On Monday 24th September, AMCHAM brought together a grouping of members from the banking, insurance and technology sectors for an intimate discussion with Matt Swinehart, Counsel for International Trade and Financial Regulatory Policy, and Lead Financial Services Negotiator, at the U.S. Treasury. Matt advises senior White House and Treasury officials on all aspects of trade law and policy and international prudential standards, and recently led the U.S. renegotiation of the NAFTA financial services chapter.
The discussion focused on recent regulatory announcements in Malaysia in the areas of risk management and data security, and how U.S. companies can offer innovative solutions in these areas. Our thanks to Matt and to the U.S. Embassy Kuala Lumpur for taking the time to share your insights with AMCHAM!
On Monday 01 October 2018, AMCHAM had the pleasure to host Charles Freeman, Senior Vice President for Asia of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, who was in Kuala Lumpur as part of a series of government engagements throughout the region. Having just last week hosted our very own Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir for dinner in New York alongside CEOs from leading U.S. companies, Charles met with senior leadership from AMCHAM member companies to share his on-the-ground insights into how policymakers in Washington D.C. are looking at Asia in terms of trade and investment, and how Malaysia fits into this picture. Our thanks to Charles for leading this lively conversation and ongoing support and collaboration with AMCHAM!
Thailand, Samut Sakhon, 3 October 2018 – Cleantech Solar, the regional leader in solar energy solutions for corporate customers in Asia, enters into a 20-year rooftop solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Siam Winery to deploy a 1 MWp on-site rooftop solar system.
Through the solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), Cleantech Solar will fully finance the design, installation, and maintenance of the system while Siam Winery will enjoy the clean energy to be generated without any capital outlay. The PV system will be powered by 3,060 solar panels and is expected to generate about 26,556 MWh of energy of clean energy over its lifetime, enabling Siam Winery to avoid 15,100 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
Mr. Archie Gracie, Siam Winery Export, Winery and Supply Chain Director said:
“Here at Siam Winery, environment and sustainability are always at the forefront of our minds. As the leading wine producer and distributor in South East Asia, it is important that we lead by example in our commitment towards environmental sustainability. Siam Winery is delighted to partner with Cleantech Solar, who has demonstrated the depth of knowledge to operate high quality PV plants across different industries and geographies, in our sustainability journey. Through this partnership with Cleantech Solar, not only do we hope to reduce our carbon footprint, but we also hope to drive the adoption of clean solar energy in businesses across Thailand.”
Mr. Raju Shukla, Cleantech Solar Founder and Executive Chairman said:
“We are proud to be the trusted solar partner of choice by the leading wine producer in Thailand. This is a testament to our ability to deliver repeatable high-quality projects with our team of experienced solar experts present in all markets. We look forward to this meaningful partnership with Siam Winery to achieve their sustainability goals.”
About Cleantech Solar (www.cleantechsolar.com)
Cleantech Solar is a pan-Asia supplier of renewable energy to corporates, combining the capabilities of a global player without compromising on responsiveness and agility.
Headquartered in Singapore, Cleantech Solar owns and operates over 120 solar power plants across India and South-East Asia, representing 200 MW of projects, with majority being in operation and remaining under construction and development. This includes installations in India, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam and Singapore.
The company helps corporations to meet their sustainability goals, offering them a unique combination of:
- Shared values ensuring long-term partnership
- Leading technical expertise with a strong focus on delivering safe and high-quality projects
- Experienced local teams in all markets to ensure compliance and smooth execution
- State of the art control room delivering optimized performance in real time
“Great effort & looking forward to more of similar activities.”
Participant feedback
On the 20th of September, AMCHAM hosted the first MY AMCHAM CARES Luncheon Forum “Your CSR Can Help Achieve Agenda 2030 Targets: Supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals” at The Westin Kuala Lumpur.
The main objective was to initiate a dialogue between AMCHAM members, the United Nations and other stakeholders, focusing on corporate involvement in Achieving Agenda 2030 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The event kicked off with warm welcoming remarks from AMCHAM’s Executive Director, Siobhan Das.
Mr. Stefan Priesner, the UN Resident Coordinator for Malaysia and UNDP Resident Representative for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam, commenced the forum discussion with an opening keynote presentation on Achieving Agenda 2030. Mr. Priesner’s presentation highlighted the SDG’s and their importance, as well as Malaysia’s progress in achieving the targets. Globally, 10,000 companies are currently contributing to the SDG’s. According to Mr Priesner, “The goal is to make sure everybody doesn’t see this as additional costs, but simple business ethics that everybody has to follow.” And the UN is looking forward to working together with business associations and chambers like AMCHAM to raise more awareness.
The forum then moved into an enlightening panel discussion, which was moderated by Professor Datuk Dr. Denison Jayasooria the Co Chair of the Malaysian CSO SDG Alliance and the Chair of the Asian Council for Solidarity Economy. The panelists present were Mr. Chin Keat Chyuan, the Managing Director of Johnson & Johnson Malaysia, Ms. Peggy Fung, the Country Manager and Pfizer Essential Health (PEH) Lead, Pfizer Malaysia and Brunei, and Mr. Brian Davis, the Honeywell Aerospace Vice President of Air Transport and Regional Commercial Aerospace in Asia Pacific. Mr Stefan Priesner also joined the discussion.
During the off-the-record session, AMCHAM members and guests that attended had the chance to interact directly with the panelists. This created a very robust discussion between the panelists and guests, and many common thoughts were identified. Some of the concluding points identified a need for companies and other stakeholders to enhance collaboration, to avoid silos and fill gaps;, as well as a call by many participants to have more such Forums, for discussion and sharing among the various stakeholders, in our effort to achieve the 2030 Agenda goals.
Offering an insightful wrap-up of the forum was The Honorable Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir, U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia, who delivered a keynote address titled “Lessons from Today Towards A Sustainable Tomorrow.”
AMCHAM would like to thank everyone who participated- especially the panelists and speakers, for sharing their experiences and insight.
The next MY AMCHAM CARES event to look forward to is AMCHAM’s Thanksgiving Luncheon where we’ll be recognising companies through our MY AMCHAM CARES survey, completed earlier this year. Please stay tuned.
