Argus Asia Carbon Conference 2024

Registration and welcome refreshments

Carbon 101 workshop

Your one-stop-shop platform to learn about the carbon market

- An introduction to the carbon market space: key terms, attitudes, VCM versus compliance markets, an overview of the major players in the Asia carbon market.
- Contextualising the broader carbon market: examining the global carbon emissions landscape and understanding the total embodied impact.
- Life-cycle emissions assessment: understanding life-cycle emissions and how they affect sustainability decisions and carbon reduction strategies.

Speakers Include:

Adam Nye

VP Business Development

Argus

Conference welcome

Karl Kleemeier

Head of Asia, Argus

Ministerial address: Navigating the pathway towards a net zero future

- What initiatives is the Malaysian government taking to help Malaysia achieve net zero global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050?
- Takeaways and lessons from the development of Malaysia’s nationally determined contribution (NDC) roadmap and long-term low emission development strategies (LT-LEDS).
- How can governments in the Asia-Pacific region collaborate to shape the future of carbon market development and work together towards achieving global decarbonisation goals?

Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad

Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Sustainability

Chairperson’s opening remarks

Keynote session: Advancing the carbon market in Asia - embracing innovation in the voluntary and compliance markets

- What insights do leading organisations offer regarding developmental plans in Asia and their strategies for achieving GHG emission goals?
- In what ways can the carbon market navigate potential challenges, and what collaborative industry and governmental efforts are proposed to mitigate these effects?
- How does technology play a key role in shaping the future of the carbon market in Asia?

Coffee and networking break

Argus presents: Understanding the intricacies of the global carbon market

- Updates on global developments - from the impacts of the carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) in the EU to the lingering effects of Cop 28 and Article 6 of the Paris agreement.
- What are the new developments in the market, how do we foresee market progression over the next 5-10 years as countries focus on compliance markets and meeting their net zero targets?
- What is the progression for the merging of voluntary and compliance markets in Asia - will the burden of carbon emissions eventually fall on government entities?

Speakers include:

Nicola De Sanctis

Editor

Argus

Adam Nye

VP Business Development

Argus

Unravelling Asia’s heavily scrutinised nature-based project development

- Amid recent scrutiny, what challenges does the REDD+ methodology face, and what opportunities exist to uphold environmental integrity in this context?
- What lessons have been learned from the development of nature-based carbon projects in Asia, and how can project developers ensure credibility while delivering solutions that benefit rural people and communities?
- What measures are project developers taking to guarantee the integrity of nature-based solutions in the carbon project space and what role do you foresee governments playing in the fragmented carbon compliance market?

Speakers Include:

Boon Piew Ng

GM Nature Based Solution (NBS) Portfolio & Growth

Shell Eastern Petroleum (Pte) Ltd

Lawrence Chia

Chief Executive Officer

Samling Group

Liam Marshall

Commercial Manager

BeZero Carbon Markets

Francois Blignaut

Carbon Project Lead

SaraCarbon

Lunch and networking break

Panel discussion: Asia-Pacific markets - unveiling regional carbon strategies

Overview of the Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and China carbon markets
- Asia has a fragmented compliance market with each state charting their own path towards decarbonisation - what trends and strategies are we seeing as nations develop their NDCs?
- With the proliferation of new carbon exchanges, mandates and policies, how are market players navigating regional challenges? Identifying shared challenges and potential solutions.
- What role will carbon taxes and compliance markets play in the future? Looking at incentivisation versus regulation within the carbon markets.

Speakers Include:

Sangsun Ha

Executive Director, Ecoeye Co., Ltd.

Riza Suarga

Chairman & Chief Executive Officer

Indonesia Carbon Trade Association & Agraus Resources

Renato Roldao

Vice President Green Transition and East Asia

ICF

Alistair Ritchie

Director of Asia-Pacific Sustainability

Asia Society Policy Institute

The Politics of Climate Change in the context of the Paris Agreement

- By reference to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, including in respect of the recently concluded COP 28, the presentation considers the role that politics, rather than environmental concerns, play in COP negotiations
- How highly technical aspects of Article 6, such as Corresponding Adjustments, NDCs, and GHG accounting and reporting, can be used to achieve political ends.
- What does this foretell for future negotiations?

Speakers Include:

Peter Zaman

Partner, HFW

Deep dive: How will the CBAM affect your business and what does it mean for the Asian market?

- How are countries preparing for the CBAM and what are the potential regulatory and grey areas that remain in states’ legal frameworks?
- How do you foresee the introduction of the CBAM reshaping regional trade dynamics and sustainability practices?
- What can be done to minimise potential negative economic impacts of the CBAM in Asia, and is there room for greater collaboration in Asia?

Speakers Include:

Soon Hun Yang

Chief Executive Officer, Eco-Ideal Consulting Sdn. Bhd.

Coffee and networking break

Exploring CCUS innovations: Advances in storage, utilisation, bio-CCUS and more

- What is the viability of carbon utilisation and where does the business case lie? Is utilisation the future or a dead end? A short versus long-term analysis.
- Challenges and opportunities - what are the new developments for storage and injection? Looking at carbon sequestration, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) and more.
- Examining the rise of bio-CCU - from microalgae to biotechnological solutions for meeting decarbonisation goals.

Speakers Include:

Wen-Bin Qian

Vice President - APAC Clean Hydrogen, Linde

Junya Takahashi

Team Leader of CCUS Team and Energy Innovation Initiative

Sumitomo Corporation

Emry Hisham B Yusoff

Head of Carbon Management

Petronas

Panel discussion: Upcoming carbon technologies - successes and challenges ahead

- What is the potential of future technologies - from blue hydrogen to biochar - to meet net zero goals?
- Direct air capture is quoted as "the" future technology - what are the new developments within this space?
- Carbon avoidance technologies are on the rise as transformative clean technologies - what role will governments and investors play in funding these new developments?

Speakers Include:

Adam Baylin-Stern

Policy and Engagement Lead

Carbon Engineering Ltd.

Dora Branyan

Director of Sustainability & External Relations

Marquis Energy Global Pte. Ltd.

Trishna Nagrani

Head of Business Development - APAC

Climeworks

Mark Gudiksen

Managing Partner

Piva Capital

Closing remarks

Networking reception hosted by SaraCarbon

Join us for a networking reception to meet new faces, reconnect with industry peers, and build strong partnerships with market participants from across the value chain.

Venue: Lafite, Lobby Level Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur.

Registration and welcome refreshments

Chairperson’s opening remarks

Adam Nye

VP Business Development

Argus

Keynote speaker: Fixing the scandal-tainted carbon credits system

- Anticipating the future of the industry - emerging trends, potential challenges and opportunities affecting the carbon industry in the coming years.
- Exploring the collective vision for the future and role of integrity in realising the industry’s full potential.

Panel discussion: Ensuring market integrity and upholding trust in the carbon market

- Updates and new initiatives: looking at standards, compliance and methodologies in the carbon market.
- Championing transparency: how are certifying bodies actively ensuring and promoting integrity in the market? How successful have they been and are there further opportunities for improvement?
- Building capacity and ensuring monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV): a collaborative dialogue on challenges and advancements in MRV systems in the Asian markets.

Speakers Include:

Win Sim Tan

Regional Representative - East and Southeast Asia

Verra

Duncan van Bergen

Co-founder

Calyx Global

Tristan Loffler

Head of Carbon Projects and Integrity

MSCI Carbon Markets

Coffee and networking break

Panel: Successes and failures - lessons learnt from past projects, and paving the way for real and ethical projects

A panel discussion with perspectives from investors and project developers - getting both sides of the story as they discuss transparency in the market.

- Extracting valuable lessons, successes and failures to inform future endeavours and the impact on the sustainability and effectiveness of carbon initiatives.
- What are the strategies in place to ensure the authenticity and ethicality of carbon projects?
- Avoiding a greenwashing campaign - how can companies ensure that they are investing in clean and ethical carbon projects, and what can they do to stand out as “clean market leaders”?

Speakers Include:

Heng Dean Law

Managing Director,

Nick Laidlaw

Managing Director, WIF Foundation

Neil McDougall

Chairman

DelAgua

Carbon certification process overview

- Explore the step-by-step process of carbon certification including project development, baseline determination, methodology application and monitoring.
- Given the variety of carbon credit certification companies and protocols, what are the best practices for certification within the VCM in Asia.
- Hear from accredited organisations and independent bodies for optimal certification in the region.

Panel discussion: Strategies for de-risking investments in the carbon landscape, insights from investors, financial intermediaries and developers

Understanding investor perspectives: explore insights from experienced investors, financial intermediaries and developers in the carbon space
- What are the recommended strategies to spread risk effectively and enhance bankability of carbon-related investments? Best practices and lessons from experts.
- What specific factors contribute to risk mitigation and enhanced project viability, and how do investors assess and prioritise these factors?
- Insight for developers: how can developers foster a conducive environment for attracting financial support?

Speakers Include:

Martalena Nurseno

Head of Origination and Structuring Environmental Products Asia Pacific ex-China

Freepoint Commodities

Meng Yuen Wang Carbon Credits Solutions - Executive Director

Carbon Credits Solutions - Executive Director

DBS Bank

Siddhanth Jayaram

Co-Founder, Climes

Lunch networking break

How much would it cost to build a new world?

- Leading the way with Singapore-Asia Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance -how are the next steps?
- How can Asia catch up in blended finance? What partnerships are required to make it happen?
- Scaling up technology and innovation with investments - is this the silver bullet?

Case Study: Clear skies ahead - decarbonising the aviation industry to meet net zero goals

- Navigating net zero: from using carbon credits to offset travel to increasing production of SAF - how is the aviation industry working towards meeting net zero goals? What are airlines’ preferences and what factors are being considered?
- What is the role of international bodies like ICAO/Corsia in delivering strong global frameworks to implement green energy transition for international aviation? Successes and lessons to learn for the future
- What is the role of compliance markets in the aviation industry, are there any changes foreseen? If so, how are airlines adapting to new legislation?

Panel discussion: Navigating corporate stewardship - advancing environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives and achieving decarbonisation goals in the VCM

- A buyer’s perspective: an exploration of buyer trends and considerations around carbon credits, how do big energy providers see this evolving?
- What specific targets and commitments has your company set for carbon emissions reduction, and how are these integrated within your business strategy and corporate ESG framework?
- What are your thoughts on present carbon reduction strategies within the VCM market - where is your business inclined to look for investing in carbon projects, and what are the key criteria you have in mind when investing?

Conference closing remarks followed by networking break