Eco Money with Rachel Kelly (Money FM)

Every year - up to US$120 billion of value is lost to the economy in the form of plastic waste. We are talking about millions of tonnes of plastic in landfill, being incinerated or leaking into the environment. 

Lombard Odier says that finance has a central role to play in making the industry sustainable. Rachel Kelly spoke to Dr. Thomas Hohne-Sparborth, Head of Sustainability Research, Lombard Odier Group to find out more. 

01:33: Why and how is the finance sector looking at plastic waste?

04:25: What kind of companies are circular plastic funds investing in?

05:44 - What kind of returns can investors expect when they couple profits with purpose and try to tackle plastic waste with investments

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“FiscalNote ESG Solutions”, a suite of technology-driven services, data, advisory, and community to help guide and corporates to manage their ESG goals has been launched in Singapore. 

Rachel Kelly speaks to Quentin Fouesnant, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, FiscalNote ESG Solutions to find out more. 

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In a capitalist world, can profits still be attained while leaders pursue purpose? Can a balance between environmental needs with those of corporations be struck?

Rachel Kelly speaks with Rajeev Peshawaria, CEO, Stewardship Asia Centre and author of the book Sustainable Sustainability to discuss  the role corporates play in tackling climate change and how steward leadership can help us combine profits and purpose.

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The Asian Development Bank has launched the Innovative Finance Facility for Climate in Asia and the Pacific or IF -CAP to tackle the impact of climate change. 

This is believed to be the first time a leveraged guarantee mechanism for climate finance has been adopted by a multilateral development bank.

Up to $15 billion in new loans for much-needed climate projects across Asia and the Pacific could be created under IF-CAP.

Rachel Kelly takes a closer look in this episode of Eco Money.

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Over the past five years, the Eco Money segment has reported on record breaking temperatures, green bonds, blue bonds, brown bonds, and even rhino bonds - and shared the latest news and views when it comes to sustainability investment.

In the last episode of Eco Money, Rachel Kelly reflects on key topics covered and highlights from the segment.

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ESG issues have become a priority for many businesses of late. What exactly do fun, health, leisure, and other millennials' values have to do with ESG investment trends? Rachel Kelly finds out from Julie Saussier, Senior Equity Analyst, Consumer Goods and Daniel Rupli, Head of Single Security Research on Climate Change, Credit Suisse.

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KPMG estimates that the decarbonisation opportunity in ASEAN is expected to reach between US$7.5 trillion to US$10 trillion by 2050, with about half of the investments channelled towards renewable energy and strengthening power infrastructure across ASEAN. To tap into this trend - it has launched KPMG’s ASEAN Decarbonisation Hub in Singapore. Rachel Kelly speaks to Sharad Somani, Partner, Head of Infrastructure, KPMG Asia Pacific to find out more.

01:07: What does decarbonisation mean for business?

03:54: Where are the key opportunities when it comes to decarbonisation?

05:50: What kind of jobs will be created?

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The healthcare industry is responsible for 4.4% of global CO2 emissions.

That may not sound like a lot, but to put things in perspective, if it were a country, it would be the fifth largest emitter on the planet.

According to a report released by Health Care Without Harm and independent sustainability consultancy, Arup, the  top three emitters, the United States, China, and collectively the countries of the European Union, comprise more than half the world’s total health care climate footprint (56%)- with hospitals and health facilities being major resource and energy consumers.

In this episode of Eco Money, Rachel Kelly speaks with Simarna Singh, Regional Sustainability Manager, Business Unit Healthcare for APAC at DKSH, a healthcare services and distribution company, to find out more. 

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Singapore has once again emerged as the ASEAN leader in energy transition efforts, for the second year in a row.

That's according to the latest annual survey by the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore (SEAS) with 250 industry professionals from the energy sector.

However, nearly one-third of energy professionals believe the city-state’s renewable energy targets need more aggressive action.

SEAS says respondents are concerned that Singapore remains dependent on natural gas and see lack of regulatory frameworks and barriers in cross-border interconnection agreements as well as regulatory uncertainties in tightened energy markets as hurdles.

Rachel Kelly speaks to Kavita Gandhi, Executive Director of the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore to find out more. 

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MSCI research shows that so called sustainability linked products in the fixed income space could offer a greenium, or green premium.  To find out just how much and which sectors top the charts, Rachel Kelly spoke to Jakub Malich, ESG Fixed Income Research Lead at MSCI

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How often do you conduct a financial transaction online or on your mobile phone?

This luxury isn't available to everyone. 

In Southeast Asia for example, 225 million people lack access to a bank account, and 350 million do not have access to formal credit. 

Micro, small and medium enterprises are also facing a significant funding gap as a result of being underbanked. In fact, 39 million micro, small, and medium enterprises face a funding gap of up to US$300 billion.

To get a better understanding of the unserved situation, Rachel Kelly speaks with Dawn Chan, she is the CEO of the Centre for Impact Investing and Practices.

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Singapore has  announced it will set 2050 as the year its greenhouse gas emissions reach net zero, and has also earmarked a stronger 2030 target. But - some say these targets are not aggressive enough.

Rachel Kelly speaks to Tan Wooi Leong, Managing Director of Energy & Industrial, Surbana Jurong to get his thoughts and find out what the new targets mean for Singapore’s energy and infrastructure sectors. 

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Ringing in a new era of hope for climate action.

That is the weight that hangs above this year’s conference of parties or COP28.

COP28 President-Designate, Dr Sultan Al Jaber literally did that in New York as the first COP president to ring the New York Stock Exchange bell to help raise awareness of climate finance in the US business community.

Rachel Kelly has the latest in this week's Eco Money. 

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2023 may have seen a spotlight cast on controversy around ESG investing.

Greenwashing and confusing terminology may have punched a dent in ESG’s credibility.

Could this give way to greater clarity around language, goals and intentions in the year ahead?

MSCI ESG Research’s Sustainability and Climate Trends for 2024 is hot off the press.  Rachel Kelly speaks to Yu Ishihara, Executive Director, MSCI ESG & Climate Research to get the details. 

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Trek through the jungle in the heart of Sarawak in Borneo and you may stumble upon a traditional long house with rattan and textile weavers. 

If you caught this year’s Malaysia Budget coverage - the document folio that contained the Malaysia Budget 2023, carried by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to Parliament to present his Budget speech was carried in a Songket bag. 

Eco Money Host, Rachel Kelly, speaks to Curtis Chin, Chair, Milken Institute Asia Center, about his recent trip to Sarawak to visit traditional weavers and the business opportunities of preserving tradition and thinking sustainably.

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When you think of alternative meats - jackfruit may not be the first thing that comes to mind. 

BUT this humble fruit has been used in vegetarian dishes for years.

One Singapore based startup is betting big on this trend. KARANA has plans to take jackfruit global - starting from our little red dot. 

Eco Money Host, Rachel Kelly speaks to BLAIR CRICHTON, Co-Founder, KARANA to find out more.

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RHB, Malaysia’s fourth-largest bank by assets has announced ambitious climate targets.

Setting its sights on net zero by 2050 and increasing its sustainable finance target to RM50 billion  by 2026.

The news was shared at the inaugural RHB sustainability media day.

Speaking at the session, Mohd Rashid Mohamad  Group Managing Director / Group Chief Executive Officer of RHB Banking Group shared that the goals are the result of over a year of work under the group climate action programme.

Rachel Kelly with the details.

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An unprecedented 128,000 millionaires are expected to relocate worldwide this year.

That’s according to the latest report from Henley and Partners.

The great migrations comes as the world grapples with a perfect storm of geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty, and social upheaval, millionaires are voting with their feet in record numbers.

Now, another factor is increasingly weighing on the minds of the wealthy when it comes to residency, and that is climate change.

Rachel Kelly speaks to Dominic Volek, Group Head of Private Clients at Henley & Partners to find out more.

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Palm oil can be found in roughly 50% of products on supermarket shelves. 

But, this extremely versatile product is also a highly contentious one. 

That is because of the way sustainability and ethical concerns surrounding palm oil farming.

Golden Agri Resources is a global leader in palm oil production, it says that sustainability is at the heart of its daily operations, and has been for more than two decades, since it became the first Indonesian palm oil company to adopt a Zero Burning Policy in 1997.

To find out more about sustainable palm oil production - Rachel Kelly spoke with Anita Neville, Vice President of Corporate Communications and Sustainability Relations, Golden Agri-Resources.

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The Sustainable City is the first operational Net Zero Energy city in Dubai, modelled to become an international showcase for high quality sustainable living.

It’s been 9 years since the first set of keys were handed over to tenants in this community with solar panel clad homes and shaded vehicle free pedestrian streets.

Now, it’s been one year since I moved to Dubai and I can’t help but wonder why there aren’t more of such developments across the globe.

To find out more about the project, I caught up with Marwa Al Nahlawi, General Manager of Diamond Developers.

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The Monetary Authority of Singapore will contribute to a $5 million Asia climate solutions grant -

This is part of a push to move closer to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The grant will be hosted by a global network for blended finance.

The funding was announced at the inaugural Transition Finance Towards Net Zero Conference. 

The Monetary Authority of Singapore, together with knowledge partners McKinsey & Company and Convergence Blended Finance, hosted the event which sought to bring together key public and private sector stakeholders to mobilise capital at scale to help economies and corporates decarbonise. Rachel Kelly speaks with Sven Smit, Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company to find out more. 

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As city dwellers, we spend about 90% of our time indoors. But, have you ever wondered about the sustainability of the building around you?

From the energy used to the carbon footprint - there are now tools available to help business calculate the sustainability of a building.

Corporate Facility Partners or CFP Green Buildings, a green real estate company from the Netherlands, has unveiled its innovative Green Buildings Tool in Singapore.

Rachel Kelly speaks to Olivier Noorduyn, Head of International Partnerships at CFP Building to find out more. 

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There’s been a sharp decline in CEOs’ prioritization of sustainability - that’s according to the latest research from Bain & Co.

Instead AI, growth, inflation, and geopolitical uncertainty have risen to the top of their agendas.

That said, this slowing momentum on sustainability could come with a tangible cost.

Bain estimates a temperature increase of 2 degrees Celsius could cut $6 trillion from the value of the S&P 5001, in addition to the devastating environmental and social consequences.

Many companies are reassessing, adjusting, and, in some cases, retracting their climate commitments.

Rachel Kelly has more in this week's Eco Money.

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Temasek has launched its inaugural Sustainability Report.

The state owned investment firm says that this brings together its disclosures and tracks progress, taking into consideration the disclosure requirements issued by the international sustainability standards board.

In its latest review just announced this week- Temasek says it deployed S$3 billion into investments aligned with the Sustainable Living trend in the last year.

Rachel Kelly has the details in this week's Eco Money.

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Eco Money host Rachel Kelly, attends the AVPN Global Conference in Abu Dhabi to get the latest insights into social investing and what it means to be a social investor. 

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The theme for this year's World Environment Day is land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience.

In this episode of Eco Money we look at  hydro-technology, and how hydro is evolving to become smaller, more compact, and its growth as countries across the globe race to net zero targets.

To help us get a better understanding of hydropower in Asia, Rachel Kelly spoke to Brian Selby, Regional General Manager, Asia, China & India, GE Renewable Energy Hydro Solutions, GE Vernova.

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Listed companies are on a path to warm the planet by 2.7° above preindustrial levels this century.

That’s according to the latest MSCI Net-Zero Tracker.

The number is well above  limiting the rise in average global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius  above preindustrial levels.

And while climate goals by listcos may be on the rise, so are emissions. 

Rachel Kelly speaks to Sylvain Vanston, Executive Director, Climate Change Investment Research, MSCI to find out why.

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Singapore aims to reach net zero by 2050.

And, according to some industry players - more needs to be done to reach climate goals.

A survey of members of the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore revealed that more than two thirds (72%) of respondents believe that Singapore isn’t making fast enough progress on its net zero targets.

In this week's episode of Eco Money, Rachel Kelly speaks to Kavita Gandhi, Executive Director, SEAS to find out more. 

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Global sustainable finance issuance volumes may be starting to see more green shoots in 2024.

In the first half of 2024, issuance of sustainable debt around the world reached $800bn, almost at the same level as that in the first half of 2023 - showing sustained momentum.

Rachel Kelly speaks to Mariam Ashroff, Head of Sustainability Management at LGT Private Bank to get her take on key transition and sustainable finance trends.

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Buildings alone account for close to 40% of global energy-related carbon emissions.

And with many of the buildings around today expected to still be standing by net zero target date of 2050  - Rachel Kelly speaks to Adrien Pierson, Vice President of Strategy, iviva to find out if the industry is progressing fast enough.

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If you don’t take advantage of grants provided by the government to green your business, your competitors will.

Those were the words of Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu speaking at the Navigating Climate and Business in 2024 dialogue organised by The Singapore Business Federation (SBF) and Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA).

During the session key insights into how SMEs can work with the public sector and MNCs to grow their business were discussed. 

Rachel Kelly with the details in this week's Eco Money.

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In sunny singapore solar is an important component of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

But as we know, the sun doesn’t shine 24 hours a day, so for those looking to implement solar panels - how can they store that energy?

VFlowTech is a Singapore-based long duration energy storage solutions provider manufacturing low-cost and efficient modular vanadium redox flow batteries. 

Sounds technical doesn’t it?

Rachel Kelly speaks to Dr. Arjun Bhattarai is the Co-Founder and CTO at VFlowTech to find out more. 

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Every year - over 430 million tonnes of plastic is produced globally.

According to the UN - two-thirds of that are short-lived products that soon become waste.

In fact, abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gear is the deadliest form of marine plastic, threatening 66 per cent of marine animals.

Earlier this year, Gopaal  Jeyaram Founder of Big Fins & Underwater Zombie - came face to face with ghost nets 60 meters underwater in Bali.

Rachel Kelly speaks to Gopaal in this week's Eco Money to find out more.

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Kavita Gandhi, Executive Director of SEAS and Christophe Inglin, Vice-Chairman, SEAS/Managing Director, Energetix speak with Rachel Kelly about the latest developments in the regional renewable energy industry. 

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Sustainable travel is a key trend for the business and leisure industry.

According to a report by our Expedia Group Media Solutions team highlighted that 90% of consumers look for sustainable options when traveling, though 70% feel overwhelmed navigating available options and on starting the process of becoming a more sustainable traveler.

To find out more, Rachel Kelly spoke to Aditi Mohapatra, VP of Global Social Impact and Sustainability at Expedia on eco travel trends,  and Timothy Go on his sustainable hotel entrepreneurial journey.

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According to a special report by consultancy, XDI - close to one in 10 assets belonging to Reits across Asia-Pacific will be at high risk from the effects of climate change and extreme weather by 2050. 

The 2024 Singapore Governance and Transparency Index has also indicated that S-Reits commonly identified climate change as a material issue.

To get a clearer picture when it comes to the impact of climate change on Reits Rachel Kelly spoke with Lee Wei Hock, Deputy Assurance Leader, Ernst & Young LLP.

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Asia’s wealth management revenue is expected to reach $90 billion by 2025.

That’s as private banking in Asia is expected to display significant growth in the coming years as the number of ultra-high net worth individuals in the region increases.

This is according to the latest report by WWF-Singapore.

The nature group states that It is therefore more relevant than ever to stress the importance of sustainable practices in private banking and wealth management.

To dive deeper into how banks in Singapore are currently position, WWF conducted a pilot study of seven private banks.

Rachel Kelly speaks to Akshat Garg, Assistant Vice President, Asia Sustainable Finance, at WWF Singapore to get the details.

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Urgent climate action can secure a liveable future for all - that's the message from the latest report by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Yet - according to Robeco's latest Global Climate Survey of 300 of the world’s largest institutional and wholesale investors in Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific and South Africa, representing a total of around USD 27.4 trillion in assets under management - investors are concerned about are concerned about political pressure for failing to act on ESG and climate compared.

In this episode, Lucian Peppelenbos, Climate & Biodiversity Strategist at Robeco shares his thoughts on investor ESG trends. 

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Earlier this it was announced that Malaysia will lift a ban on exports of renewable energy.

Rachel Kelly speaks with  J Y Chew, Head of Asia Renewables & Power Research, Rystad Energy, to find out what this might mean for Singapore when it comes to the energy sector and your power bills.

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Where are the lines drawn on what is and isn’t sustainable? AND what are big international banks doing about it?

More importantly where are the investment opportunities?

Eco Money Host, Rachel Kelly speaks to Marisa Drew, Chief Sustainability Officer of Standard Chartered Bank and Alex Manson, Member, SC Ventures to find out. 

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Global investment in clean energy will need to triple to an estimated $3.5 trillion annually by 2030, and nearly every industry will need a period of heightened investment. On the back of this - Singapore bank DBS has announced a landmark set of decarbonisation commitments. 

Rachel Kelly speaks to Yulanda CHUNG, Head of Sustainability, Institutional Banking Group, DBS to find out more.

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As a consumer, do you think you are doing as much as you can to be sustainable?

According to the EY Energy Transition Consumer Insights Report 2024, 77% of energy consumers in Singapore believe that they are doing as much as they can to be sustainable.

That said, more than 50% of consumers are not willing to pay more for more sustainable products.

So what does this all mean for the energy transition and sustainable power story?

Rachel Kelly speaks to Mark Bennett, EY Asia-Pacific Energy & Resources Customer Experience Transformation Leader, to find out more. 

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Singapore-listed CapitaLand Investment’s portfolio spans the globe.

The real estate investment player has operations in more than 40 countries and more than 220 cities. 

And with such a significant global footprint, it’s no surprise that its keeping an eye on a different footprint. carbon footprint.

CLI recently refreshed its sustainability master plan - integrating its 2050 net zero carbon emissions commitment.

To find out more, Rachel Kelly spoke with Mr Vinamra Srivastava, CLI’s Chief Sustainability Officer.

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South Pole’s latest Net Zero Report has shown that 44% of surveyed companies say external communication on climate targets has become more difficult in just the past year, and 58% are decreasing communications as a result.

A sign that green hushing is the new norm?

Host Rachel Kelly, takes a closer look at the report in this episode of Eco Money.

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70% of the top 100 largest listed companies in six Southeast Asian nations – Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – published climate-related disclosures in 2020/2021. 

BUT - they fall short when it comes to measuring performance and linking them to senior executive salaries. 

That's according to research conducted jointly by the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Centre for Governance and Sustainability, and non-profit independent standards organisation Global Reporting Initiative.

The Afternoon Update's Rachel Kelly speaks to Prof Lawrence Loh, Director, Centre for Governance and Sustainability at NUS Business School to find out more. 

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The dust has settled on this year's F1 weekend in Singapore, a massive global event that attracts spectators from across the globe.  And like many large scale events it has announced energy goals, the Singapore Grand Prix has  pledged to reduce 50% of their energy emissions by 2028. How will this be achieved? And what do businesses need to know about net zero events?

In this week's Eco Money, Rachel Kelly speaks to Vinod Kesava, Council Member, Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore (SEAS) and Co-Founder / MD & CEO, Climate Resources Exchange International to find out. 

SEAS will be holding a FULLY carbon neutral event in October - Asia Clean Energy Summit. 

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GE Vernova is the energy portfolio of GE. It’s been in the news recently as it listed at the beginning of April.

The business trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker GEV.

In this episode of Eco Money Rachel Kelly speaks to Shailesh Mishra, Regional Leader, Grid System Integration APAC, GE Vernona to discuss power grid continuity as the renewable energy pie is ramped up on the road to net zero.

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You may have heard, COP28 is taking place in Dubai this year.

But what is COP, and why does it matter?

Here’s an explainer and what you need to know!

In this episode of Eco Money you'll hear from industry players on what they hope from this year's COP.

Comments from:

Anita Neville, Vice President of Corporate Communications and Sustainability Relations, Golden Agri-Resources

Dale Hardcastle, Global Head of Carbon Markets and Director of Global Sustainability Innovation Center, Bain & Company

Kavita Gandhi, Executive Director, Sustainable Energy Association Singapore

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Did you know that 2.2 billion people on the planet still live without safely managed drinking water?

And at least half the worlds population experiences water scarcity for at least part of the year.

World Water Day is celebrated on 22nd March and this year’s theme is water for peace.

But what role does finance play?

Rachel Kelly takes a look in this week's Eco Money

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This Saturday the 22nd April marks Earth Day. This year’s theme “Invest in our planet”

But what is earth day and why does it matter? The answer may seem self-explanatory.

In this episode of Eco Money, Host, Rachel Kelly takes a look at the history and takes a closer look at the numbers.

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Blue, Grey, Pink, and even Turquoise - its the colour that counts when it comes to sustainable hydrogen.

And as conversations of the gas as an eco energy alternative heat up - Rachel Kelly speaks to Dr Thomas Koller APAC Hydrogen Lead at DNV to find out what you need to know when it comes to Green Hydrogen.

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The rise of digital money has spearheaded an array of sustainable financing initiatives. By leveraging technological ecosystems, such as artificial intelligence, mobile payment platforms, machine learning and digital tokens, businesses are better equipped for sustainable and inclusive growth moving forward. So - can embedded finance  foster eco-conscious behaviours? Rachel Kelly speaks to Shailesh Naik, CEO of MatchMove to find out.

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Security and sustainability go hand in hand for business and the nation.

This was highlighted in two key sustainability areas of this year’s Singapore National Budget which rolls out the first instalment of the Forward Singapore programmes.

Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong delivered his third annual Budget speech in Parliament on February 16th - he highlighted that for firms to be competitive, they also need to embrace sustainability.

Rachel Kelly takes a closer look at the sustainability elements of Budget 2024.

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According to the latest AgFunder Global AgriFoodTech Investment Report 2023 - Global agrifoodtech funding in 2022 came in close to 50% (44%) lower than the year before.

To help us get a better understanding of what is moving in the industry Rachel Kelly spoke to John  Friedman, Asia Director of AgFunder and GROW Accelerator.

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There are many ways investors can address climate risks in fixed income portfolios, including financing issuers that deliver climate solutions.

That said, due to the complexity of fixed income markets investors often struggle to identify and track exposure to bonds that are associated with carbon-intensive activities.

In a report just out titled 'Tracing Carbon-Intensive Debt' , London Stock Exchange Group developed a methodology to track carbon-intensive fixed income holdings.

Rachel Kelly speaks to Nitish Ramkumar, Senior Research Lead, Sustainable Investment Research, LSEG to find out more.

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By the end of the year, the International Sustainability Standards Board is expected to release the new disclosure standards under the widely adopted International Financial Reporting Standards accounting framework.

Couple this with the fact that SGX has mandated all listed companies produce a sustainability report on a 'comply or explain' basis.

Mr Koh Wee Kwang, Council member of the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants, and Director, Kreston ACA PAC shares more 

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Sustainability matters concerning asset managers - including Singapore real estate investment trusts - have become increasingly important. But what does this mean to their portfolios? And what costs are involved? Rachel Kelly and Hongbin Jeong speak to  Wong Hong Wei, and Andrew Wong -  Credit Research Analysts, OCBC Bank to find out. 

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Would it surprise you to know that the number of instances of greenwashing by banks and financial services companies around the world rose by 70% in the past 12 months.

Are all of these instances intentional? OR are companies getting caught up in eco jargon?

What is greenwashing anyway? And what role does the media play in tackling the issue.

This was the topic of a recent panel discussion organised by the Singapore Press Club titled “Cutting Through the Greenwashing”.

I sat on the panel and was joined by Esther An, CSO, CDL, Anil Changaroth, Partner at RHT Law, Quentin Fouesnant, Managing Director Zuno Carbon, Robin Hicks, Associate Editor, Eco Business and Jasmine Tuan, Co-founder of Cloop

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National climate action plans remain insufficient to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius and meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

That's according to the latest report from the UN.

Even with increased efforts by some countries, the report shows much more action is needed now to bend the world’s emissions trajectory further downward and avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

Timely that in the same week - KPMG released its 2023 Net Zero Readiness Report.

The report highlighted that Governments and industry must deliver transformative change on net zero but are currently hamstrung by significant barriers, including global public debt, domestic tensions, increased opposition to decarbonization plans, and the need to guarantee energy supply.

Rachel Kelly speaks with Sharad Somani, Head of Infrastructure for KPMG Asia Pacific and Head of KPMG ESG at KPMG in Singapore.

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Singapore has one of the busiest ports in the world - an average 140,000 vessels call annually.

The city state is serious about fostering sustainability within the industry - to bolster efforts the government has just announced a new Sustainability pillar under the maritime cluster fund.

Speaking in parliament this week at the debate for the Transport ministry’s budget Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat says the initiative will support first mover adoption of sustainable solutions.

Rachel Kelly has the details in this week's Eco Money.

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It’s official, 2023 was the hottest year on record.

That’s according to the latest findings from the Copernicus  2023 Global Climate Highlights report.

And not only was 2023 the hottest, 2023 was the first year on record where all days were in excess of 1°C above pre industrial leves, with two days exceeding 2°C for the first time.

Rachel Kelly has the details in this episode of Eco Money.

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Developing countries face an investment gap of $2 trillion annually for the energy transition, out of a $4 trillion annual funding gap for the Sustainable Development Goals. That’s according to the United Nations.

Earlier this year it called for urgent support to developing countries to enable them to attract significantly more investment for their transition to clean energy.

But barriers remain, policy, politics, and perhaps technology.

So how do we bridge this financing gap? Rachel Kelly speaks to Kelvin Wong, Managing Director and Deputy Head of Energy, Renewables and Infrastructure, DBS to find out. 

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Did you know that coastal and marine-based industries contribute upwards of US$2.5 trillion to the global economy? That, in broad terms, is what is referred to as the Blue Economy.  And as views towards our oceans shift from consumption to conservation.. How can investors tap in to this sector to combine profits with purpose?  Rachel Kelly speaks with Harlin Singh, Citi Global Wealth Global Head of Sustainable Investing to find out.

02:27: If there is so much focus on sustainability - why are we so behind on climate goals?

05:03: Can you really combine profits with purpose?

06:06: What is Blue Finance?

08:06: What are going to be some of the key themes when it comes to sustainability investing in the next year?

11:36: What role does finance play in supporting the blue economy?

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The latest report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - showed that its Food Price Index rose by 0.6% month on month in April.

Now this might not sound like much, but -  this marks the first increase in the FFPI since March 2022, when prices rose by 13.1% on month  in the wake of Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. 

In terms of the constituent groupings, the increase was driven by a 1.3% m-o-m rise in meat prices and a 17.6% m-o-m rise in the price of sugar.

To help us understand what’s driving these costs and what this means for other commodity prices Rachel Kelly spoke with Matthew Biggin, Commodity Analyst at Fitch Solutions. 

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Over 60 percent of US companies expect ESG backlash to continue or increase over the next two years.

That’s according to a recent report by The Conference Board.

As anti-ESG backlash and confusion around ratings muddies the waters - how can corporates best navigate?

Rachel Kelly speaks to Tim Mohin,  a global Partner and Director with Boston Consulting Group or B-C-G. He is the former CEO of carbon accounting startup Persefoni, and former CEO of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the world’s largest sustainability reporting standard.

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Global CCUS uptake needs to expand 120 times from current levels by 2050, rising to at least 4.2 gigatons per annum of CO2 captured, for countries to achieve their net-zero commitments. That's according to a McKinsey report.

At the Asia Clean Energy Summit organised by the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore, we heard highlights from industry on transformation in this area and what more needs to be done. 

This podcast includes comments from:

Singhi Mahendra, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Dalmia Cement, 

Paul Kennedy, VP of International Business Development, Carbon Engineering 

Fadhl Zayed Fadhl Ahmed, (Acting) Manager Strategic Partnerships, Emirates Steel Arkan

Prabhat Agrawal, Senior Advisor at GaffneyCline

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Sustainability may be a top business priority, BUT would it surprise you to know that only 6% of business leaders report that their organisation has completed at least one round of sustainability implementation according to  NTUC Learning Hub’s Sustainability for Business Resilience Report 2024.

Holding back efforts seems to be a gap between management and employee expectations when it comes to sustainability training and implementation. 

Rachel Kelly speaks to Mr Low Choon Chye Head, Sustainability, NTUC LearningHub to get the details.

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How can the private sector shape and accelerate climate finance in Southeast Asia? Rachel Kelly speaks to Margie Ong, Partner, Southeast Asia at ERM to find out her thoughts. 

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Responsible and inclusive - often these two terms aren’t the first to come to mind when you think of finance and financial products such as loans. Home Credit says these two areas are key to its ESG - Environmental, Social and Governance initiatives.  Rachel Kelly speaks to Jan Ruzicka, Chief External Affairs Officer, Home Credit to find out more. 

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You may be familiar with the term carbon footprint -  But do you know how significant yours is? Or even how to monitor it on a daily basis? Well - now there is an app to help you track and even offset your carbon footprint through your daily expenses. Rachel Kelly finds out more from Sourabh Sharma, Executive Director of Digital Banking, DBS Consumer Banking Group

01:25: How are sustainability trends driving sustainability offerings by banks?

06:15: How can you offset your carbon footprint as you spend?

10:22: What are some of the key consumer trends when it comes to tracking carbon footprints through credit or debit card spend?

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In this episode of Eco Money, Rachel Kelly speaks with Susie Burrage OBE, President, Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) on her journey within the recycling industry, being appointed as the first female president of BIR, AND major business trends and investment opportunities within the sector. 

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According to recent research from Booking.com - over 80% of travellers state that sustainable travel is important to them. 

Booking.com gathered insights from 31,000 travellers across the globe, and 75% said that they want to travel more sustainably this year - and over 40% said they would feel guilty if they made less sustainable travel choices. 

BUT, what does it take to incorporate sustainable travel into a hospitality business?

Rachel Kelly speaks to Christina Horspool of Manar House and Jane Manifold of Banchory Cottages to find out more about their journey on the road to more sustainable hospitality offerings. 

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It seems over the past few years that countries have been rolling out net zero goals faster than you can say - decarbonisation.

But the clock is ticking towards these targets and it is time for action.

According to the latest report by Bain & Company, Temasek, GenZero and Amazon Web Services  - Governments across Southeast Asia have set climate ambitions, but not enough action has been taken to meet nationally determined contribution targets by 2030.

The report highlights that SEA faces a unique set of challenges, making decarbonization particularly difficult.

In this episode of Eco Money, Rachel Kelly speaks to Dale Hardcastle, Global Head of Carbon Markets and Director of Global Sustainability Innovation Center, Bain & Company to find out more.

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Emissions have continued to slowly increase for equities.

That’s according to the latest research from London Stock Exchange Group.

This despite aggressive global decarbonisation targets.

In its paper - Decarbonisation in portfolio benchmarks - LSEG aims to unlock key trends and  challenges of calculating portfolio emissions.

To get the details, Rachel Kelly speaks to Jaakko Kooroshy, Global Head of Sustainable Investment Research at FTSE Russell 

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It’s estimated that 33% of food is wasted - And yet at the same time, nearly one in three people in the world (2.37 billion) do  not have access to adequate food.  There is no denying the future of food is a mega trend -  But how can we invest to combine profits with purpose and make a difference in the food supply cycle? On Eco Money - Rachel Kelly spoke to Gillian Diesen, Client Portfolio Manager, Thematic Equities, Pictet Asset Management to find out.

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Is your company ready to meet ESG reporting requirements?It can be complicated to navigate differing regulations and requirements if you are looking at cross market reporting. 

The Sustainable Finance Institute Asia has announced the appointment of Environmental, Social, and Governance data and technology solutions company, STACS ESGpedia, as the official ESG platform partner for the Single AccessPoint for ESG Data ‘SAFE’ Initiative.

The SAFE Initiative is a regional approach to tackling the issue of ESG data, bringing together key stakeholders, including governments, regulators, standard setters, financial institutions, corporates, and SMEs, towards championing data and disclosures for ASEAN and beyond.

Rachel Kelly speaks to Benjamin Soh, Founder and Managing Director at STACS ESGpedia to find out more.

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Is greenwashing here to stay? How can businesses better tackle issues related to adapting to become more sustainable?

These were some of the questions answered at the Inaugural Earth Hour Summit.

In this podcast, host, Rachel Kelly brings you highlights from the summit and speaks with WWF CEO, R Ragunathan, for his thoughts on the future of WWF Singapore. 

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There is a 1.5 trillion dollar investment gap when it comes to funding Southeast Asia’s green transition, and this means there is opportunity for investors.

That’s according to the latest Green Economy 2024 Report by Bain & Company, GenZero, Standard Chartered and Temasek.

Publishers of the report state that this means Southeast Asian markets now have a window of opportunity to accelerate decarbonization with actionable ideas and accelerators.

To find out more and where exactly the investment opportunities Rachel Kelly spoke to Dale Hardcastle, Director of Global Sustainability Innovation Center at Bain & Company and Tracy Wong Harris, Head of Sustainable Finance Asia, Standard Chartered Bank.

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What do you need to look out for in the year ahead when it comes to sustainable business and investing? And, now that the dust has settled on COP28, which key dates do you need to highlight in your diary? 

Eco Money's Rachel Kelly takes a look at reports from Allianz Global investors and MUFG Research for key themes and what to watch in the year ahead.

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Singapore-based Alora paints claims to be the country’s first carbon neutral certified paint.

But what does that mean for consumers?

And what do you need to know when it comes to sustainable paints?

In this episode of Eco Money, Rachel Kelly speaks with Alora Paints Chief Executive Officer, Adrian Kok.

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Colour analysis to produce a palette that best compliaments your skin and hair tone may have become the latest trend, but have you given any thought to how the dyes for your clothes are produced?

Colorifix is on a mission to tackle toxic dye pollution caused by the industry and reduce water consumption. 

Rachel Kelly speaks to Orr Yarkoni, Founder and CEO of Colorifix to find out more. 

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