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Wednesday, 24 August 2022
Going beyond a general discussion on ESG, we engaged with Volvo Cars, Volvo Trucks and Scania on supply chain sustainability in the local automotive context.
The Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Kuala Lumpur & Selangor (KLSCCCI) and Swedish Embassy came together for the first time to organise this forum, curating a discussion in the specific supply chain context of Swedish automotive giants and Malaysian suppliers.
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Swedish Ambassador H.E. Dr. Joachim Bergström kicked off the proceedings with his welcoming remarks, followed by the President of KLSCCCI, Datuk Ng Yih Pyng, who delivered the opening remarks.
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We then listened to brief presentations by:
Shanta Helena Dwarkasing, Director of Programs, UN Global Compact Malaysia & Brunei - "SME sustainability and ESG in the supply chain"
Emma Broms, Trade and Invest Commissioner to Malaysia - "Sustainability as a profitable business and the impact on supply chain"
Charles Frump, Managing Director, Volvo Cars Malaysia - "Volvo's electrification vision and its impact on ESG"
Tony O'Connell, Managing Director, Volvo Trucks Malaysia - "Transforming the commercial landscape"
Bryan Tan, Director, TruckQuip Sdn. Bhd. - "Circular economy and moving to sustainable transport solutions"
David Lantz, Director, Driving the Shift, Scania Southeast Asia - "Driving the shift towards a more sustainable transport system through partnerships with suppliers and customers"
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Jia Yaw, who serves on the ESG Committee of the KLSCCCI, then kicked off the panel discussion with the 6 speakers. They discussed insights for building partnerships between multi-national corporations and local suppliers, the challenges and how they overcame them; building a unified voice for navigating a national landscape with gaps and uncertainties in its government policies; the trajectory of change for ESG requirements in the near future, and more. The speakers also took questions from the audience.
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The event concluded with an opportunity for everyone to mingle over refreshments.