ERIA-IBSS Workshop Advances ESG for Net Zero Future

The Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) and International Business School Suzhou (IBSS) at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University jointly organised the two-day workshop titled "Impacts and Interlinkages of ESG Investments on Net Zero Economy Transition" on 21-22 April 2025. This was part of the ERIA to facilitate the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) building. The event brought together 20 international experts to exchange insights on emerging policies and best practices in ESG investing across ASEAN and East Asia, with a focus on Net Zero economy transition and sustainable finance taxonomies.

Professor Jorg Bley, Dean of IBSS, delivered the opening remarks, addressing the stress areas between economic priorities and environmental/social values in business practices. He reaffirmed role of academia in bringing new knowledge and IBSS's commitment to advancing responsible and sustainable business education. Dr Nimesh Salike, Associate Dean for Learning and Teaching, introduced IBSS’s history and curriculum innovations to the workshop participants.

Dr Venkatachalam Anbumozhi, Senior Research Fellow for innovation at ERIA, presented the progress of the joint research project, outlining key trends, experiences, and impacts of ESG investments in East Asia. Scholars from across the globe shared findings on ESG developments in South Korea, China, Japan, India, Brazil, Australia, the United States, Europe, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam, offering comparative perspectives on regional challenges and opportunities. Their findings suggest that ESG and low carbon approaches have made substantial progress at global level and many Asian countries have issued disclosure guidelines to further strengthen the practices. Additionally, the workshop presentations proposed recommendations for national and regional sustainable finance taxonomies, emphasizing the need to enhance key metrics, targets, and measurement frameworks.

External specialists from S&P Global and Suzhou Industrial Park Urban Development Research Institute provided insights on corporate sustainable assessment in China and ESG development practices in Suzhou Industrial Park. Dr Yao Fu, Dr Nakaya Kakuda, Dr Tianshu Li and Dr Yameng Zhang from Research Center for Excellence (Sustainability and ESG) at IBSS presented their latest work on ESG to the workshop participants, aligning academic research with real-word policy needs.

The workshop emphasized the critical role of collaboration in accelerating ESG investments to achieve a net-zero future. The field trip to Suzhou ESG Innovation Center helped the workshop participants to understand the clustered and people centric ESG approaches being adopted in the Suzhou Industrial Park and innovations happening through public private partnerships.

The finalized ERIA Publication will serve as a vital resource for policymakers, businesses, and researchers driving sustainable development. The event laid the groundwork for future research cooperation between ERIA and IBSS, reinforcing their shared commitment to actionable sustainability solutions.