Sustainability conference in KL to feature stellar cast of industry experts

THE highly-anticipated Sustainable Brands Kuala Lumpur Conference 2022 (SB'22KL) will be held this June 21 and 22, drawing top sustainability experts who will share their experiences amid renewed global interest in the subject. 

This year's conference theme is "Build Back Better - Learning from our past in designing a more sustainable future." 

The event will be held virtually for the second consecutive year and offers fascinating insights into the importance of sustainability in modern business practices, exploring social, environmental and financial considerations. 

SB'22KL brings together thought leaders from some of the world's largest brands, most influential NGOs, policymakers and social enterprises to share innovations, learnings and forward-thinking practices with the community in Malaysia. 

This year, the event is held against economic optimism following a prolonged Covid-induced slump. 

Sharmini Nagulan, conference convenor and managing director of Acacia Blue, the country partner for Sustainable Brands, said, "The recent pandemic has exposed deep fault lines in our global societies. 

"As we return to 'normalcy', it is critical to slow down and connect the dots again. We need to relearn from the stories that have shaped our current reality to write a better story for our future.

"This is why the theme for SB'22KL centres around the need to draw on all the wisdom that we can glean from our past, to remind ourselves what we have learned from both the successes and failures of history," Sharmini said in a media release. 

The conference will start with welcoming remarks by KoAnn Vikoran Skrzyniarz, the founder and CEO of Sustainable Brands Worldwide and Gerald Miranda, chairman of Acacia Blue Sdn Bhd.  

The broad topics covered in the conference range from the role of brand and marketing in sustainability, building purposeful businesses, systems thinking and design, to biodiversity and nature-based solutions in building back better. 

Leading companies such as Unilever and Tony's Chocolonely will also share their best sustainability practices. 

Among the highlights on day one include a talk on "The Drive to Net Positive" by Andrew Winston (who is co-author of the best-selling book "Net Positive") and "Planetary Health: Towards A New Development Paradigm" by Tan Sri Jemilah Mahmood, executive director and professor of Sunway Centre for Planetary Health.

On day two, a panel discussion on "The Purpose of Business" will be moderated by Kate Byrne, the chief impact officer, PopVenture and participated by key representatives from top Malaysian companies. 

An annual event since 2015, Sustainable Brands Kuala Lumpur is held under the auspices of Sustainable Brands Worldwide Conference, the largest global community of purpose-driven innovators working to help shift the world to be more sustainable.  

Participants can access a knowledge repository for their companies to stay ahead in their industries with the most up-to-date research, trends, case studies and insights from the experts themselves. 

They could also collaborate with new partners and gain new perspectives to turn their ideas into successful tangible solutions while expanding their network with business and thought leaders. 

In the past, 75 per cent of the attendees were influential decision-makers. 

There will be a stellar cast of international speakers as well as some reputable local speakers.  

More information on SB'22KL including the full list of speakers can be found on this website. Tickets are also available on the same website and may be claimable under companies' Human Resources Development Corporation (HRDC) contributions.