From manufacturing clothing in sweatshops to poor environmental practices, Asia-Pacific businesses have lagged behind the rest of the world for years on environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters.

But, Kamran Khan, Deutsche Bank’s new Asia-Pacific ESG head, sees an opportunity for the region’s companies to reshape their tarnished reputation and differentiate themselves by installing state-of-the art, environmentally friendly technology that allows them to leapfrog their European and North American competitors.

Asian investors and businesses are increasingly considering how to address environmental and social factors at the start of their discussions about investing in projects or constructing portfolios, rather than trying to screen out bad actors late in the game, Khan said.

“This is an opportunity for them [to say] I can establish myself through ESG as a global citizen,” Khan said. “It is an opportunity for Deutsche Bank to support such companies, because it is good for our business and great for this region.”

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