Can ESG Risks and Opportunities Support V2V in Blue Economy?

This talk will highlight the importance of ESG ambition of corporate sustainability in supporting blue economy. Specifically, it will focus on the stakeholder theory for businesses to create value for all their stakeholders, particularly communities in areas where vulnerability to viability is a possibility. The corporate sustainability theory supports the understanding of risks and opportunities, just as communities are perceived as moving from vulnerability to viability. Businesses’ success depends on creating value not just for shareholders but for all stakeholders, including employees, customers, suppliers, and the communities in which they operate. A strong, trusting relationship with communities is seen as essential for long-term viability and managing risks. The talk will provide a Malaysian context in this regard.

The talk is presented by Dr. Hari Ramalu Ragavan who has 25 years of experience in sustainability management and policy in Malaysia and Asia Pacific. In the past, he worked at United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei Darussalam as Programme Manager in the sustainable development cluster. He developed, managed, and monitored/evaluated various projects in climate change and ecosystem management. Dr. Hari is currently the Principal Consultant at AKAR ASIA Consulting. He has advised UNDP, World Bank, USAID, UNIDO, UNEP, and ADB in Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea, Cambodia, Philippines, Nepal, Myanmar, Timor Leste, and Vietnam, as well as Malaysia, in the areas of climate change and nature ecosystems management, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) involving communities, private sector and local governments. He also provides advisory services to the government and private sector on corporate sustainability, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) framework, and focus areas.