Daily FT-Colombo Uni. MBAA set to host ESG Summit on 31 March

The Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Summit for the year 2022 organised by the MBA Alumni Association of the University of Colombo and Daily FT will be held on 31 March at the Shangri-La Hotel Colombo commencing at 9 a.m. 

Environment Secretary Dr. Anil Jasinghe will be the distinguished chief guest of the forum and will also deliver the keynote address. 

HSBC joins the forum as the strategic partner. United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) are the knowledge partners. Silver partners of the forum include John Keels Holdings PLC, Hayleys PLC and A. Baur & Company Ltd., and Sarva Colombo Ltd. will be the creative partner and Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel PLC joins the forum as the electronic media partner. 

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) were set up in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and are intended to be achieved by the year 2030. UNSDGs are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a blueprint that aims to achieve a better and more sustainable future for everyone. 

The 2030 Agenda is particularly relevant for a South Asian country such as Sri Lanka. Despite sustaining moderate levels of economic growth, Sri Lanka falls behind in many social, economic, and environmental development indicators. 

The ESG Conference 2022 plans to analyse UNSDGs from a business perspective. The forum will include three sessions namely ESG, Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and Sustainable Finance. Each session will consist of a keynote presentation and panel discussion. The forum is set to feature prominent speakers and panellists from both Sri Lanka and overseas. 

On the ESG and SDG front, the forum will cover how corporates can contribute to meeting the UNSDGs. Speakers and panellists will aim to share insights with examples on how companies can do business responsibly and then pursue opportunities to solve societal challenges through business innovation and partnerships. Global examples can be used to explain the notion with relevance to emerging markets such as Sri Lanka. 

The sustainable finance session aims to shed light about how sustainable finance will help ensure that investments support emerging market economies such as Sri Lanka, and how a sustainable recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic can be attained through sustainable financing. 

The session also aims to elaborate on how private investment can be channelled into a climate-neutral, climate-resilient, resource-efficient, and fair economy, as a complement to public money. Insights will also be shared on how corporates in Sri Lanka can be eligible for suitable finance by meeting investment criteria.