Malaysian businesses say that sustainability is a key component of their future business strategy, especially when re-assessing their operations to embed firmer environmental foundation amid the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the findings of a survey by HSBC. The emphasis on sustainability has either remained consistent or increased for nearly two-thirds or 65% of businesses in Malaysia based on the first half of 2020, the bank said. “Some 30% of Malaysian businesses feel that sustainability is as important as before compared to all other markets (23%), and more than one out of three businesses (35%) feel it is more important than before,” HSBC said in a statement. The HSBC Navigator “Resilience: Building Back Better” poll covered 2,604 companies across 14 markets globally, including 200 firms from Malaysia. HSBC Malaysia chief executive officer Stuart Milne said there was a near-unanimous commitment among business decision-makers to build back better. More than nine out of 10 Malaysian businesses (94% versus 91% across all markets) agreed that the need to re-assess or review their operations would enable them to rebuild their business on firmer environmental foundations, he said. “Sustainability helps Malaysian businesses build resilience and positions them well for growth. As such, the financial services sector has a critical role to play in supporting sustainable business activities,” he added.

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