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Introduction

With the recently held annual United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26, the world is now pressed to combat climate change through sustainability practices more than before. The growing importance of sustainability around the world is multi-faceted and requires substantial funding to support immediate action.

Now, pressures are being put not just on government bodies but also on corporates to adopt sustainable practices to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).With the increase in investor activism and awareness as well as the introduction of government policies to push the sustainability agenda, corporates are beginning to enhance their ESG performance and disclosures.

According to Bloomberg Intelligence, ESG assets are projected to exceed $50 trillion, a third of the total global assets under management. This demonstrates the increasing focus by investors towards sustainable investing as the race to net zero emissions has further placed ESG into the spotlight

Why We Promote Sustainable Investing

Sustainability is about meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. We believe that responsible investment practices can have significant contribution to the development of a more sustainable financial system that benefits the wider community.

Sustainable investing balances traditional investing fundamentals with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) integration to improve long-term performance. Integrating ESG serves as a positive value-added filter to identify higher quality companies that are more resilient and better prepared to meet future challenges. As a signatory of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), UOB Asset Management is committed to provide sustainable investment solutions for investors across Asia. We believe that sustainable investing is the key to addressing social and environmental issues that are facing the world today.

Webinar Highlights

UOBAM Brunei kicked off the first of a series of sustainability-related webinars on the importance and impact of incorporating environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into investments.

UBDSBE Deputy Dean (Academic) Dr Mohd Hairul Azrin bin Haji Besar moderated the inaugural webinar titled ‘Sustainability – the Key to Global Investing’. Speakers were Mr Victor Wong Kee Yew (Head of Sustainability Office, UOBAM) and Mr Hong Li (Data Engineer and ESG Analyst, UOBAM).

UBD Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Global Affairs) Dr Joyce Teo Siew Yean was the guest of honour. Over 180 UBD students, faculty members, government and private organizations, and the public participated in the session.

The webinar was organised in collaboration with Universiti Brunei Darussalam School of Business and Economics (UBDSBE) and focused on raising awareness on how investors can take action through investments. This marks the university’s first webinar series dedicated to ESG and sustainable investing. According to the Asian Development Bank Institute, ESG awareness in Brunei is still in its infancy stage.

UOBAM Head of Sustainability Office Victor Wong said, “With over three decades of investment expertise in Asia, UOBAM is committed to steering wealth to sustainable investments that create long-term value and positive impact for stakeholders. In line with the global push to achieve net-zero sustainability targets, we have seen growing investor interest and demand, in particular among the younger generation, in sustainable investing. Through our webinar series, we want to provide the public in Brunei with an in-depth understanding of ESG trends to help them better navigate the complex and evolving ESG landscape. For example, the audience can learn about the different indicators for the evaluation of companies’ ESG performance. As we invest for both profit and purpose, we can help forge a sustainable future for all.”

UBD Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Global Affairs) Dr Joyce Teo Siew Yean was the guest of honour. Over 180 UBD students, faculty members, government and private organizations, and the public participated in the session.

The webinar was organised in collaboration with Universiti Brunei Darussalam School of Business and Economics (UBDSBE) and focused on raising awareness on how investors can take action through investments. This marks the university’s first webinar series dedicated to ESG and sustainable investing. According to the Asian Development Bank Institute, ESG awareness in Brunei is still in its infancy stage.

UOBAM Head of Sustainability Office Victor Wong said, “With over three decades of investment expertise in Asia, UOBAM is committed to steering wealth to sustainable investments that create long-term value and positive impact for stakeholders. In line with the global push to achieve net-zero sustainability targets, we have seen growing investor interest and demand, in particular among the younger generation, in sustainable investing. Through our webinar series, we want to provide the public in Brunei with an in-depth understanding of ESG trends to help them better navigate the complex and evolving ESG landscape. For example, the audience can learn about the different indicators for the evaluation of companies’ ESG performance. As we invest for both profit and purpose, we can help forge a sustainable future for all.”

Increasing importance of sustainable investment

• Pressing environmental and social concerns and growing awareness about our future has made sustainable investing matter. Awareness and growth rates of ESG investing, particularly in Asian markets, have risen.
• Major world events aimed at discussing climate change issues – 2015 Paris Agreement, 2021 IPCC Report and the 2021 COP26 where countries share their plans for reducing emissions, review commitments and strengthen ambitions

How to get started with sustainable investment

• Clarify your personal sustainability goals, understand the global sustainability megatrend and select an investment tool with sustainable objectives that align with your goals.
• The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a good place to start as they provide a simple framework that could help on your earlier stage research.
• Some noteworthy megatrends in ESG are concerns in climate change, human capital management and board governance.

Introducing UOBAM sustainable investment capabilities Combining analysts’ research with Artificial Intelligence-Machine Learning models enables a robust construction of ESG investment portfolios that leverages UOBAM’s regional footprint and local expertise to enhance ESG evaluation

Feedback

Click on the link below to let us know your thoughts on the webinar and how we could improve our future sessions.

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