The Straits Times Podcasts S2E26: Ahead of COP30, Temasek’s sustainability chief on scaling climate finance for Asia
A greener, climate-friendly future is an opportunity to do well financially and not just to do good.
Synopsis: Every first and third Tuesday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change.
What is it like to be on the frontline of climate finance and investing? To many, it might seem a pretty challenging time, with some nations and big oil and gas firms doubling down on fossil fuels. And the world is distracted with wars and upended trade flows.
But to Ms Kyung-Ah Park, Chief Sustainability Officer for Singapore investment firm Temasek, there’s plenty to be hopeful about. Investors are increasingly looking at the opportunities in South-east Asia, a huge market of 700 million people with growing energy needs.
Sure, there are headwinds, she tells Green Pulse hosts Audrey Tan and David Fogarty, with AI soaking up a lot of investment cash, plus geopolitics and policy uncertainty buffeting investors. But the direction is clear. As a long-term investor, the clean energy and transition agendas are a “must do”, she says. It’s just good business and a lot of investors are staying the course.
And the trick is to make green investments appealing, with different layers of risk and reward that attract investors with differing appetites, a bit like a sandwich.
Have a listen to our latest episode and let us know your thoughts!
Highlights of conversation (click/tap above):
2:11 You were just at New York Climate Week and the UN General Assembly. Are you feeling more hopeful about global climate investment?
7:20 What is the appetite for climate investments in SE Asia?
10:35 And what are some of the investment risks? What are some of the key obstacles for the region?
19:25 How do you de-risk some of these investments to make them more appealing, more appetising?
28:45 There’s been a heavy reliance on Western capital – but are things changing? Is this Asia’s time to rise?
31:19 What would success look like at the COP30 UN climate talks? Is the US$1.3 trillion finance goal achievable?
Follow Audrey Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/848W
Read her articles: https://str.sg/JLM2
Follow David Fogarty on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/jcvy
Read his articles: https://str.sg/JLMu
Hosts: Audrey Tan (audreyt@sph.com.sg) & David Fogarty (dfogarty@sph.com.sg)
Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim
Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong
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