
Preparing for a new era: Advancing ESG in the supply chain and the potential for the Mekong Region
Preparing for a new era: Advancing ESG in the supply chain and the potential for the Mekong Region is a regional event showcasing the learnings and best practices from the Mekong Sustainable Manufacturing Alliance (The Alliance). The event will bring together brands, factory representatives and the public sector to cross-feed knowledge around advancing ESG in the manufacturing sector.
The Alliance is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and addresses the critical and increasingly urgent need to transform ESG practices in the Mekong manufacturing and food processing sector to avert deleterious environmental and social impacts that will result from rapid industrial growth. The Alliance, implemented by the Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC) in partnership with ELEVATE, and the Asian Institute for Technology (AIT), tackles these challenges head on using a market-driven approach to advance ESG improvements.
Session topics will cover:
- The new era of ESG in the Mekong Region: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities
- Reducing GHG emissions
- Reducing social risks through effective grievance mechanisms and worker insights
- Factory sharing on ESG initiatives, success stories and challenges
- Dialogue between leading brands, NGO and public sector representatives on ESG insights
The regional event aims to discuss the importance of ESG, including trends, challenges, and opportunities in the Mekong region, and share regional initiatives and best practices from brands and factories. The best practices sharing will provide insights from the ground and facilitate discussions on how to improve ESG standards in Southeast Asia.
Scroll down for the speakers. More speakers to be announced soon
Agenda:
- 13:00 – 13:30: Registration and networking
- 13:30 – 13:45: Opening remarks
- 13:45 – 14:00: The new era of ESG
- 14:00 – 14:25: Spotlight: Reducing GHG emissions – The opportunity for the Mekong region
- 14:25 – 14:50: Spotlight: Reducing social risks through effective grievance mechanisms and worker insights
- 14:50 – 15:20: Panel discussion on ways forward
- 15:20 – 15:30: Recap and closing remarks
- 15:30 – 17:00: Networking for in-person attendees
- 17:00: Event end
Hybrid event: Online and at Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel (limited seats available)
About the Organizers
The Mekong Sustainable Manufacturing Alliance (The Alliance)
The Mekong Sustainable Manufacturing Alliance (The Alliance) implemented by Institute for Sustainable Community (ISC) in partnership with ELEVATE and AIT, uses a market-driven approach to strengthen sustainable and competitive manufacturing by engaging the private sector, catalyzing market forces, and advancing innovative regional initiatives that will increase the adoption of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards. The Alliance also supports USAID’s Corporate Clean Energy Alliance (CCEA), a partnership with business leaders facilitating the rapid deployment of state-of-the-art clean energy technologies and developing viable business models and policy frameworks that drive the transition to low-carbon economic growth across Southeast Asia.
The Mekong Sustainable Manufacturing Alliance (The Alliance) is supported by the USAID Regional Development Mission for Asia.
Speakers

Phuong Tran Thi Minh
Senior Manager, Employee Relations and Sustainability. Crystal Martin (Vietnam)

Trina Mallik
Vice President of Global Programs and Acting Co-President, Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC)