ESG and Sustainable Finance: Latest Trends, Innovations and Updates - Sustainable Finance

This programme provides banking professionals with the latest updates, key trends, and cutting-edge innovations in ESG and sustainable finance, specifically tailored to the Malaysian banking sector.

Participants will gain insights into recent regulatory developments, including updates from Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) and Bursa Malaysia, as well as the latest international standards such as IFRS S1 & S2.

The training will highlight best practices in ESG risk management, sustainable lending, and climate-related disclosures, equipping banks with strategies to align their portfolios with Malaysia’s Net Zero goals and the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR). It also covers real-world case studies from leading banks and interactive risk assessment exercises. This programme will help participants to navigate 2025's tighter ESG regulations while unlocking new business opportunities in green finance.

Programme Outline

Learning Objectives

By the end of the programme, participants will be able to:

Understand the latest ESG trends impacting banking and finance
Learn best practices in ESG integration, reporting and sustainable finance
Gain insights into regulatory updates, compliance requirements and sustainable finance solutions

Programme Outline

ESG Key Trends & Drivers
Global ESG trends (renewal energy, climate tech, circular economy smart mobility, EVs, CCUS)
Carbon trading, offsets & voluntary carbon markets
Role of banks in achieving sustainability goals, i.e., NETR, Net Zero etc.
Integration of ESG technology solutions
ESG Regulations & Compliance – Latest Updates
Global:
ISSB (IFRS S1 & S2) adoption
EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)
EU CBAM

Malaysia:
BNM Climate Risk & Taxonomy updates
BNM Climate Risk Management and Scenario Analysis (CRMSA)
BNM Climate Stress Test
ESG Reporting & Disclosure Standards
Enhancing transparency in ESG disclosures (GRI, SASB, TCFD)
Bursa Malaysia’s Enhanced Sustainability Reporting
National Sustainability Reporting Framework
Sustainable Finance Innovations and Solutions
Green & Smart Buildings – Financing Malaysia’s Sustainable Real Estate Future
Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Adoption – Supporting Manufacturing Decarbonization
Nature-Based Solutions & Biodiversity Finance – Opportunities in Property & Industrial Estates
Transition Finance: Banks support businesses in high-emission industries (e.g., manufacturing, real estate) to transition
Fintech & AI for ESG Monitoring: Leveraging AI and big data for real-time ESG risk assessment and sustainable investment tracking
AI & blockchain for ESG tracking
Case Studies and Discussion
Case Study 1: ASEAN banks excelling in sustainable finance
Case Study 2: How Malaysian Banks are leading in ESG innovation

METHODOLOGY

Presentations, case studies, discussions and activity-based workshop

Participant profile

Sustainability champions - individuals within an organisation who actively advocate, lead, or support sustainability initiatives, anyone whose role involves ESG and sustainability transformation

Trainer

Cheah Wee Leong

Director of Next Gen Banking Training,

Asian Banking School

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Cheah Wee Leong

Director of Next Gen Banking Training, Asian Banking School

Cheah Wee Leong has more than 25 years’ experience working in the banking industry with local and foreign banks in various roles and capacities. A seasoned professional, Wee Leong brings with him broad experience as a former banker and management consultant.

Wee Leong started his career at Citibank in 1993 before joining US management consultancy firm Accenture in 1997. At Accenture, he was involved in managing large bank merger-integration, process re-engineering and transformation projects. He has worked in projects in various countries including Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Mauritius and Saudi Arabia.

In 2003, Wee Leong joined CIMB as its Head of Operational Risk Management and led the implementation of the bank’s operational risk management and Basel 2 – Operational Risk framework. Subsequently, he assumed various senior roles in Trade Finance, Regional Transaction Banking, Corporate Banking, Treasury and Markets division and Group CEO office at CIMB. He was instrumental in helping CIMB win numerous awards in Transaction Banking in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand as Head of Regional Marketing, Regional Transaction Banking from 2011-2014. His last role at CIMB was as Director, Group Strategy.

Wee Leong holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the USA and a Master of Business Administration (with Distinction) from the Anglia Ruskin University, UK. He obtained training from Citibank Asia Pacific Banking Institute in Singapore in 1995. He is a certified Chartered Banker, Certified Expert in ESG and Impact Investing (awarded by Frankfurt School of Finance and Management), Finance Accreditation Agency (FAA) Certified Training Professional and a holder of the “Certificate in Climate Risk” and “Certificate in Digital & AI Evolution in Banking” (awarded by Chartered Body Alliance, UK) and PRINCE2 Foundation and Practitioner Certificate in Project Management. Wee Leong completed the “Leading the Sustainability in Transformation in Banking” programme with the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management (Germany) in October, 2022 and the “Global Shifts and Risk for Banking Leaders” at Said Business School, University of Oxford (UK) in September, 2024. Wee Leong completed the “Creating Value with AI & Data for Banking and Finance Leaders” with the Essec Business School in Paris in July, 2025.