2nd Singapore Green Dialogue (SGD) — Sustainability in a Fragmented World

The global sustainability agenda is entering a new and uncertain phase, shaped by growing fragmentation in international cooperation. Global consensus is weakening, momentum behind multilateral climate efforts has slowed, and major powers are adopting more inward-looking policies. Efforts to sign a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution have thus far failed. ESG considerations are now being politicised, with pushback from countries and businesses. COP30 in Belém illustrated what climate action now looks like: negotiators landed a deal that kept the Paris framework alive, but only by softening ambition and deferring hard choices to future meetings.  

For ASEAN and Asian economies, this raises a difficult question: what does climate ambition on mitigation and adaptation mean when major emitters and fossil fuel economies are not pulling their weight? ASEAN’s aggregate contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions remains modest, yet the region sits at the frontline of climate impacts. Coastal cities, low-lying deltas and island states are already grappling with frequent floods, rising sea levels, and extreme heat. Three tropical storms in the last months of 2025 have displaced millions across Southeast Asia and claimed over 1,000 lives. Climate adaptation and resilience is urgently needed, along with the right economic choices to lock in development trajectories in the years to come. 

The burden—and opportunity—of practical climate leadership is shifting towards Asia. Singapore’s role as a regional hub for policy dialogue, sustainable finance and climate innovation is more important than ever. The 2nd Singapore Green Dialogue will bring together policymakers, corporate leaders, investors and experts to address these tensions: how countries and companies should define meaningful climate action; how to prioritise resilience without locking in high-carbon pathways; and how Asian businesses can stay competitive amid diverging standards in the US, EU and beyond. By convening diverse voices from government, industry, finance and academia, the Dialogue aims to chart practical, actionable pathways for ASEAN and its partners to advance sustainability in a more fragmented global order.  

Programme

Registration