CSO Insights: How sustainability pullback is playing out in Southeast Asia

If you work in sustainability, you know that 2025 has been a time of upheaval in many parts of the world. At the All Things Sustainable podcast, we want to understand how sustainability leaders are handling the changing landscape. So this week, we're launching a new miniseries where we interview Chief Sustainability Officers across industries and around the world.

We're kicking off our CSO Insights series by sitting down with Eric Lim, the Chief Sustainability Officer at United Overseas Bank (UOB), one of the largest banks headquartered in Singapore. We'll be back later this week with more interviews with CSOs at Southeast Asian banks.

Eric says UOB is "obsessed with supporting the client decarbonization and transition journeys," while also emphasizing the importance of a just transition. He tells us how initiatives like the Singapore Sustainable Finance Association, where he's a convening member, are working to simplify the topic of nature for financial institutions. And he explains how countries like Singapore are incorporating adaptation and resilience measures into the built environment.

"What we see with our clients is — even though there is globally perhaps a bit of this pullback from sustainability, a bit of greenhushing — that our clients simply continue to invest in low-carbon or green business models that they know make commercial sense," Eric says.

Listen to our recent podcast episode How sustainability professionals are weathering challenging times

Listen to our recent interview with the CEO of Climate Risk & Resilience at global insurance group Howden Why insurance is becoming central to climate risk conversations

Learn about S&P Global Sustainable1's Nature & Biodiversity dataset.

The All Things Sustainable podcast from S&P Global will be an official media partner of The Nest Climate Campus during Climate Week NYC. Register free to attend here.

This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1 and not by S&P Global Ratings, which is a separately managed division of S&P Global.

Copyright ©2025 by S&P Global

DISCLAIMER

By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast. The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this Podcast are for general information only and any reliance on the information provided in this Podcast is done at your own risk.

Any unauthorized use, facilitation or encouragement of a third party's unauthorized use (including without limitation copy, distribution, transmission or modification, use as part of generative artificial intelligence or for training any artificial intelligence models) of this Podcast or any related information is not permitted without S&P Global's prior consent subject to appropriate licensing and shall be deemed an infringement, violation, breach or contravention of the rights of S&P Global or any applicable third-party (including any copyright, trademark, patent, rights of privacy or publicity or any other proprietary rights).

This Podcast should not be considered professional advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, S&P GLOBAL does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this Podcast, and information from this Podcast should not be referenced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. The third party materials or content of any third party site referenced in this Podcast do not necessarily reflect the opinions, standards or policies of S&P GLOBAL. S&P GLOBAL assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy or completeness of the content contained in third party materials or on third party sites referenced in this Podcast or the compliance with applicable laws of such materials and/or links referenced herein. Moreover, S&P GLOBAL makes no warranty that this Podcast, or the server that makes it available, is free of viruses, worms, or other elements or codes that manifest contaminating or destructive properties.

S&P GLOBAL EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR OTHER DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF ANY INDIVIDUAL'S USE OF, REFERENCE TO, RELIANCE ON, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS PODCAST OR THE INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PODCAST.