Singapore – Speaking at the Responsible Business Forum for Sustainable Development (RBF), Masagos Zulkifli, Minister of the Environment and Water Resources, made a decisive call for collaboration across the Asia-Pacific region on climate change, water resource management and economic growth towards a more sustainable and equitable future for all. He called for all stakeholders to accelerate their sustainable development efforts to overcome global challenges.
During his opening address, Minister Masagos also cited Singapore’s Climate Change Action plan and how the Government is working with the industry to improve energy efficiency and lower emissions. “Climate change is a shared global responsibility. All countries should see through the implementation of the Paris Agreement.” He noted that while Singapore only contributes a small portion of global emissions, “we will play our part as a responsible member of the international community”.
The 6th edition of the Responsible Business Forum welcomed over 800 business leaders, senior government officials, UN agencies and NGOs to Marina Bay Sands for what is set to be Asia-Pacific’s largest gathering on the SDGs. Held in Singapore, it demonstrated the continued drive from local companies like DBS, City Development Limited and Singtel and global companies like AknoNobel to be sustainability leaders. Under the theme of ‘Accelerating SDG Action: Measurement, Performance and Impact’, this year's Responsible Business Forum will introduce an integrated approach to delivering the 17 UN SDGs to provide solutions for accelerating action and tools for measuring performance and impact.
INDUSTRY LEADERS ADDRESS THE RBF
Key speakers at RBF this year include; Eriko Ishikawa, Global Head, Inclusive Business, International Finance Corporation, Ehab Abou-Oaf, Regional President, Asia-Australia, Middle East and Africa, Mars Wrigley Confectionery, Bey Soo Khiang, Vice Chairman, RGE, Mukund Govind Rajan, Chairman, Tata Global Sustainability Council & Chief Ethics Officer, Tata Group, Ian Wilson, Senior Vice President, Hotel Operations, Marina Bay Sands, Piyush Gupta, Chief Executive Officer, DBS Bank Group, Kiatchai Sophastienphong, Vice Minister for Finance, Thailand, Abul Kasem Khan, President, Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Bangladesh, Joseph Thompson, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder, AID:Tech, Gerrit
Stoelinga, Chief Executive Officer, ING Wholesale Banking Asia, Jeffrey Radebe, Minister in the Presidency: Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, South Africa, Shinta Widjaja Kamdani, President, Indonesia Business Council for Sustainable Development & Vice Chair, Indonesia Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Ingrid Guzmán, Vice President for Regional Business Support & Assistant General Manager, Scotiabank, Costa Rica among many more.
For the second year running, RBF, in partnership with Marina Bay Sands, sets itself the ambitious target of being a Zero Waste to Landfill and Zero Emission event, raising the bar even higher this year with Zero Single Use Plastic, underpinning its commitment to reducing plastic waste in the oceans along with partners like Amcor & The Ocean Recovery Alliance. Further to environmental commitments, social impact initiatives are also being showcased at the SDG Collaboration Hub. The showcase includes Impacto!, a Big Heroes led project to support the Alzheimer’s Association of Singapore. With a specially curated wellness corner, fully equipped with green walls, masseurs and an edible garden, a virtual reality hub by the Rockefeller Foundation and SDG action TV walls, the Collaboration Hub is providing RBF delegates with a more interactive experience on the SDGs.
