The National University of Singapore Business School’s Centre of Governance and Sustainability (CGS) has launched a three-year collaboration with luxury group Kering to conduct research on the impact of climate and nature related transition strategies adopted by corporations across the Asia-Pacific region.
- The partnership was announced on 13 May at the Nature in the City forum, organised by the French National Museum of Natural History and the Embassy of France in Singapore.
THE RESEARCH: Focused on nature-related reporting and climate transition plans, three research studies are set to unfold in three phases.
- The first and third studies will focus on nature-related issues, while the second study will concentrate on climate transition.
- These studies will examine strategies adopted by the top 50 listed companies in each of the 14 Asia-Pacific jurisdictions based on market capitalisation, including Australia, China (mainland), Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
- The primary audience for the nature- and climate-related studies include business leaders, investors, regulators, public sector leaders and non-profit sector leaders.
- The studies aim to provide insights to the current state of nature and climate practices, establish baseline for strategies and reporting, highlight industry trends, and identify areas for improvements.
- The first of three planned studies, titled 'Nature-Related Practices and Strategies in Asia-Pacific' analysed nature-related strategies from 700 listed companies across 11 industries. It found that 35% of companies that mention nature in their reports, consider nature and biodiversity to be material issues.
- Among the 375 companies with a materiality matrix, 31% prioritised nature and biodiversity as mid to high priority issues. In contrast, 82% view climate change as a mid to high priority. Additionally, 9% of all companies have tapped into capital flows and financing opportunities related to nature.
- The results indicated that compared to nature-related disclosures, climate related disclosures are at a more mature stage. To close the gap, companies need to enhance their disclosure of nature-related issues by tapping on nature-reporting frameworks and encourage greater investment.
THE UNIVERSITY: The Centre for Governance and Sustainability (CGS), established by the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School in 2010, spearheads relevant and high-impact research on corporate governance and corporate sustainability issues that are pertinent to institutions, government bodies and businesses in Singapore and the Asia-Pacific.
- CGS is the national assessor for the corporate sustainability and corporate governance performance of listed companies in Singapore. In tandem with growing demands from consumers and investors that financial returns are achieved with integrity, backed with environmental and social considerations, CGS has a slew of research focusing on sustainability reporting in Asia Pacific, sustainable banking, nature reporting, and climate reporting in ASEAN.
WHAT THEY SAID:
Nature underpins all economic activities and human well-being. Therefore, the disclosure of nature-related practices and strategies is crucial to provide transparency and accountability for a company's environmental impact and sustainability practices. We are poised to drive meaningful change by developing a baseline for measuring biodiversity tracking and examining climate transition strategies across diverse industries. This is a significant step in encouraging the integration of nature-centric approaches into corporate strategies, fostering a more sustainable and resilient future for all.
— Professor Lawrence Loh
Director, Centre for Governance and Sustainability
NUS Business School
The sustainability challenges we face today are complex, and by partnering with an outstanding university renowned for its expertise in sustainability topics, we are exemplifying the Group’s commitment to collaborate with partners on the Asia-Pacific region’s sustainability journey.
—Marie-Claire Daveu
Chief Sustainability and Institutional Affairs Officer
Kering
