“CEO Action Network (CAN) is a loose network of CEOs,” said Dato’ Seri Johan Raslan.
He said CAN, chaired by Tengku Muhammad Taufik, President and Group Chief Executive Officer of PETRONAS, consisted of CEOs who cared about the country, companies and climate change.
While it was joined mainly by larger companies like CIMB Group and Sime Darby Property, Johan stated that CAN was keen to bring Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) into the network as they were the backbone of the economy.
Even though SMEs might have more significant financial restraints than larger companies, he believed that the younger generation of CEOs was more eco-conscious.
Johan shared that CAN had two different workstreams. One was capacity building, which aimed to build eco-friendly businesses within industries and raise awareness.
“Another is, I am compiling a list of requests that we are going to make to the government. For example, to make changes in the regulation that can encourage the development of sustainable businesses.
“To ask the government to coordinate all the efforts of climate change and to work together. So, CAN is trying to help each other (companies) to be sustainable and also trying to help the governments to push sustainability.”
He believed with precise coordination and political will, Malaysia could achieve nett zero emissions by 2050. He also highlighted that sustainability requires a collective effort, and everyone has their parts to play.
Initiated at The Cooler Earth Sustainability Summit 2019, CAN, focusing on sustainability advocacy, capacity building, action and performance, aims to influence policy, mobilise support, inspire action and deliver positive impact.
