To establish a framework for assessing the sustainability plans of significant Asia-Pacific companies, Kering and the National University of Singapore (NUS) have formally cooperated.
Kering used the Singaporean conference “Nature in the City” to announce their relationship with the NUS Centre of Governance and Sustainability.
With a focus on the business plans of the 50 largest companies in the Asia-Pacific region, the first of the three study stages has already been formed. In this phase, there will be representation from Australia, Mainland China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The first phase, titled “Nature-Related Practices and Strategies in Asia-Pacific,” will encompass about 700 enterprises across 11 industries. Preliminary research indicates that 35 percent of these corporations reference nature in their activity reports, but primarily in relation to material resources. Just 31% of these firms rank nature and biodiversity as medium or high priorities, compared to 82% for climate change.
According to Marie-Claire Daveu, chief sustainability and institutional affairs officer at Kering, NUS “combines academic rigor, research expertise, and real-world experience – essential levers for successful impact.”
“We show the group’s commitment to working with partners on the path to sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region by partnering with an exceptional university renowned for its expertise in this field. The sustainability challenges we face today are complex.”
The study’s second phase will then concentrate on how big enterprises in the area have incorporated climate change into their plans.
