UBS APAC Sustainable Finance Conference 2023

2023 marks the halfway point for delivering the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Sustainability challenges are here to stay: Carbon emissions on the rise, rising energy prices, higher prices for carbon offset, active regulation coupled with net zero commitments from governments and companies. Amy Lo will join Dr. Andrew Steer to examine needle-moving solutions around the world to preserve and protect the natural world.

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Moderator

Over the past five years three letters - ESG, or environmental, social and governance - have taken the markets by storm. The number of sustainable investment products have more than doubled in the past five years, and according to the Global Sustainable Investment Alliance, sustainable investing assets now make up one in three invested dollars globally. But has this been contributive to the real world? In this session we invite investment experts across asset allocation, public and private markets to discuss how they implement sustainable investing concepts and what this means for our drive towards a more sustainable world.

Speakers

Moderator

Ms. Stephanie Choi
Sustainable & Impact Investing Strategist, UBS Global Wealth Management Chief Investment Office

ESG considerations can be identified as ingredients of sustainable growth and as means to drive new opportunities for better business performances. Startups are key drivers of innovation and job creation. Putting the 2 together can be a powerful tool to foster economic growth.

In this dialogue, we will hear from Yumiko Murakami of MPower Partners, Japan’s first ESG Venture Capitalist Fund, who will share with us ways to revolutionize Japanʼs venture ecosystem via greater globalization, diversity, and innovation.

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Moderator

Sustainable and impact investing has grown rapidly among business families in Hong Kong and beyond, with more than 50% of Asian family offices having invested sustainably according to our latest UBS Global Family Office Report. However, investing into innovators and solution providers or bringing their investments in line with the family values they want to stand for, we see different motivations and investment styles.

In this session, we discuss what families are currently focusing on, how a challenging investment year 2022 has influenced their approaches and where they see the next frontier for them in sustainable finance.

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Ms. Katy Yung
Managing Partner, Sustainable Finance Institute (SFi)

Moderator

Mr. Mario Knoepfel
Head, Sustainable Investing Advisory, Asia-Pacific, UBS Global Wealth Management

There are 360k SMEs in Hong Kong, accounting for >98% of local companies and employing 44% of the work force. With limited financial resources, SMEs may need to work harder and smarter to establish themselves, to grow beyond Hong Kong, and to pursue sustainability.

Looking into Greater China markets, there is a large number of medium-sized firms that have grown successfully over decades but are now going through succession challenges with first generation looking to retire and second generation have interest elsewhere. How do investors in these firms tackle the stability through succession and achieve sustainability at the same time? We will look to how to institutionalize and professionalize the companies in mid-markets in the sustainability journey.

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Moderator

Sustainable technology describes innovation that considers natural resources and fosters economic and social development. The objective is to reduce environmental and biodiversity risks and creating a sustainable product. Meeting the sustainability challenges of the future requires new ways of thinking and that is where entrepreneurs exhibit their superpowers.

According to a recent study by McKinsey the cost to net zero by 2050 will require approximately $9.2 trillion per year and the majority will need to be directed in emerging technologies that are still not available at scale.

In this session we will hear directly from these trailblazers about how they solve these problems, the impacts their solutions create for people and the planet, how private capital has helped them accelerate and the challenges ahead.

Speakers

Dr. Daniela Marino
Co-Founder & CEO, CUTISS AG

Mr. Antonio Ng
Founder & Director, Formwork IO

Moderator

With the annual funding gap to achieve the SDGs by 2030 estimated to be over USD3 trillion now, how can we find ways to use innovative financing approaches to attract and enable commercial investment capital to be deployed more effectively to address this? The use of social and blended finance aims to address this, combining different types of capital – from philanthropic to commercial – to enable a more aligned approach to delivering both impact and financial returns.

Join this session to hear perspectives and examples on social and environmental related efforts highlighting the use of social and blended finance from individuals with combined decades of experience across multi-sectors to drive outcomes for our planet and people.

Speakers

Ms. Naina Subberwal Batra
CEO, Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN)

Mr. William McGoldrick
Regional Managing Director, Asia Pacific, The Nature Conservancy (TNC)

Mr. Justin Chang
Program Director, Social Finance, Asia, UBS Optimus Foundation