WGSS 2023: Premier to share how Sarawak attracts green investments
01 Sep 2023
Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg is expected to share how Sarawak is attracting green investments to the state at the World Green & Sustainability Summit (WGSS) 2023 here on Sept 4.
The Sarawak Premier, who will be delivering a keynote address at the summit which will be held at UCSI Hotel, is also expected to touch on how the state has positioned itself as a new economic and renewable energy powerhouse.
The inaugural WGSS, themed ‘Building a Better Future Through Green Growth’, is poised to unite visionaries, experts and leaders across sectors to forge innovative pathways towards global sustainability.
KSI Strategic Institute for Asia Pacific (KSI), a leading independent global think tank, has joined forces with the Global Compact Network Malaysia & Brunei, World Green Organisation, World Business Chamber, Asean Economic Club, and World Digital Chamber to orchestrate WGSS.
It said in a news release that the summit is fitting and relevant in the aftermath of an ominous climatic milestone, highlighted by the hottest temperatures recorded across continents in July.
“With global warming casting an alarming shadow over people and the earth, the urgency to solve climate change has never been greater.
“This WGSS is an excellent opportunity to respond to the overwhelming need for immediate and coordinated global climate action, echoing the call of United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres.
“At its core, the summit aims to galvanise businesses, including small and medium enterprises, to support and embrace the circular economy and scale up Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goals,” it said.
KSI president Tan Sri Michael Yeoh said the institute is fully committed to the 4Ps – People, Planet, Prosperity, and Partnership – to ensure sustainable growth.
“We urge businesses and civil society organisations to focus on and emphasise the 4Ps in their programmes and business models,” he said.
Yeoh, who is also WGSS organising chairman, noted that corporations, business leaders and civil society organisations need to work together in partnership to achieve the UN 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
As the organiser of the summit, KSI is fully committed to the UNSDG by signing the UN Global Compact Pledge and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia (ESCAP).
Yeoh representing KSI is the only Malaysian on the 15-member Executive Council of the UN ESCAP Sustainable Business Network (ESBN) appointed Asia-Pacific Green Deal for Business by ESCAP.
Other distinguished speakers at WGSS include UN under-secretary-general and ESCAP executive secretary Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Sarawak Deputy Premier Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian, Sarawak Deputy Minister of Energy and Environmental Sustainability Dr Hazland Abang Hipni, Singapore’s City Developments Limited chief sustainability officer Esther An, Thailand’s Asean Studies Centre of Chulalongkorn University executive director Prof Suthiphand Chirathivat, and UN ESCAP chief investment and enterprise development Tientip Subhanij, amongst others.
The summit will feature an array of thought-provoking sessions, including the Leadership Panel: Greening the World, where prominent leaders from around the globe will discuss strategies for fostering sustainability on a global scale.
Sessions such as Green Energy, Green Technology – New Challenges, New Breakthrough and New Opportunities in Energy Transition – Renewable and Hydrogen Energy, and Green Cities and Green Mobility – Advancing Sustainable Cities, Mobile Communities, Green Properties, and Green Infrastructure will tackle vital topics in energy transition and urban development, providing fresh perspectives on emerging challenges and opportunities.
The summit will also showcase exemplary practices and achievements in the ‘Scaling Up ESGs’ session, demonstrating how businesses and organisations are incorporating ESG principles into their core operations.
Towards this end, KSI will initiate a Next Generation Green Network, to be coordinated by KSI’s director of External Relations Zaim Mohzani. The aim is to mobilise stronger youth support for the green transition.
The summit will also confer World Sustainability Excellence Awards, the World Sustainability Leadership Awards, and the World ESG Awards to several recipients, recognising their outstanding contributions in the field of sustainability.
Source: Borneo Post
