A Pragmatic Path Through the Perfect Storm

ESG SYMPOSIUM 2025: Thai Leaders Chart a Course for Green Breakthroughs Amid Global Turmoil. By a Special Correspondent

- By a Special Correspondent

Navigating an increasingly turbulent global landscape marked by geopolitical conflict, economic uncertainty, and a rapidly accelerating climate crisis, Thailand’s leading corporate and financial minds have issued a powerful, pragmatic call to action, urging regional cooperation and collective will to forge a sustainable future.

The ESG Symposium 2025, held under the starkly relevant theme of “Green Breakthrough Amid the Perfect Storm,” brought together a formidable roster of global and regional leaders to address what Thammasak Sethaudom, President and CEO of SCG, described as one of the most complex and uncertain global landscapes in modern history.

The consensus; however, was not one of despair but of determined realism: ASEAN’s path to sustainability must be distinct, homegrown, and deeply collaborative.

For Mr. Thammasak, the symposium is a testament to SCG's longstanding commitment to sustainability, which began with the SD Symposium in 2010.

Over the years, the event has evolved to encompass governance and equality, becoming a cornerstone platform aimed at accelerating a collective journey to a low-carbon society.

“The question we ask is no longer how to react, but how we could secure a liveable future for the next generation,” Mr. Thammasak said in his opening address.

He highlighted the urgency posed by a warming planet, which he noted “does not wait” for geopolitical and economic tensions to subside.

For SCG, these challenges are not just theoretical but are tackled through tangible, collaborative efforts.

He proudly detailed three key milestones achieved since the last symposium.

The first was the advancement of the Saraburi Sandbox, a pioneering Public-Private-People Partnerships Model to transform the province into a low-carbon industrial city.