Sustainable brands conference makes its way to Kuala Lumpur among 11 destinations

Sustainable brands conference to discuss key issues as plastic waste reaches crisis point

The Sustainable Brands 2018 conference will take place on October 16 and 17 at Connex-ion@Nexus, Bangsar South, Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia is hosting it for the fourth time.

The conference is part of the Sustainable Brands circuit comprising eleven international destinations serving as a platform for the world’s largest brands to discuss and exchange ideas, and discover the latest sustainability trends, opportunities and challenges from each other and global thought leaders.

Founded on the belief that unleashing the best of human ingenuity and innovation can change the shape of business, Sustainable Brands 2018 conference themed ‘Redesigning the Good Life’ highlights how businesses can position their respective brands by responding to shifting societal needs by learning how to redesign products and services offerings and rethinking models for a changing economy.

In essence the Sustainable Brands 2018 conference will see experts addressing relevant issues including the reduction of plastic waste and highlighting the best way forward towards developing a sustainable economy in line with ’What profits the planets, also profits brands’.

This goal is in line with the Ministry of Energy, Technology, Science, Climate Change and the Environment’s initiative to harness energy produced from waste.

According to Gerald Miranda, Zenith Media CEO and Convenor of the conference said that conscious business is not about abandoning the strengths of capitalism but rather complementing it by doing the ‘right’ thing.

“Today, there is greater realisation that profit and purpose can and should go hand in hand. Great companies are even willing to make short-term financial sacrifices to achieve their corporate purpose and endure over time. Research also shows that brands which deliver both purpose and profit consistent-ly outperform their competitors,” he added.

The conference will be led and moderated by Dr Sally Uren, CEO, one of the world’s foremost authorities on sustainability. Dr Uren is the CEO at Forum for the Future, an international non-profit organization that works with business, government and others to create a big shift towards a sustainable future by making transformational changes in global systems.

Dr Uren said that Malaysia is advancing its effort to drive engagement and dialogue on new opportunities for brand innovation that solves real social and environmental issues, and to discuss how leaders reposition their brands around deeper meaning and purpose and how to create authentic, two-way conversations that improve stakeholder relationships and support innovation.

“While consumer trust in brands was declining worldwide, brands that are courageously tapping purpose to create value are demonstrating substantially more resilience through this transition.

“Brands that are leading with environmental and social purpose at their core, are thriving. In the past 10 years we’ve seen business leaders in our community test new frameworks, deliver new tools and identify new partnerships that commit to delivering profit. It’s time to recognise that our collective action creates and scales positive impact toward a flourishing future.

“Our community of brand innovators have been testing new frameworks, methods, tools and partnerships to ensure purpose-driven brands outperform traditional brands in delivering tangible business results,” she said.

Eighty per cent of consumers in Southeast Asia favour socially-responsible brands, citing community and environmental impact as reasons for choosing whom they buy from.

Sustainability is at the core of business today and we are proud to have several global and local champions at this year’s conference to share knowledge and offer best practices to grow awareness and competence in the area of sustainability,” she added.

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