KBank drives Thailand and its businesses to win in the global ‘Climate Game’, supporting the Net Zero CEO Leadership Program of CBiS and the Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University
The Carbon Institute for Sustainability (CBiS) and the Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, will organize a Net Zero CEO Leadership Program to empower high-level executives in advancing towards net zero businesses. KASIKORNBANK (KBank) is supporting this initiative by promoting this program to its customers and organizational leaders, helping to drive real business transitions and prepare for global sustainability standards. To prosper on the global stage, businesses must adapt to address sustainability-related challenges. The program covers a wide range of topics, including economic impacts, new global regulations, green finance, technology and essential leadership skills for the transition. It also includes workshops on developing organizational strategies. The course aims to enable participants to seize the opportunities presented by the Climate Game.
Mr. Pipit Aneaknithi, KBank President, stated that the Climate Game has introduced a new set of rules for the business world. As sustainability has become a global standard, leading countries like the European Union nations, the US and China are issuing new regulations to promote sustainability. If Thai businesses want to remain globally competitive, they must adapt their operations to meet sustainability goals and thus avoid being left behind, facing trade barriers and losing their place in the global supply chain. Additionally, the costs of clean technologies have decreased significantly in recent years. For example, the costs of solar power generation have dropped by more than 76 percent in the past decade and has been cheaper than coal and natural gas since 2018. Therefore, now is the perfect time for businesses to take serious action and seize the opportunities of a low-carbon economy. However, the CEO is key to a company’s success in achieving sustainability goals. If CEOs are unaware of sustainability and fail to initiate change, their organizations may face risks such as legal issues, increased costs, and damage to their reputation and credibility.
For this reason, KBank aims to drive top-level executives, who set the direction for businesses, to understand the urgent need for this global agenda. To collectively move forward and lead both businesses and Thailand to global success, KBank supports CBiS and the Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, which are leading institutions for sustainability in the country, to publicize and make the Net Zero CEO Leadership Program widely accessible. This program is designed to equip business leaders with the knowledge and skills needed to successfully transition their businesses towards sustainability. The curriculum covers key topics including economic impact, new global rules, green finance, technology and essential leadership skills for driving business transformation. Additionally, the program includes workshops on developing strategies to help organizations seize this opportunity, drive change and progress towards net zero together.
Prof. Dr. Pisut Painmanakul, Director, Carbon Institute for Sustainability (CBiS) & Associate Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, said, “CBiS aims to be one of the mechanisms in helping steer Thailand towards net zero by acting as an intermediary connecting professors, researchers, and the private sector, as well as individuals interested in environmental issues, to collectively build a green ecosystem. Recently, KBank offered CBiS support in promoting the Net Zero CEO Leadership Program, designed to equip high-ranking executives of large organizations and SME business executives with the correct understanding of net zero so they can take concrete actions. This is because organizations that attach importance to ESG can increase the hiring of green talents by up to 66 percent. Additionally, advancing towards net zero by 2065 may require an investment of up to 1-2 trillion Baht per year. However, a successful transition towards a low-carbon economy by the Thai private sector would attract more foreign investment to Thailand. Meanwhile, stakeholders of various organizations tend to look at the roles and actions of organizational leaders regarding sustainability, because this is a crucial factor in such a transition. Moreover, becoming a low-carbon society will spur changes within the supply chain, enabling SME businesses to make the transition together. Given this, the Net Zero CEO Leadership Program has been designed to combine learning from lecturers, workshops, and business case successes from leading organizations, allowing participating senior executives to apply such knowledge for their own organizational transformation towards a low-carbon economy and net zero.”
The Net Zero CEO Leadership Program is an intensive 13-day course designed for senior executives aiming to elevate their sustainability vision and seize business opportunities in a low-carbon economy. Participants will learn from global best practices, gain insights from more than 20 Thai and international corporate leaders, engage in organization-specific workshops, and participate in sustainability field trips in Thailand or abroad. Additionally, learners will have access to tools that support an effective transition, fostering connections with leaders and experts to drive the green ecosystem. Training sessions will be held every Tuesday from October 1, 2024, to January 21, 2025. Interested persons can view course details at netzeroceothailand.kasikornbank.com or inquire for more information via the LINE Official Account, @netzeroceoofficial.