Business Classes – Sustainability: Setting the stage for sustainability as part of an effective business system
Setting the stage for sustainability as part of an effective business system
Sustainability is one of the most important challenges, and opportunities, of our time and businesses are powerful enablers in the sustainability-led transformation required. Some are championing sustainability within their business strategy – by actively addressing the material change needed both in their business models as well as their extended responsibility across external systems and value chains. There are many others starting their journey to understand the relevance of sustainable development, why it matters for their business, and how a multi-stakeholder approach across investors, consumers, governments and others can inform their decisions in a way that positively affects their impacts.
Sustainability reporting is one of the key tools practitioners use to drive better outcomes. It’s a proven business formula – if a company sets targets, measures results and tracks progress they will continue to improve.
During the session, the following areas will be discussed:
- Sustainability reporting – an important step in implementing a sustainable strategy
- Defining what matters – the importance of materiality and stakeholder inclusiveness
- Value of going beyond compliance
- Looking forward, how will leading businesses be evolving and shaping sustainability
About the speakers
Michele Lemmens
GRI Regional Head ASEAN Hub (seconded)
TCS APAC Head Business Sustainability & Innovation Evangelist
Michele is a senior business leader passionate about the opportunity for businesses to embrace more sustainable business models by harnessing the power of innovation and digital in the way they operate and champion change. She has extensive experience in business model transformation often led by strategies involving new market entry, M&A, JVs, start-ups and strategic alliances. This experience has been built across multiple business functions and industries spanning APAC, ASEAN, Middle East and UK geographies.
Michele is currently responsible Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) ASEAN Regional Hub, launched in September 2019. She works across multi-stakeholder networks advocating change and enabling businesses, governments, regulators, stock exchanges, investors and academia of the ASEAN region to engage in dialogues that will enable better decisions based on information that matters. In addition, she is also Business Sustainability Head and Sustainability CTO / Innovation Evangelist for APAC Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).
Julie Rezler
Director, Singapore
GRI
Julie Rezler is currently Director, Singapore for GRI. She brings over 25 years of global experience in International Development, Social Impact, and Sustainability including the Life Sciences, Healthcare, and Innovation. She was most recently with Save the Children, as Head of Corporate Partnerships for SE Asia, where she led a team to secure Shared Value partnerships with MNCs focused on the SDG priorities. Julie has also delivered complex projects for the World Bank, UN and IFC. During her career, she has successfully raised over US$200M in equity and grants from Institutional Investors, VC’s, HNWI, Foundations, and Corporates.
This is a series of 4 classes on sustainable business, the sessions can be attended as a set or free-standing classes. Participants from any industries or levels of sustainability experience are welcome.
Organizer
DUTCHCHAM
Email: info@dutchcham.sg
Website: www.dutchcham.sg
