Paul Kanwar and Laurence Smith, the driving forces behind the Asian Sustainability Network (ASN), each brings a unique blend of global experience and passion to the table.
Together, they have created ASN with a bold vision: to connect and empower 5,000 sustainability leaders across ASEAN by 2030, transforming the way businesses operate by driving innovation, cutting costs, and building resilience through sustainability.
Now, Laurence and Paul sit down with Indonesia Expat to discuss how their initiative aims to transform the way businesses operate by embedding a Sustainability Mindset within business strategy. Their combined expertise and passion for business and the environment promise to make ASN a powerful force for change in the region.
Hello, Paul and Laurence. Tell us a bit about your individual backgrounds and experiences!
PK: I’m a third culture kid, having grown up in the UK, US, and Switzerland. In the 70s, as a Scout in Geneva, I was one of the first in my hut to get a badge for green activities — a proud moment as recycling was just taking off.
I’ve always enjoyed selling and operating in the natural dynamics of a marketplace. That’s probably why I enjoyed selling furniture in Camden Market in London so much. My marketing career really took off when I got a job in a London advertising agency as a media planner/buyer. Haggling on phones with one hand, a calculator at the ready in the other! Advertising took me across Europe and Southeast Asia, with assignments in Warsaw, Paris, and Saigon being my personal favourites.
More recently, Southeast Asia has been home for a while. In fact, I have just celebrated my fourth year in Bali, and 20th year in Indonesia.
In a variety of start-up’s, client-side positions, and consulting roles, I have been pretty successful across three key verticals:
- Technology: SaaS, IoT, and MarTech;
- Sustainable Energy: PV Solar and Biofuels;
- Product & Supply Chain: Food, CPG’s, Distribution, Logistics, and Retail.
The confluence of marketing, insights, and technology is where I’m most content, ideally where there is a focus on sustainability.
LS: I’ve been passionate about the environment since my teenage years, and simultaneously fascinated by how rapidly evolving technology changes the world and business.
I was lucky to get transferred to Seoul 30 years ago, managing Asia for a major global e-Learning firm. After four years in Seoul, onto grad school in the US for a Masters in Organisational Learning. I worked at the World Bank and McKinsey before returning to Asia as the Head of Learning & Development for GE Money Asia, based in Tokyo. During this, I was fortunate to be involved in the launch of GE’s EcoMagination green business in Japan and China, and, on a personal note, launched GreenMondays: a monthly networking event in Tokyo and a forerunner to the ASN. I also joined the International Society of Sustainability Professionals and helped to launch ISSP in Japan.
After six years in Tokyo, I was back in Seoul as Chief Learning Officer for LG Electronics. By 2013, I was already in Singapore and moving into the role of Group Head of Learning & Talent Development at DBS Bank, where I led the pioneering Digital Mindset and Hackathon initiative, winning the CEO’s Innovation Award. I also led the work on redefining the bank’s Purpose to be ‘Making Banking Joyful’ which has since evolved to ‘A Better Bank for a Better World.’
The years since have been focused on digital and sustainability mindset and transformation, leading to the launch of ASN to accelerate ASEAN’s transition to a greener and more sustainable future for all.
Can you give us a brief introduction to the Asian Sustainability Network?
LS: Every ASEAN country is behind in meeting its 2030 climate goals from the Paris Agreement. As evolving public policies attempt to rectify this shortfall, large corporations, which choose to, can have the largest positive impact to meet those goals.
The Mission of ASN is to develop, connect, and empower 5,000 Sustainability leaders across ASEAN before 2030. These are not just those people with ‘Sustainability’ in their job titles, but senior leaders across organisations that can gain business benefits and competitive advantage by doing better business in better ways. Developing a sustainability mindset leads to faster innovation, new products and services, stronger supply chains, reduced costs, better risk management, reduced cost of capital, as well as attraction and retention of the best talent.
The Asian Sustainability Network is a pioneering initiative aimed at uniting and empowering sustainability leaders across ASEAN, starting in Indonesia. ASN serves as a comprehensive resource hub that connects individuals and organisations involved in sustainability initiatives through a learning academy, online webinars, professionals’ showcase, product marketplace, community engagement, and offline events. ASN also offers people the chance to demonstrate their expertise by taking courses and gaining a certificate of completion in different areas of Climate, ESG, and Sustainability.
What specific gap in the market do you hope to address with the establishment of ASN?
LS: Firstly, there is both a lack of experience and expertise and an insufficient number of sustainability professionals across ASEAN. This is a relatively new field and there is not a large pool of talent for companies to choose from, thus we need to massively upscale the training and development of sustainability professionals.
Secondly, most executives themselves do not have a sufficient understanding of the climate and sustainability-related threats to their business, and the global standards they need to comply with to export globally. But, even beyond this, most executives still see this ‘as a cost to doing business’ versus an opportunity to differentiate themselves. So, we need to develop both more Sustainability professionals and more executives with a broad ‘Sustainability Mindset’.
The reality is, we’re surpassing the 1.5-degree global warming threshold, and most countries are not meeting their Paris Accord goals. The world is changing drastically, and while technology exists to solve these issues, leaders in big companies still view sustainability as a cost or compliance matter. However, embracing these changes can lead to innovation, cost savings, and stronger market positions, just like the early adopters of digital transformation.
Today, graduates frequently ask about sustainability strategies when interviewing with companies. Attracting top talent and capital requires businesses to see sustainability as an opportunity, not just a cost. We want to accelerate change by getting as many leaders across Asia as possible to work on this, providing them with skills, a community network and support to multiply their impact.
When I launched GreenMondays in Tokyo in 2008, it became a platform for industry leaders to share insights and collaborate. The networking led to problem-solving, partnerships, and even hiring. The most valuable part was offering a space where people felt understood — often, they were the only ones in their company driving Sustainability efforts and felt isolated. We found that through this community, leaders coached each other on influencing management and positioning projects as cost-saving and efficiency-driven. As we expand this community across ASEAN, we aim to strengthen these connections and run larger regional events to bring leaders together for collective progress.
Can you elaborate on the key features of the ASN platform? What kind of resources, tools, or services will it provide to businesses and organisations?
PK: The ASN platform provides a wide range of resources, tools, and services designed to help businesses and organisations improve their Sustainability capabilities, including:
- Learning and training, both digital, hybrid and live;
- A Community for collaborating, problem-solving, and sharing;
- A Platform for profiling and amplifying inspiring leaders and entrepreneurs, projects, and organisations;
- A Knowledge Hub supporting ASN as the ‘go-to’ place for anyone seeking to better understand sustainability and all its applications.
How do you see ASN impacting business operations in terms of sustainability? Are there specific sectors you are focusing on initially?
LS: We will be working with Sustainability professionals and other leaders to develop their ‘Sustainability Mindset’ to improve operational efficiency, reduce costs, and increase access to capital and talent.
Rather than there being a ‘green premium’ or extra cost, Sustainability–done-right creates business value and competitive advantage. In addition, any ASEAN-based company that exports to the US, Europe, or the UK is increasingly required to comply with global standards to gain or maintain market access. The first mover companies to both comply and develop their Sustainability Mindset will gain market share. Likewise, just as with the Digital Transformation of a decade ago, the laggards will lose market share, find it harder to raise capital and face a loss of talent.
You mentioned that ASN’s mission is to empower 5,000 Sustainability professionals and leaders by 2030. Can you elaborate on the programmes or initiatives you will implement to support their development?
LS: We will support those looking to get their first Sustainability role and those looking to continue to develop their Sustainability skills and capabilities. We will also help other leaders within the organisations understand that a Sustainability Mindset, just like the Digital Mindset a decade ago, is, today, a prerequisite of business success for all leaders.
We will develop this through a series of developmental and learning programmes, both online and in-person, with course certification upon completion — as well as regular live events like GreenMondays and other learning and sharing opportunities featuring business leaders, Sustainability and climate experts, and entrepreneurs. Our advisory board members are experts with decades of experience, and they enhance the value of our training programmes, ensuring that what we teach is practical and credible for businesses.
What are the expected benefits for members of the ASN in terms of how it will support their sustainability efforts?
LS: From an individual perspective, it will give them the knowledge, skills, and expertise to excel in their role. Through GreenMondays and the online community, it will also give them a community to learn, share, and problem-solve together. Also, something that is usually under-appreciated, but very important and that we really learned at GreenMondays in Tokyo, is the safe space to share the challenges and journey with — and know that you’re not alone in this effort.
For leaders and companies in general, it’s all about competitive advantage. It is developing their broad Sustainability Mindset and understanding that, today, climate affects every business, and this is a way to increase the resilience and profitability of their business.
What is your timeline to launch ASN and the Academy?
PK: ASN was launched at the beginning of October and we have already had a strong positive response from the community. Over the coming weeks, more and more people are joining and the momentum that we have started will snowball.
The first course in the ASN Academy — Sustainability Essentials for Business – will be available from mid-October. This will be the first of many practical courses designed to help individuals and businesses develop Sustainability capabilities for business. New courses will be launched regularly, focusing on Sustainability skills for busy executives as well as speciality topics such as ESG Reporting and Communication Skills for Sustainability Projects.
How can our readers get in touch?
PK: We are already recruiting Sustainability and Climate experts for our Course Faculty and for our Advisory Board. Indonesia-based companies, which are either planning to initiate sustainability projects or have already achieved success in this space and that want to be profiled or connected to potential partners and customers, should get in touch.
Anyone interested in joining, learning and contributing should head to our website and sign up now as there are special early bird discounts across all our courses until the end of November!