International CSR & Sustainability Summit 2020: Call for Business to Commit to A Higher Purpose Beyond Profits

SINGAPORE�- Media OutReach - 24
September 2020 - Enterprise Asia, Asia’s leading non-governmental organization for
responsible entrepreneurship hosted its first virtual summit;  the 6^thInternational CSR &
Sustainability ICS Summit 2020 (ICS) on 23 September 2020. The summit was
reimagined and hosted as a virtual event due to public health and safety
concerns.

 

The Summit themed “Purpose Before Profits: An Equilibrium World”, convened over 600
corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability leaders and practitioners
representing 19 countries with high international participation from Cambodia, China,
Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand
and Vietnam. Participants gathered online to collaborate and exchange insights
on the most stirring conversations in CSR today, and in deliberating solutions
to current society issues.

 

To drive a fundamentally important shift in
this decade, the Summit serves to urge corporations to share the same central
objective — to reshape capitalism for an environmentally endangered age. This
movement calls for business decision makers to take decisive actions to solve
global problems; looking beyond financial returns to creating benefits to all
stakeholders to achieve a cohesive and sustainable world.

 

The Summit was officiated by Tan Sri Dr Fong
Chan Onn, Chairman of Enterprise Asia. He expressed that, “how businesses work
now affect not only people, but also the planet. The environmental costs
created by businesses are estimated at US$4.7 trillion per year. Now is the
time for businesses to give back. From reducing environmental impact to
contributing to healthier societies and fighting forced labour, companies can
achieve tremendous results if they place purpose before profits.”

 

Among the speakers were Petrus Ng, Chairman
and Managing Director of BASF (Thai) Ltd.; Vivek Pathak, Regional Director,
East Asia and the Pacific of IFC — International Finance Corporation (World
Bank Group); Constant Van Aerschot, Asia Pacific Director of World Business
Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD); 
Janet Salem, Economic Affairs Officer. Sustainable Urban Development
Section of Environment and Development Division UNESCAP; Alexandra Tracy,
President of Hoi Ping Ventures Hong Kong; Captain Simon Bennett, General
Manager for Sustainable Development of Swire Pacific Offshore & China
Navigation Company; Foroogh Foyouzat, Country Representative of UNICEF
Cambodia; Dr. Niven Huang, Regional Leader, KPMG Sustainability Services Asia
Pacific of KPMG Taiwan; Dr. Naoki Adachi, Founder and CEO of Response Ability
Inc. and Executive Director of Japan Business Initiative for Diversity; Tracy
Nilsson Senior Director, Global Environment (Supply Chain), Social &
Environmental Affairs of Adidas Group; Shinji Onoda, Policy Researcher of Sustainability
Governance Center, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) and
Julie Rezler, Director, Singapore of Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).

                      

Weaving in insights from world class speakers
across the globe, the Summit’s key takeaway was the call for global
corporations to commit in delivering long term value to their stakeholders, and
produce sustainable solutions to global problems in an equal, inclusive and
resilient future. The Summit has explored on topics such as measurements and
recovery actions taken by the government and business leaders in mobilizing
climate actions, building an equitable society and in the same time being
financial profitable.

 

The ICS Summit was supported official PR partner Two Way
Public Relations, supporting organizations Circular Economy Club, CSRone Taiwan,
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Ministry of Science, Technology and
Innovation Malaysia, National Institute of Entrepreneurship and Innovation
(NIEL) Cambodia, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) Japan,
Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy and Vietnam Business Council for
Sustainable Development.

 

About Enterprise Asia

Enterprise Asia is a non-governmental organization in
pursuit of creating an Asia that is rich in entrepreneurship as an engine
towards sustainable and progressive economic and social development within a
world of economic equality. Its two pillars of existence are investment in
people and responsible entrepreneurship. Enterprise Asia works with governments,
NGOs and other organizations to promote competitiveness and entrepreneurial
development, in uplifting the economic status of people across Asia and in
ensuring a legacy of hope, innovation and courage for the future generation.
Please visit https://www.enterpriseasia.org/
for more information.

About the International CSR & Sustainability (ICS) Summit

ICS Summit is a series of annual regional events in Asia which
gathers top CSR leaders and practitioners to strengthen ties, share experiences
and insights, as well as identify regional challenges and opportunities to
shape Asia towards a more responsible, sustainable and progressive socio-economic
market. Please visit https://enterpriseasia.org/area/ics/ for more information.