Asia and the Gulf have deepened their interdependence over the past decade, particularly in energy, trade, investment, and technology. Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations are strengthening ties with Asian countries like China, India, Japan, South Korea, and ASEAN, fostering mutual economic growth. These partnerships are driven by shared goals including economic diversification, energy security, and the advancement of emerging technologies like AI, renewable energy, and electric vehicles. Growing Asian-Gulf ties are strategically important amid global and regional challenges.

The Asia Business Council conducted its 2024 survey of members in July and August 2024, offering a set of perspectives from CEOs and Chairmen of predominantly Asian businesses. Overall business sentiment was split, with 43 percent of respondents indicating optimism about business conditions improving in the next year, 11 percent foreseeing a worsening business environment, …

A collaborative article by the Asia Business Council and McKinsey delved into the perspectives of business leaders in Asia as they navigate an emerging and potentially more turbulent era, in terms of world order, technology, demographics, resource and energy systems, and financial capitalization. Overall, they believe the region can sustain its growth but will need strategic adjustments to address disruptions and volatility in a multipolar world.

The Asia Business Council conducted its annual survey of members in July 2023. Nearly half of the respondents show a growing optimism about business conditions in the upcoming year, anticipating Asian economies will continue to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. However, economic challenges are at the forefront of their minds, with concerns about inflation, followed …

At the COP27 meeting in Sharm El-Sheikh, climate negotiators laid out a plan to implement the global goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The private sector must play a role in meeting climate targets and can build on that momentum. With this statement, Asian business leaders have committed to taking climate action and to safeguarding and managing nature sustainably.

The Council also conducted a survey (see box on the left below) to understand what drives corporate climate action in Asia, and what policies could accelerate decarbonization. See below for more on the key policy drivers we identified, and why we believe climate change should be a core part of the region’s economic growth strategy.

Climate change will have material impacts for corporations, particularly in Asia where physical and transition risks are significant. Accordingly, Asian companies have acknowledged the importance of sustainability and are now making commitments to reach net-zero carbon emissions within set timeframes.

But how are these commitments affecting their business strategies and changing their operations? And which policies could support an acceleration of their climate action?

To answer these questions, the Asia Business Council surveyed its members ahead of the COP27 conference. For the first time in 2022, a separate section was added to the Council’s Annual Survey with climate-related questions.

The survey results highlight the main drivers of Council members’ climate action and the strategies they prioritize for reaching net zero carbon emissions. It also reveals the key challenges they see for decarbonization and, crucially, the government policies that would help accelerate their climate action.

This year’s survey indicated an uncertain outlook for Asian businesses. Economies across the region are enjoying a return to business as usual and recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet the invasion of Ukraine has set off a chain of events that roiled global markets and left the world with no clear path …

This year’s survey indicated a historic rise in business optimism in Asia driven by a belief that the pandemic-driven downturn has finally hit bottom. Most businesses see demand for their products on the upswing. Yet this optimism is tempered by acknowledgement of external risks. Geopolitical tensions and the emergence of new and more dangerous virus …

The “Asia’s Challenge 2030” Global Essay Competition challenged students across the world to answer the question: How would you address some of the most important issues in Asia in the coming decade? Participants were asked to tackle a problem in one of three categories: Economy, Trade, and Finance; Environment and Public Health; and Cities and …

In May 2021, as India witnessed a deadly surge in COVID-19 cases, Asia Business Council members took immediate action to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with fellow members in India and help alleviate a humanitarian disaster of extreme proportions. In response to an appeal letter from Council Chairman Daniel Tsai and Vice-chairman Tak Niinami, members made donations to …