Our Focus Areas

June 23, 2021

Asian Central Bank Mandates: What about Equality?

Henry Michael Mayhew, of University College London, argues that Asian central banks should incorporate equality considerations into their mandates. The rise of unconventional monetary policy has had outsized distributive effects, and with a growing body of research showing that inequality impacts economic stability, targeting a more balanced distribution of wealth can be seen as a

June 23, 2021

The Three Pillar Multi-Stakeholder Approach to Responsible Financing: Addressing Asia’s Challenges in the “Decade of Action”

Krati Gupta, from the Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law in India, makes the case for a greater role for Asia in global initiatives aimed at addressing responsible finance. The pandemic has brought the importance of environment, social, and governance (ESG) considerations to the fore, yet ESG investing in Asia trails behind other regions. The

February 22, 2021

How To Charge Your Portfolio With Chinese EV Disruptors Like Nio, Xpeng and Li

Following an announcement by China that it would phase out sales of new internal combustion engine cars by 2035, the promise of fast growth in electric vehicles and batteries has sent stocks soaring.

January 19, 2021

As Covid-19 crisis shows, sovereign wealth funds have a role that goes beyond providing money

Singapore’s Temasek is one of several government funds to go beyond their traditional mandate and fight the pandemic, not just by investing in the search for a vaccine, but also by supporting the production of medical goods As Hong Kong prepares to launch its own Growth Portfolio, it needs to consider if there’s a larger

October 28, 2020

Leadership in a Time of Crisis: Asian Businesses Respond to COVID-19

By almost any measure, the response to COVID-19 in much of Asia, East Asia in particular, has been among the world’s most effective. Measured by the absolute number of COVID-19 cases and deaths, or cases and deaths per 100,000 people, Asia has been more successful than the United States and most countries in Europe in

October 26, 2020

E-Commerce and Fintech Players Fight For Share in Indonesia’s Hot Market

Amid the humanitarian crisis of Covid-19, Indonesia has discovered a silver lining. The digitization of traditional offline businesses is accelerating in the shadow of the pandemic. Now, e-commerce and fintech players are fighting to dominate the digital world.

September 22, 2020

Asia Business Council Annual Survey 2020

The Asia Business Council Annual Survey 2020 was conducted in August and September this year and yielded a response rate of 83 percent. Asia Business Council members are Chairmen and CEOs mainly in Asia but also in Europe, the United States, and Australia who lead companies with a combined valuation of nearly $3 trillion and

January 15, 2021

Ayala Corp. (Philippines) – Recommitting to a Broad Stakeholder Ecosystem During the Pandemic

Ayala Corp is one of the oldest conglomerates in the Philippines with a history of supporting the wider community in difficult times. The company realized many years ago that it could be more effective during crisis situations by engaging a network of companies to coordinate relief efforts. In 2009, it helped establish the Philippine Disaster

January 15, 2021

DatVietVAC Group Holdings (Vietnam) – Leveraging Entertainment as a Force for Good in Face of COVID-19 Challenges

Vietnamese entertainment giant DatVietVAC Group Holdings is an example of how a company can leverage media and content as a force for good during the pandemic. It played no small part in helping the Vietnamese government promote the official BlueZone app, which helped contain the virus. By mobilizing its network of celebrities, DatVietVAC encouraged the

January 15, 2021

Esquel Group (Hong Kong) – Launching a Sustainable Mask Amidst a Public Health Crisis

Hong Kong-based textile company Esquel Group reaffirmed its commitment to sustainability by developing a reusable mask even as it was hit hard by the unfolding pandemic and escalating U.S.-China tensions. While initially made for donations, especially in the communities where it had operations, the product soon became a business as well, demonstrating that social responsibility