Singapore-based business insight initiative Asia Sustainability Leadership Council (ASLC), sponsored by the United States-based non-profit The Conference Board, has ceased operations as a result of a funding deficit and declining membership, according to reports.
The Conference Board, based in Asia in 2020, established the Asia-concentrated council in order to train and network professionals employed by billion-dollar multinational companies in the sustainability reporting field, and to assist them to incorporate sustainability principles in business strategy and operations.
The Conference Board has brought together ASLC with its China-centric sustainability council headquartered in Shanghai and plans to establish a new council headquartered in Australia and New Zealand, which has had a more developed sustainability disclosure ecosystem.
Sustaining interest from members in Singapore and Southeast Asia has been challenging while there has been growing interest in China’s approach to sustainability.
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The China Sustainability Leaders Council will be renamed the Asia Sustainability Leadership Council. It will be led by Shanghai-based Lorne Micheal Cousins, a former environmental auditor and management consultant, who is also a senior fellow for The Conference Board’s China Center.
The Australia and New Zealand Sustainability Leadership Council will be run by former United Nations policy analyst and sustainability consultant John Pabon.
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The Conference Board was founded in 1916 as the business community’s response to a period of workforce labor unrest in the US. It is known for pushing for key legislation such as paid maternity leave in the country. It has over 1,000 public and private corporations as members in 60 countries.
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The organization runs sustainability leadership councils in other jurisdictions including Europe. It runs programs across other disciplines, including the Asia Supply Chain Management Council, Asia Talent Management Council and Asia Health & Safety Council.