CSO CONVERSATIONS
THE CITIES WE SHAPE TOMORROW DEPEND ON THE CONVERSATIONS WE LEAD TODAY
The inaugural CSO Conversations is the launchpad where bold climate leadership takes flight. It convenes leading corporate Chief Sustainability Officers (CSO), forward-thinking policymakers, and next-gen innovators to drive candid dialogue and strengthen cross-sector alignment. By surfacing emerging challenges and systemic gaps, it lays the foundation for a new playbook—one that delivers faster, more credible, and scalable impact for liveable, climate-resilient cities.
Organised by SMU Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, in collaboration with Singapore Green Finance Centre (SGFC) and Urban Institute, CSO Conversations is structured around two segments: a closed-door CSO Roundtable, and an open Changemaker Conversations public forum.
About Changemaker Conversations with CSOs
Following the roundtable, we invite you to join a high-profile public forum on urban decarbonisation through policy-driven innovation. This event convenes a broader audience of 300–400 business leaders, policymakers, LKYGBPC finalists, startup founders, investors, and next-gen talent. By linking the private dialogue with the public forum, insights from the roundtable will not only shape policy and strategy in confidence, but also inform and inspire the wider sustainability ecosystem. The forum takes place at SMU Hall B1 from 15:45 to 16:55. Registration details to follow.
Discussion Theme:
What’s Next for Asia’s Sustainable Transition
Navigating Tech × Policy × Finance towards Liveable, Climate-Resilient Cities
As Asia’s cities expand, the imperative is clear: turn climate tech into investable urban projects. Building on the Roundtable, this fireside convenes board directors, VCs, and policymakers together around three threads:
- Innovating From Within: rewiring operations and supply chains to build climate-resilient businesses that adapt at speed.
- Smart Governance: using digital MRV and audit-ready ESG data to make outcomes credible and investment-grade.
- Financing Our Future: mobilising transition finance and credible carbon pathways to de-risk early deployments in buildings, mobility, and industry.
Expect straight talk on boardroom capex discipline and KPIs, the proof points VCs require before writing a cheque, the policy moves that unlock pipelines and bankable pathways that capital can fund. We close with three near-term board toolkits teams can use tomorrow.
Key Benefits of Participants
- Shape the Policy Landscape
Share candid, on-the-ground perspectives with regulators and peers, helping ensure sustainability frameworks are both ambitious and practical for business. - Peer Learning in Confidence
Benchmark strategies, implementation challenges and what is (and isn’t) working with fellow CSOs in a trusted, Chatham House Rule setting. - Co-Create Solutions
Shape the dialogue on embedding sustainability into business strategy and operations, while co-creating actionable pathways to accelerate sustainable transformation. - Forge Innovation Partnerships
Connect with pilot-ready DeepTech solutions that have been vetted by your corporate peers, accelerating public–private collaborations.
How to Register:
- Click "Register Now" - this will take you to the LKYGBPC registration page.
- On the registration form, please select:
"Oct 2, 12:15pm - PM Pass @ SMU Yong Pung How School of Law"
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Program Flow
About CSO Roundtable
Held under the Chatham House Rule, this closed-door session convenes leading Chief Sustainability Officers and regulators from Singapore alongside companies shaping urban development across the region. Participants will exchange strategic insights, explore regulatory shifts, and co-develop approaches to advance sustainable business transformation in a rapidly evolving landscape.
Discussion Subthemes
Innovating From Within:
Building Climate-Resilient Businesses
Climate volatility and the net zero transition are enterprise-wide risks impacting every facet of a business—from operations and supply chains to workforce planning, financing and capital allocation. Building resilience means future-proofing businesses to thrive under extreme conditions and resource constraints; rewiring operations and supply chains.
Smart Governance: Harnessing Tech/Digital to Drive Credible Impact
With rising regulations and evolving standards, CSOs face growing demand for credible, verifiable ESG data – not just for corporate reporting, but to prove the impact of sustainability interventions. The pressure isn’t only from regulators – investors, NGOs and customers are all scutinising. Digital tools offer new possibilities but can be both an enabler and a risk multiplier.
Financing Our Future:
Mobilising Capital for Climate Impact
Many CSOs in Asia face the impossible brief: deliver ambitious decarbonisation without guaranteed budget, while convincing boards that transition finance and carbon markets are legitimate tools, not PR. Retrofitting the systems that keep cities running—buildings, transport, energy etc.—is capital-intensive, yet unavoidable. At the same time, investor activism means that financing choices are under intense scrutiny.
CSO Conversations Co-Organisers
