Advocacy Talking Points 29 August 2024
APAC Climate Shift: Investor Insights
Webinar Presentation
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The APAC region has emerged as a critical player in the global climate action narrative. With more than 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions originating from APAC economies, the region's corporate sector faces significant pressure to accelerate decarbonization efforts.
But how are corporations in the region faring and what progress has truly been made? These are the pressing questions that the latest MSCI APAC Climate Action Progress Report sought to uncover.
In this webinar, MSCI analyzed the findings from this research to highlight how investors can reconsider the progress and challenges that come with narrowing the climate finance gap.
Key Topics:
- Progress in emissions disclosures and climate targets of companies in 13 APAC markets.
- The shifting energy mix – where we stand in the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
- Trends in transition capital flows and their implications for investors.
Speakers:
- Claudio Saffioti, apac climate specialist lead, MSCI
- Xiaoshu Wang, head of apac esg and climate research, MSCI
Moderator:
- Mary Leung, CFA, senior advisor, research and advocacy, asia pacific, CFA Institute
Co-hosted by:
Recorded on 29 August 2024
Duration: 65 mins
Speakers
Mary is a distinguished advocate and speaker for a range of capital markets-related topics, including fund raising, shareholder rights, corporate governance, diversity, sustainability, and ESG. She has over 20 years of experience in the global financial industry, with expertise in corporate finance, wealth management advisory and institutional fund management, having worked at institutions such as UBS and Coutts.
Prior to her current role as a Senior Advisor at CFA Institute, Mary served as Head of Policy, Registration and Oversight at the Accounting and Financial Council, the independent audit and accounting regulator in Hong Kong. In that role, she was responsible for policy development and the delivery of statutory functions relating to the registration of audit practitioners, and the oversight of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants. From 2016 to 2022, she was Head, Advocacy, Asia Pacific at CFA Institute, leading research and advocacy efforts that drive market integrity, investor protection, and industry professionalism.
Mary is a CFA Charterholder and a recognized thought leader in market integrity and investor protection.
Claudio Saffioti leads the Climate Specialist team in Asia Pacific for MSCI. Based in Hong Kong, Claudio works on a broad range of topics, including the quantification of climate risks and opportunities in investment portfolios, carbon footprinting, and nature and biodiversity impacts. His role involves supporting existing client relationships, driving new business development, and expanding the adoption of MSCI’s climate solutions across the region.
Before joining MSCI, Claudio worked at Guy Carpenter, a reinsurance broker, focusing on developing solutions to quantify natural catastrophe risks and advising clients on the impact of climate change and extreme weather events. He later moved to Marsh McLennan, Guy Carpenter’s parent company, focusing on the analysis of physical and transition climate risks, nature-related risks and broader sustainability challenges for corporates and financial institutions.
Claudio holds a PhD in Climate Science from ETH Zürich (Switzerland). He also obtained the Sustainability and Climate Risk (SCR) Certificate from the Global Association of Risk Professionals.
Xiaoshu Wang leads MSCI’s ESG & Climate research team in APAC, primarily focusing on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risk and performance analysis of financial institutions and companies across the region.
With more than 10 years of professional experience in the ESG field, Xiaoshu published impactful research on major ESG and sustainability trends in APAC and China.
Prior to joining MSCI, Xiaoshu was a management consultant at CapGemini, where she advised major Chinese banks and financial institutions on complying with Basel III rules, developing internal performance metrics, and operational enhancement.
Xiaoshu also worked with Business for Social Responsibility, a global sustainable business network and consultancy, to help MNCs and state-owned enterprises in China develop sustainability strategies.
Xiaoshu holds a bachelor’s degree from Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management and is a CFA® charterholder.