The journey for sustainability in Asia is young, but sustainability professionals are encouraged by the progress.
After SGX released a policy statement and guide to sustainability reporting in June 2011, The Business Times examined the role of sustainability indices and disclosure for investments.
Carrie Johnson, Director of Paia Consulting, was invited to share her thoughts on the Asian Sustainability Rating (ASR), an analysis of listed companies’ disclosure on sustainability issues.
The following is extracted from the actual article published in the Business Times:
Carrie Johnson, director of Paia Consulting sees the index as a catalyst for change. She says:
‘Sustainability indexes significantly help sustainability issues get credibility at the senior management level. Once the senior management team realises that investors are taking sustainability seriously, it helps raise the profile of sustainability internally. In fact, companies that list on sustainability indexes get exposure to a wider range of investors, who may not otherwise consider them. Several investor analysts now include sustainability risks in their overall risk assessment of companies. Being on a sustainability index helps reassure those investors that sustainability risks are being managed.’
Much progress made in sustainability in Asia – full article on Eco-Business.
