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Make money and save the environment? How some Asian firms are aiming to achieve both goals

Posted on by L. Dreeye
Make money and save the environment? How some Asian firms are aiming to achieve both goals

As world leaders prepare to assess the consequences climate change in the upcoming UN‘s KS29 summit, more Asian companies are embarking on a sustainable development path, balancing the goals of growing revenues and protecting the environment.

These companies are exploring niche solutions to protect their communities from severe weather and rising temperatures while focusing on ways to satisfy their shareholders.

The Cop29 summit will take place in the Azerbaijani capital Baku from November 11 to 22.

“If a CEO doesn’t drive earnings growth, it’s not sustainable from either the CEO’s tenure or the organization’s perspective. We can’t irritate shareholders,” said Sunil Puri, senior vice president of Stewardship Asia Center, a nonprofit group that helps companies achieve sustainability goals along with business growth.

According to Puri, there are several ways for companies to focus on sustainability and keep shareholders happy. As long as companies can “consistently deliver profitable growth,” shareholders will not be concerned about corporate environmental, social and governance (ESG) targets, he said.

The second was to persuade shareholders to go beyond quarterly profit forecasts and support long-term climate-related business projects, Puri said.