Tuesday, 25 March 2025
Venue: tbc
The global economic landscape is undergoing significant transformation as businesses and governments alike strive to balance competitiveness with sustainability imperatives. The 2024 Competitive Sustainability Index from the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) underscores the critical role of sustainability as a driver of long-term economic growth. At the same time, the European Union has introduced the concept of a Clean Industrial Deal to further embed green and digital transitions in its industrial strategy, and it is launching its Competitiveness Compass on January 29th which aims to address the three key issues hindering EU productivity: (i) the innovation gap against other markets; (ii) the transition to a climate neutral economy and the cost of energy; and (iii) uncertainty linked to geopolitical shifts and their impact on supply chains.
This luncheon event will convene a delegation of European business leaders with operations in the ASEAN region, as well as the ASEAN diplomatic corps for a focused discussion on how the EU’s competitive sustainability initiatives are shaping industrial policy, and how these lessons can be adapted or mirrored in ASEAN’s context. The keynote presentation will be delivered by Dr. Martin Porter, Executive Chair at CISL and lead expert on the Competitive Sustainability Index.
The luncheon will:
- Discuss the EU Clean Industrial Deal and the newly lunched EU Competitiveness Compass
- Provide an overview of the 2024 Competitive Sustainability Index and highlight key metrics and findings from CISL’s report that underscore the importance of sustainability as a growth driver and tailor it to the EU new agenda and ASEAN priorities
- Explore how EU policies and new narratives are setting expectations for decarbonisation, innovation and resource efficiency and sustainability, and implications for businesses exporting or operating within the EU.