Asian Corporates Trail On Climate Aspirations, Can Their Young Staff Be A Force For Change?

Asian Corporates Trail On Climate Aspirations, Can Their Young Staff Be A Force For Change?

Share to Linkedin Protesters wearing face masks chant "Work out 2050 Greenhouse Gases to Zero" and "Reduce Greenhouse ... [+] Gases" during the climate crisis protest on November 21, 2020, in Seoul. Developing Asia is a laggard in the battle against climate change and Asian companies, from China to India to Indonesia, are trailing their peers in articulating green aspirations. As the world prepares for this November's Glasgow summit, Asia's home-grown corporates have an opportunity, but little incentive, to showcase their green credentials, and to disprove the perception that they are placing profits above protecting the planet. However, the journey to a green future for many Asian businesses is not going to be an easy one for three reasons: Asian companies project their corporate philanthropy and corporate social responsibility (CSR), a much misunderstood phrase, as proof points about their commitment to serve as a good corporate citizens. Every Asian company worth its salt has annual reports detailing their contributions to charity. Many of them are silent about the actual environmental, social, governance (ESG) impact of their operations. When problems occur, be it from a polluting factory or poor working conditions, companies struggle to explain how this squares with their commitment