But the majority SGX-listed firms polled have begun adopting the ISSB standards already, which they say can attract investors and improve corporate reputation, an industry study finds.
The year is likely to see cooperation between China and the European Union become more important, but both sides will have to carefully navigate developments that could lead to more trade friction. Transition finance is expected to grow.
Trump 2.0 promises to add to the uncertainties that chief sustainability officers have had to tackle over the last year. Sustainability became harder to sell in the boardroom, and in Asia, the talent crunch is still a problem.
The industry is "eating itself" as companies find that there is a hollowing out of sustainability talent with specialist knowledge in consultancy firms, said Paddy Balfour from recruiting firm Acre at the ReThink conference in Hong Kong.