Corporate sustainability is no longer an “external” or parallel agenda. It has been redefined as a material business risk that must be managed as part of core strategy. For companies and investors operating in Asia – the world’s most environmental disaster-prone region – integrating sustainability considerations is now central to operational resilience, investment stability, and market access. [1]  As a result, human rights and environmental standards are increasingly shaping competitiveness and serving as primary signals of governance.

​

This shift is rooted in operational reality. Across Asia, climate shocks, ranging from floods and droughts to extreme heat stress, are no longer exceptional events but recurring disruptions to production, logistics, and workforces.[2] With over half of the region’s economic output directly reliant on natural resources,[3] environmental degradation now poses a direct threat to supply-chain security, economic performance, and the long-term viability of capital investments.[4] For many companies, climate adaptation has therefore become an operational discipline, shaping how sites are managed, supply chains secured, and risks to workers and communities anticipated.

​

In this landscape, market expectations have fundamentally shifted. Investors increasingly view environmental, social, and human rights performance as indicators of long-term resilience and sound governance. With companies representing over 80 percent of global market capitalization now disclosing human rights policies, responsible business conduct is increasingly associated with stronger risk management and more sustainable value creation.

​

Regulatory developments are reinforcing this market shift. The recognition of the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment has sharpened expectations on business conduct, while emerging due diligence frameworks – including the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and related reporting requirements – are extending these expectations across global value chains. Across Asia, governments and market institutions are also exploring more structured approaches to human rights and environmental risk management, signaling a clear move from voluntary commitments toward more defined market rules.

​

RIGHTS-BASED RESILIENCE: A STRATEGIC RISK MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK

​

Against this backdrop, rights-based resilience offers a practical, risk-based framework for moving from high-level sustainability commitments to effective 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.

Rights-based resilience requires practical spaces where companies, investors, and partners can examine real risks, test approaches, and learn from implementation across sectors and markets. It is in this context that UNDP convenes the Corporate Sustainability and Environmental Rights in Asia Conference (CSERA 2026).

​

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

​

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 accountability and remedy.

​

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; and

• pathways for strengthening accountability, stakeholder engagement, and access to remedy as part of resilient business strategies.

​​

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

​

WHO IS THIS CONFERENCE FOR?

​

CSERA 2026 is designed for companies (including SMEs and major suppliers) seeking practical 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