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary from United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) explained to ASrIA delegates. The green economy is likely to comprise Sustainable Finance development for the next decades. Investment in clean energy policies, and carbon trading were some possible solutions discussed during the two-day event. More opportunities should also be offered to companies to invest in Sustainable Investment (SI) projects.
"The ASrIA team showed very successfully that when addressing the environment and climate change 'sustainability' is a critical factor for all stakeholders to consider, whether governments, corporations, financial institutions, or the consumer. I also take this opportunity to congratulate ASrIA on their 10th anniversary and look forward to continuing our partnership in the future," commented Anthony Moody, Executive Chairman for Asia of Sindicatum Sustainable Resources Group, speaker and delegate of the conference.
The conference generated 360 tonnes of carbon emissions, primarily caused by air transportation. The conference was offset by South Pole Carbon Asset Management and Sudokown Landfill Site Management Corporation (SLC), Carbon Offset Co-sponsors of the conference. They explained Landfill Gas Electricity Generation in a nutshell. "Municipal solid waste landfills are the main sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, recovering and utilising landfill gas can help to produce alternative energy and reduce carbon footprint effectively," said Mr Seong Min Park of SLC. South Pole is a member of ASrIA and helped facilitate the purchase of carbon credits from SLC, responsible for the solid waste management for Seoul's 24 million people.
At the 10th Anniversary Gala Dinner celebration, Tessa Tennant, Founding Chair of ASrIA, presented the Sustainable Finance Awards in Asia to outstanding sustainable finance leaders in the Asia Pacific Region. Winners included top influential leaders and visionary organisations from across the value chain. For the list of winners, please see below.
Note to editors - List of winners in the Sustainable Finance Awards
- Most progressive asset owner: National Pension Service of Korea
- Most progressive insurer: Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance
- Most supportive regulatory organization: Shanghai Stock Exchange
- Most progressive banker: Somak Ghosh, Group President - Development & Sustainable Banking, YES BANK
- Best portfolio manager: David Gait, Senior Portfolio Manager, Colonial First State Global Asset Management
- Best company analyst: Weiyee In, Global Head of Technology, Media and Telecom Research, BNP Paribas
- Most progressive corporate leader: Assaad Razzouk, Chief Executive Officer -Sindicatum Sustainable Resources Group
- Best sustainable business or finance writer: Hugh Wheelan, Managing Editor, Responsible Investor
About ASrIA
Launched in 2001, the Association for Sustainable and Responsible Investment in Asia (ASrIA) is a not for profit, membership association taking a leadership role in promoting corporate responsibility and sustainable finance practice in the Asia Pacific region. Members are drawn from the Asian and international financial services industry with an interest in sustainable investment. ASrIA's goal is to build market capacity for SRI by fostering the creation of SRI products and services and providing training and support services, including conferences, seminars, workshops, research projects and publications to raise the standards of SRI practice and build momentum for SRI in Asia and beyond.
Contacts
For media enquiries please contact:
AsrIA
Rebecca Mikula-Wright, General Manager, +852 3105 3701
FAX +852 3105 9707
rebecca@asria.org
www.asria.org
or
For conference enquiries and bookings, please contact:
AsrIA
Elsa Li, Marketing & Events Manager, +852 3105 3701
FAX +852 3105 9707
events@asria.org
http://conference.asria.org/2011/