SDG Innovation Leaders Forum (By Invitation Only)
5 June 2023 | 3.00pm - 6.30pm
The Gallery | Capella Singapore
The year 2023 marks the mid-point of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Home to 4.5 billion people and accounting for half of the world's total carbon emissions, the Asia Pacific region plays a critical role in building a sustainable future. However, the region has achieved less than 15% of the necessary progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).*
To meet the ambitions of the SDGs, collaboration between public and private sector is now of utmost importance, to accelerate innovation to solve the pressing economic, social and environmental challenges of our time. There is also a strong business case to invest in a sustainable future, with the addressable market for green businesses in Asia expected to reach between $4 trillion and $5 trillion by 2030.^
The inaugural SDG Innovation Leaders Forum aims to bring together governments, startups, investors and ecosystem partners to mobilize resources and catalyse collaborations to achieve the SDGs and build a future of inclusive, sustainable development. The Forum is a by-invitation event, presented by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and Amazon Web Services (AWS), and supported by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) of Singapore, the UNDP Global Centre for Technology, Innovation and Sustainable Development, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Should you wish to learn more about the Forum, please contact Tuan Nguyen.
* Source: Championing sustainability despite adversities: Launch of the Asia-Pacific SDG Progress Report 2023
Meet Our Speakers
Programme
3.00pm – 3.10pm: Opening Remarks by ESCAP and AWS
Speakers
- Rupa Chanda, Director of the Trade, Investment and Innovation Division, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
- Rahul Sharma, Regional Managing Director – Asia Pacific & Japan, Worldwide Public Sector, Amazon Web Services
3.10pm – 3.40pm: Fireside Chat – Public-Private Sector Collaboration towards the SDGs
Panellists
- Tan Kiat How, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Communications and Information & Ministry of National Development of Singapore
- Eric Conrad, Regional Managing Director – ASEAN, Worldwide Public Sector, Amazon Web Services
- Dr Laia Barbarà, Industry Decarbonization Lead for Aviation, World Economic Forum
Moderator
- Jonathan Wong, Chief of Technology and Innovation, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
3.40pm – 4.10pm: Case Studies on Startup Collaborations
Panellists
- Dr Pun-Arj Chairatana, Executive Director, National Innovation Agency of Thailand
- Samuel Harris, Public Sector Startups Lead – Asia Pacific & Japan, Amazon Web Services
4.10pm – 4.40pm: Group Discussions
- What are the main (SDG-related) innovation needs / startup technologies that you or your organisations are focusing on?
- What are the main challenges that are holding back the advancement of SDGs solutions both from the private and public sector? How can we create an enabling environment for this purpose?
- What should help you or your organizations innovate or work better with startups (e.g. access to the right startups, technical / business support)?
4.40pm – 5.30pm: Panel – Accelerating SDG Innovation with Startups
Panellists
- Thomas E. Abell, Chief – Digital Technology for Development Unit, Asian Development Bank
- Esther An, Chief Sustainability Officer, City Developments Ltd
- Bradley Busetto, Co-CEO, SDG Impact Japan
- Jonathan Wong, Chief of Technology and Innovation, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
- Safuan Zairi, Chief Ecosystem Development Officer, Malaysian Research Accelerator for Technology & Innovation
Moderator
- Phway Pann, Head of Public Sector ISV Partnerships, Asia Pacific & Japan, AWS