BANGKOK, THAILAND – The ESG Symposium 2026 is advancing from a forum for dialogue to regional-level action, marking a significant shift in how ASEAN addresses sustainability challenges. Under the theme "ASEAN in Action: Powering Inclusive Green Transition," the Symposium builds on last year's proposals to advance three key agendas: Energy Transition, Just Transition, and Climate Adaptation. It also links these agendas with Public–Private–People Partnership (4P) collaboration, aiming to move approaches from the policy level to implementation in the business sector and local communities, and to bring lessons from Thailand into consideration for adaptation in other ASEAN contexts.
Organized as a regional collaboration platform by SCG together with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and partners from all sectors, the Symposium connects leaders and experts from government, business, finance, international organizations, and academia to exchange knowledge and practices. It also brings them together to shape responses to ASEAN's key challenges: energy security, adaptation to climate change, and the creation of a green economy and green jobs that distribute opportunities and strengthen the region's resilience.
Mr. Joe Phelan, Executive Director - Asia Pacific, WBCSD, emphasized the stakes: "The sustainability transition is linked to competitiveness, security and investment, which presents both a significant challenge and an important opportunity for ASEAN. The key lies in connecting policy, investment, technology and people through collaboration among government, business, the financial sector and communities, in order to drive ASEAN toward sustainable growth over the long term."
In Thailand, the business sector is expected to play a pivotal role in turning global direction into collective action, particularly by helping SMEs and entrepreneurs in the supply chain adapt and grow alongside the green economy. Dr. Phacharaphot Nuntramas, Krungthai Chief Economist & JSCCIB Economist, noted: "Thailand must use the Green Transition as an opportunity to enhance its competitiveness and attract future investment. The key is end-to-end implementation, creating an inclusive transition in which large businesses help upgrade SMEs in their supply chains so that they can adapt and grow together. In addition, the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking (JSCCIB) is ready to carry the proposals from this forum forward through the Reinvent Thailand platform, together with the business sector and other stakeholders."
The Symposium's three agendas reflect both progress and new challenges. On Energy Transition, last year's proposals aimed to unlock renewable electricity access through Third Party Access (TPA), Direct PPA, and regulatory reduction. This year, discussions move toward raising the readiness of the energy system, including grid capacity and flexibility, grid-forming technology, and adjusting the Power Development Plan (PDP) to align with future demand. New technologies such as Small Modular Reactors (SMR) and biofuels, as well as ASEAN-level cooperation through the ASEAN Power Grid, are also on the table. Dr. Areeporn Asawinpongphan, Research Fellow in Energy Policy at TDRI, proposed establishing an energy system that balances security, competitive costs, and decarbonization targets, recommending accelerated development of resilient infrastructure, increased solar and bioenergy roles, grid upgrades, and market liberalization.
On Just Transition, last year's support for SMEs through knowledge and tools like NZAP and Go Together is expanded this year with Funding Connect and SME Green Transition Plus for industrial SMEs, helping entrepreneurs access knowledge, technology, funding, and business opportunities. Mr. Veerachai Monsintorn, Vice Chairman of FTI, proposed tailoring support to entrepreneurs' capacity to adapt, starting with a pilot group to create a comprehensive prototype covering knowledge, technology, skills, standards, market access, and funding through Funding Connect, before scaling up.
On Climate Adaptation, building on last year's Water Resilience discussion, the focus extends to an AI Simulation Platform for assessing flood risk and infrastructure vulnerability, with plans to make it publicly accessible and to develop ASEAN-level Risk Mapping and Simulation. Asst. Prof. Dr. Pongsak Suttinon of Chulalongkorn University proposed shifting from post-disaster response to advance preparedness, including a One Water Data Center to integrate water data, forecasting, and early warning systems with local communities, alongside investment in dual-use infrastructure and a Water Economy to reduce losses and sustain business continuity.
Mr. Thammasak Sethaudom, President and CEO of SCG, said: "From the proposals and actions of the past year, we now see clear progress across all three agendas. The key challenge today is to take what we have learned and done over many years and scale it up more broadly. We have seen that Public–Private–People Partnership, or 4P, can deliver real results: the public sector creates conditions conducive to action, the private sector brings technology and capital to experiment, and the people's sector participates in defining the needs of each area, which is the Area-Based Approach. Drawing on lessons from Saraburi Province, we should take this 4P model and scale it to other areas, starting by studying the needs and problems of each area while identifying suitable partners, so that lessons can be turned into real action and cooperation can be extended with other countries. If we can expand this kind of collaboration in a concrete way, it will accelerate change and build a competitive economy while effectively addressing climate change. Most importantly, it will open the way for every sector to grow together."
The Symposium's outcomes are being disseminated via Media OutReach Newswire.
