We were honoured to host Professor Matthew Agarwala, Bennett Professor of Sustainable Finance at the University of Sussex, for an insightful lecture on the vital role of nature in shaping the future of finance and economic development. He advocated for a new economic model that moves beyond GDP to include natural, human, social, and institutional capital, warning that continued environmental neglect risks mispricing assets and risks. Professor Agarwala presented his team’s innovative, data-driven framework for environmentally adjusted credit ratings to better reflect ecological realities, especially for vulnerable developing nations. A lively panel discussion with Professors Dariusz Wojcik and Zhang Weina emphasized the urgent need to rethink growth, invest in inclusive, long-term wealth, and improve funding mechanisms for small-scale, high-impact projects, particularly in Asia.
