Corporate sustainability has evolved from a parallel agenda for businesses into a core part of their risk assessment. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) concerns, which are at their core human rights concerns, are now understood as material business risk that must be managed as part of core business strategy.[1] For companies and investors operating in Asia, integrating sustainability considerations and placing the right to healthy environment at the center, is no longer optional. It is critical to corporate derisking strategies and key to operational resilience, investment stability, and market access. [2] In this landscape, business competitiveness is defined by a company’s ability to manage ‘double materiality’ and address both financial risks posed by the changing climate and the significant impact the business itself has on the environment and local communities.

 

This shift is rooted in operational realities. Across Asia, climate shocks, ranging from floods and droughts to extreme heat stress, cause disruptions to production, logistics, and workforces.[3] With over half of the region’s economic output directly reliant on natural resources,[4] environmental degradation poses a direct threat to supply-chain effectiveness, economic performance, and the long-term viability of capital investments.[5] For many companies, adapting to these challenges has become an operational discipline, shaping how sites are managed, supply chains secured, and risks to workers and communities anticipated; including mitigating for human rights risks such as forced labor or the displacement of indigenous peoples and local communities who are impacted by business operations.[6] 

These operational realities are reshaping how markets evaluate corporate performance. Investors and business partners interpret environmental and human rights management as a measure of strategic foresight, operational resilience, and sound corporate governance. Regulatory developments are reinforcing this shift in expectations. The recognition of the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment by the UN and more recently by ASEAN, has set a new benchmark for business conduct. Emerging frameworks, including the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), are extending these expectations across global value chains. 

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Across Asia, governments and companies staying competitive now also require rigorous human rights and environmental due diligence (HRDD+E) to ensure clean supply chains,[7] from both an environmental and workers’ rights perspective.

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RIGHTS-BASED RESILIENCE: A STRATEGIC RISK MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK

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Against this backdrop, businesses are increasingly exploring a rights-based resilience lens as a practical framework for de-risking investments and moving from abstract sustainability commitments to concrete risk management. By integrating human rights and environmental considerations into core operational decision-making, companies are better able to identify and manage how climate and nature-related risks translate into impacts on workers, communities, and consumers - and how those impacts, in turn, affect business continuity, performance, and reputation. For investors, rights-based resilience provides a pathway to support systemic change: strengthening corporate practices, market norms, and accountability mechanisms in ways that reduce exposure to material risk while contributing to more inclusive and sustainable growth.

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As businesses expand their footprint or pivot to cleaner energy sources, for example, they face heightened scrutiny regarding land rights and the meaningful participation of marginalized groups. For these companies, ensuring both green and socially just transition is a primary signal of sound corporate governance. By aligning business strategies with these human rights principles, companies can foster long-term value competitiveness that respects the planetary boundaries and the dignity of the people within their value chains.

 

It is in this context that UNDP convenes the Corporate Sustainability and Environmental Rights in Asia Conference (CSERA 2026) where companies, investors, policy makers and regulators along with key stakeholders and experts can examine real risks, test approaches, and learn from implementation across sectors and markets and illustrate what rights-based resilience looks like in practice.

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ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

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CSERA 2026 will convene businesses, regulators, investors, civil society, and academia to explore how Asia can strengthen responsible business conduct during a period of rapid transformation. The conference will highlight regional regulatory developments, sectoral risks and opportunities, emerging models for due diligence, and pathways for strengthening access to justice including for environmental issues.

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The conference focuses on practical, business-relevant responses to compounding risks arising from climate volatility, environmental degradation, and evolving human rights expectations. Through sector-focused discussions and region-specific insights, CSERA 2026 will explore:

• Emerging regulatory and market developments affecting companies operating in and sourcing from Asia

• Priority environmental and human rights risk areas across key sectors

• Evolving approaches to human rights and environmental due diligence

• Pathways for strengthening environmental justice including accountability, stakeholder engagement, and access to remedy as part of resilient business strategies

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The conference is designed as a platform for dialogue, learning, and partnership, enabling key stakeholders, companies and investors to exchange experiences, stress-test approaches, and identify practical solutions that can be scaled across value chains.

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WHO IS THIS CONFERENCE FOR?

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CSERA 2026 is designed as a platform for companies (including SMEs and major suppliers) to engage with other stakeholders and seek practical guidance on strengthening human rights and environmental resilience and due diligence systems. This includes:

• Global and regional buyers, brands, and investors working with Asian value chains

• Banks and insurers integrating holistic risk-management, including environmental and social indicators, into finance decisions

• Regulators and exchanges shaping market signals and disclosure expectations

• Industry associations and partners supporting credible implementation

• Human rights and environmental experts driving advocacy for meaningful stakeholder engagement in business practices