Asia's ESG talent crunch

A TALENT war is brewing for environmental, social and governance (ESG) experts in the financial world, as firms scramble to build new teams to navigate a shift towards climate-friendly finance.

Net-zero targets – coupled with stricter regulation and growing demand from customers and investors for sustainable economic models – are driving banks, insurers and asset managers to rejig their lending practices, investments, and underwriting of climate-sensitive sectors. 

The staggering pace of demand for ESG expertise amid scarce candidates has led to a demand-supply mismatch globally. This is perhaps nowhere more acute than in Asia, where sustainability issues are most recently concentrated and companies lag behind their Western peers.