CSO Insights: Singapore's biggest bank on the 'business imperative' of climate action

In this episode of the All Things Sustainable podcast, we're talking to Helge Muenkel, Group Chief Sustainability Officer at Singapore's biggest bank, DBS.

The interview is the latest installment in our CSO Insights series, where we hear from Chief Sustainability Officers around the world about how they're navigating the evolving sustainability landscape.

"Big picture on climate action very specifically, the train has really left the station," Helge says of the bank's large corporate clients. "More and more customers are really seeing the transformation that is happening in our economies as a business imperative and are embracing it."

Helge explains how DBS integrates environmental and social factors into its sustainability strategy. He says climate financing continues to present big financing risks and opportunities, and points to an increasing focus on scaling blended finance.

Helge tells us that nature is also becoming an increasing focus for the bank — which echoes what we've heard from other sustainability leaders at Southeast Asian financial institutions in recent episodes. Listen to our interview with big Singapore-based bank UOB here: CSO Insights: How sustainability pullback is playing out in Southeast Asia

Listen to our interview with big Malaysia-based bank CIMB here: CSO Insights: How a big Malaysian bank balances climate, nature, human rights and economic inclusion

Listen to our interview with big Malaysian pension fund EPF here: Why one of Southeast Asia's largest pension funds is 'doubling down' on sustainability

Hear our coverage of London Climate Action Week here: How these key summer events set the scene for COP30 in Brazil

Listen to our podcast episode: How sustainability professionals are weathering challenging times

Listen to our podcast episode where Aniket Shah, Managing Director and Global Head of the Sustainability and Transition Strategy team at Jefferies Group, explains why financial decision-makers need "data, not vibes" to drive their sustainability strategies: Connecting the dots between climate science and financial decisions

Read research from S&P Global Sustainable1 into corporate nature commitments here: Ahead of COP16, corporate nature commitments remain rare

The All Things Sustainable podcast from S&P Global will be an official media partner of The Nest Climate Campus during Climate Week NYC. Register free to attend here.

This piece was published by S&P Global Sustainable1 and not by S&P Global Ratings, which is a separately managed division of S&P Global.

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