Singapore, May 13, 2024 – Kering announced today a three-year research collaboration with the Centre of Governance and Sustainability (CGS) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School that is poised to establish a first-of-its-kind baseline for measuring the impact of climate and nature-related transition strategies adopted by corporations across Asia-Pacific.
Kering’s partnership with CGS at NUS Business School comes on the back of a shared commitment to advance sustainability and contribute to the global fight against climate change. Acknowledging the complexity of climate science and sustainability, the leading global university seeks high quality research and extensive collaboration across disciplines to develop actionable policies and solutions that can contribute to the global agenda of sustainability and climate action.
Focused on nature-related reporting and climate transition plans, three research studies are set to unfold in three phases. The first and third studies will focus on nature-related issues, while the second study will concentrate on climate transition. These studies will examine strategies adopted by the top 50 listed companies in each of the 14 Asia-Pacific jurisdictions based on market capitalization, including Australia, China (mainland), Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. The primary audience for the nature- and climate-related studies include business leaders, investors, regulators, public sector leaders and non-profit sector leaders. The studies aim to provide insights to the current state of nature and climate practices, establish baseline for strategies and reporting, highlight industry trends, and identify areas for improvements.
The first of three planned studies, titled ‘Nature-Related Practices and Strategies in Asia-Pacific‘, analyzed nature-related strategies from 700 listed companies across 11 industries. It finds that 35% of companies that mention nature in their reports, consider nature and biodiversity to be material issues. Among the 375 companies with a materiality matrix, 31% prioritize nature and biodiversity as mid to high priority issues. In contrast, 82% view climate change as a mid to high priority. Additionally, 9% of all companies have tapped into capital flows and financing opportunities related to nature. The results indicated that compared to nature-related disclosures, climate related disclosures are at a more mature stage. To close the gap, companies need to enhance their disclosure of nature-related issues by tapping on nature-reporting frameworks and encourage greater investment.
On the back of these future insights, Kering and CGS at NUS Business School also plan to host a series of strategy workshops to facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration amongst sectors and industries.
Announcing the partnership at the ‘Nature in the City’ forum jointly organized by the French National Museum of Natural History in collaboration with the Embassy of France to Singapore with support from Kering, Chief Sustainability and Institutional Affairs Officer of Kering, Marie-Claire Daveu, said “At Kering, we believe in the power of collective action as seen through our robust network of partners in several regions around the world. Today, I am proud to announce our partnership with CGS at NUS Business School, which combines academic rigor, research expertise, and real-world experience – key levers for a successful impact. The sustainability challenges we face today are complex, and by partnering with an outstanding university renowned for its expertise in sustainability topics, we are exemplifying the Group’s commitment to collaborate with partners on the Asia-Pacific region’s sustainability journey.”
Professor Lawrence Loh, Director of the Centre for Governance and Sustainability at NUS Business School, said, “Nature underpins all economic activities and human well-being. Therefore, the disclosure of nature-related practices and strategies is crucial to provide transparency and accountability for a company’s environmental impact and sustainability practices. Through the partnership with Kering, we are poised to drive meaningful change by developing a baseline for measuring biodiversity tracking and examining climate transition strategies across diverse industries. This is a significant step in encouraging the integration of nature-centric approaches into corporate strategies, fostering a more sustainable and resilient future for all.”
For more information on the research initiative, please visit https://bschool.nus.edu.sg/cgs/.
The ‘Nature-Related Practices and Strategies in Asia-Pacific’ report is available at: https://bit.ly/3wESJPo
About Kering
A global Luxury group, Kering manages the development of a series of renowned Houses in Fashion, Leather Goods and Jewelry: Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Brioni, Boucheron, Pomellato, DoDo, Qeelin and Ginori 1735, as well as Kering Eyewear and Kering Beauté. By placing creativity at the heart of its strategy, Kering enables its Houses to set new limits in terms of their creative expression while crafting tomorrow’s Luxury in a sustainable and responsible way. We capture these beliefs in our signature: “Empowering Imagination”.
About Centre for Governance and Sustainability (CGS), National University of Singapore
The Centre for Governance and Sustainability (CGS) was established by the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School in 2010. It aims to spearhead relevant and high-impact research on corporate governance and corporate sustainability issues that are pertinent to institutions, government bodies and businesses in Singapore and the Asia-Pacific. CGS is the national assessor for the corporate sustainability and corporate governance performance of listed companies in Singapore. In tandem with growing demands from consumers and investors that financial returns are achieved with integrity, backed with environmental and social considerations, CGS has a slew of research focusing on sustainability reporting in Asia Pacific, sustainable banking, nature reporting, and climate reporting in ASEAN. More information about CGS can be accessed at https://bschool.nus.edu.sg/cgs/
NUS Business School, ranked 1st in Asia in the 2024 QS World University Rankings, is renowned for providing management thought leadership from an Asian perspective, enabling its students and corporate partners to leverage global knowledge and Asian insights. The School is one of the 16 faculties and schools at NUS. A leading global university centred in Asia, NUS is Singapore’s flagship university which offers a global approach to education, research and entrepreneurship, with a focus on Asian perspectives and expertise. Its transformative education includes a broad-based curriculum underscored by multi-disciplinary courses and cross-faculty enrichment. Over 40,000 students from 100 countries enrich the community with their diverse social and cultural perspectives. For more information, please visit bschool.nus.edu.sg, or go to the BIZBeat portal which showcases the School’s research.
Contacts
Kering APAC Roger He – roger.he@kering.com Errial Chiu – errial.chiu@kering.com
HQ (FRANCE) Emmanuelle Picard-Deyme – emmanuelle.picard-deyme@kering.com
National University of Singapore Yvonne Chan – yvonnechan@nus.edu.sg Natalie Law – natalielaw@nus.edu.sg
