Companies with good environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) practices have been more resilient since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic as investors’ growing concerns over damage to the environment have led them to put more value on the effective management of ESG risks. Bursa Malaysia Bhd chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Muhamad Umar Swift said while sustainable finance is still emerging in ASEAN capital markets, governments and regulators are making some meaningful efforts to promote and support the endeavour. “The Covid-19 pandemic is widely seen to have given sustainability further impetus. Millennials and Gen Z are showing greater concern with respect to sustainability and changing expectations of businesses’ role in improving society and protecting the environment,” he said in his opening speech at the ASEAN: Beyond the Pandemic Crisis virtual conference. At the regional level, he said key developments include using the ASEAN Green Bond Standards, the ASEAN Social Bond Standards and the ASEAN Sustainability Standards to foster greater transparency and consistency across the region, whereby doing so reduces due diligence costs for investors.

Posted by

The Edge Markets