Ecosperity Week 2023 convenes global leaders to catalyse solutions for net zero

Ecosperity Week 2023 will bring together global business leaders, policy-makers, investors and civil society from across industries in addressing high-impact levers to bring about transformational climate action we need for our planet, businesses and communities.

Themed ‘Breakthroughs for Net Zero’, the three-day event will focus on fast-tracking decarbonisation, enabling net-zero cities and financing Asia’s net-zero transition.

“Extreme weather events will only become more frequent and intense, affecting millions of lives and costing billions of dollars in damages. However, as the recent IPCC report showed, feasible and affordable options to address the climate crisis already exist,” said Dr Steve Howard, Vice Chairman, Sustainability, Temasek. “Ecosperity Week brings the necessary actors together with system-wide transformation in mind, to catalyse the breakthrough solutions, pathways and collaboration we need to accelerate progress towards a net zero world.” 

Presented by Temasek, Ecosperity Week 2023 will be held from 6 to 8 June 2023 at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Singapore. Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, Republic of Singapore, will deliver the Opening Keynote Address and speak on a panel about pursuing a prosperous, low-carbon future on 6 June. 

Mr Desmond Lee, Minister for National Development & Minister-in-Charge of Social Services Integration, Republic of Singapore, will kick off Day 2 of the event on 7 June with opening remarks and a fireside chat on the role of government in enabling sustainable and liveable cities. Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies, and Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Republic of Singapore, will deliver a keynote address at the Financing Asia’s Transition (FAST) Conference on 8 June on unlocking climate finance to accelerate decarbonisation across the region. 

Ecosperity Week 2023 will also feature global leaders from the public, private and non-governmental sectors including Mr Joko Widodo, President of the Republic of Indonesia, Mr Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Coordinating Minister of Maritime and Investment Affairs, Republic of Indonesia; Mr Xie Zhenhua, Special Envoy for Climate Change, People’s Republic of China; Ms Catherine McKenna, Chair, UN High-Level Expert Group on Net-Zero Commitments of Non-State Entities; Former Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Infrastructure, Canada; Lord Nicholas Stern, Chair, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment; and Dr Angela Wilkinson, Secretary General & CEO, World Energy Council. 

Accelerating climate finance in Asia 

Jointly organised by BlackRock, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and Temasek, the Financing Asia’s Transition (FAST) Conference will convene key decision-makers across financial institutions and the real economy to catalyse both green and transition finance. Held on 8 June, speakers and panellists such as Dr Mark Carney, Co-Chair, Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero; UN Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance; Mr Pedro Gomez, Head of Climate & Member of Executive Committee, World Economic Forum; Mr Tim Gould, Chief Energy Economist, International Energy Agency; Mr Philipp Hildebrand, Vice Chairman, BlackRock; Ms Park Kyung-Ah, Head, ESG Investment Management & Managing Director, Sustainability, Temasek; Prof Avinash Persaud, Special Envoy on Climate Finance to Prime Minister Mottley of Barbados, Emeritus Professor, Gresham College; and Mr Rohit Sipahimalani, Chief Investment Officer, Temasek, will discuss the opportunities in climate financing particularly in emerging markets and developing economies, building net-zero portfolios, developing a trusted global carbon market, phasing out Asia’s coal-fired power plants and leveraging philanthropic capital.

“The FAST Conference reflects the depth, strength, and ambition of the conversations we’re having with partners and clients in Singapore day in and day out. The low-carbon transition is a long-term structural trend that presents immense challenge and opportunity, and it’s gratifying to bring our full bench of expertise both in Singapore and around the world to offer our latest research and views on what it means for long-term investors. Bottom line: It takes courage to think long-term, and that’s precisely why we are proud to co-host the FAST Conference in Singapore for these discussions and resulting actions to take place,” said Ms Deborah Ho, Country Head of Singapore and Head of Southeast Asia, BlackRock. 

“The climate challenge requires an extraordinary response. Unprecedented ambition and coordination among the public, private and philanthropic sectors are needed, and this also presents an opportunity to spur economic growth and build resilience into our systems. The Monetary Authority of Singapore seeks to contribute to this critical global effort as a convenor, a catalyst and a contributor of solutions for climate action. We are pleased to co-organise the FAST Conference, which brings together global stakeholders to drive collaboration and mobilise the financing needed for an effective and inclusive transition to net zero,” said Ms Gillian Tan, Assistant Managing Director and Chief Sustainability Officer, Monetary Authority of Singapore. 

A global platform for multi-sectoral convergence 

This year, Ecosperity Week will welcome a global community of over 20 partners from Asia and beyond, demonstrating the diversity of perspectives and action-oriented solutions needed to address the climate crisis. Partners based in the region include Temasek’s carbon solutions platform GenZero, which will hold the inaugural GenZero Climate Summit, focusing on the potential of diverse pathways to overcome challenges and accelerate decarbonisation globally. 

Meanwhile, international organisations like The Climate Group and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, are set to hold their first Asia-Pacific events at Ecosperity Week 2023. In addition, the World Economic Forum’s First Movers Coalition will organise a one-day, in-country workshop around sustainable aviation fuel supply and potential in Singapore. 

Ecosperity Week 2023 partners also cut across both private and public sectors, reflecting the commitment and collaboration necessary for all stakeholders in advancing the net zero agenda. They include banks and consulting firms such as Deloitte, PwC Singapore, Standard Chartered, and UBS, as well as public organisations such as the National Environment Agency which organises the CleanEnviro Summit Singapore and PUB - Singapore’s National Water Agency which organises the biennial Singapore International Water Week.

Visit the Ecosperity website for more details on each partner event: https://www.ecosperity.sg/en/events/ecosperity-week-2023/partner-events.html.

Resources for charting the way forward

Several thought leadership reports will also be launched at Ecosperity Week 2023 to provide a deeper understanding of the region’s progress:

• Southeast Asia’s Green Economy 2023 Report: Cracking the code by Bain & Company, Temasek, GenZero and Amazon Web Services, on how prioritising efforts in the energy and nature sectors can help realise the region’s decarbonisation goals.
• Energising the path to net zero: Deloitte’s 2023 global green hydrogen outlook outlines how the clean hydrogen economy would spur economic growth across emerging economies, providing increased prosperity and energy security globally while aligning with the targets laid out in the Paris Agreement. 
• GenZero Climate Impact Measurement Framework by GenZero, which is a robust and practical framework to help measure climate impact in decarbonisation investments. 
• Sustainability Counts II Report by PwC Singapore and the Centre for Governance and Sustainability at the National University of Singapore Business School, focusing on the state of Asia Pacific’s sustainability reporting landscape, highlights challenges and provides insights on the way forward to enable a lower carbon and sustainable future. 
• Deepening Sustainability with DLT, by Standard Chartered Bank and the Singapore Fintech Association on how distributed ledger technology can make supply chain payments more visibly sustainable in an ESG generation. 
• Financial Inclusion in Post-COVID Southeast Asia: Accelerating Impact beyond Access report by the Centre for Impact Investing and Practices (CIIP), UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and Helicap, will offer deep insights into the impact of credit on Financial Services Providers (FSP) customers’ businesses, livelihoods, quality of life and household well-being, and other financial health outcomes such as resilience and agency. 

Showcasing and catalysing solutions 

Ahead of The Earthshot Prize’s third annual awards ceremony in Singapore in November - the first in Asia - Ms Hannah Jones, CEO, The Earthshot Prize will be speaking on Day 2 of Ecosperity Week 2023 about the vision for the Prize, its mission for the years ahead, and why Singapore is the perfect place to celebrate sustainable solutions. Two previous finalists of The Earthshot Prize, Mr Vidyut Mohan, Co-Founder and CEO, Takachar, and Mr Brandon Ng, Co-Founder and CEO, Ampd Energy, will also be showcasing their solutions for sustainable cities at Ecosperity Week 2023. 

The Earthshot Prize is supported by the following strategic partners: Temasek Trust, Temasek, GenZero and Conservation International.

The Liveability Challenge (TLC) 2023 Grand Finale will once again take place at Ecosperity Week. TLC is a global platform presented by Temasek Foundation that hunts for and accelerates the launch of innovative solutions to urban challenges of cities in the tropics. This sixth edition will feature solutions along two tracks Climate Change and Food & Nutrition, with S$2.5 million worth of grant and investment prizes. 

Innovating for sustainable, net-zero cities

Launched by Ecosperity earlier this year, Sustain-a-City: An Urban Innovation Challenge invited youth from around the world to share their innovative solutions for a sustainable, net-zero city.

Out of over 70 submissions, the best six will have their solutions showcased at Ecosperity Week 2023. 

For more information and the latest updates on Ecosperity Week 2023, visit www.ecosperity.sg or follow Ecosperity’s LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/ecosperity/) and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ecosperity/). 

About Temasek and Ecosperity

Temasek is an investment company with a net portfolio value of S$403 billion (US$297b, €268b, £227b, RMB1.89t) as at 31 March 2022. Our Purpose “So Every Generation Prospers” guides us to make a difference for today’s and future generations. Our Temasek Charter defines our three roles as an Investor, Institution and Steward, and shapes our ethos to do well, do right and do good.

Sustainability is at the core of all that we do. We are committed to catalysing solutions to global challenges and activating capital – financial, human, social and natural – to bring about a better and more inclusive world for all.

As Temasek’s key platform for global engagement and advocacy around sustainability, Ecosperity brings together leaders across the private and public sectors, academia and civil society to exchange views, share best practices and push the agenda on sustainable development. Twinning ecology and prosperity, the word Ecosperity reflects Temasek’s belief that doing good and doing well can – and must – go together.