On 2 October 2026, EY launched the EY Climate Resilience Center of Excellence (CoE) in Singapore. The CoE brings together multidisciplinary capabilities, technical knowledge and ecosystem collaboration to help organisations address climate resilience challenges across Southeast Asia (SEA).
Sustainability and climate resilience no longer separate
“The conversation around sustainability has evolved significantly over the years. Today, sustainability and climate resilience are no longer separate agendas, but are fundamental to how businesses manage risk, drive growth, strengthen competitiveness and create long-term value,” said said EY Asia East Deputy Regional Managing Partner Liew Nam Soon, in a press statement.
“Organisations that embed sustainability and climate resilience into their core strategy will be better positioned to navigate uncertainty and seize new opportunities.”
Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations Grace Fu, who was also the guest-of-honour at the event, dived deeper into this thread in her keynote address, saying, “As a small, open city-state, our businesses – ranging from large MNCs to homegrown SMEs – are deeply engaged in global supply chains, regional markets and international financial flows.
“This openness has been the engine of our prosperity, but it also means that when disruptions strike, our businesses feel the impacts acutely.”
Continued conflicts in the Middle East is the latest disruption, Ms Fu added, noting that events have driven up energy costs and food prices for businesses and households.
Climate risk expected to intensify
As Ms Fu stated in her keynote address, disruptions today also include a “changing climate”.
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, SEA is one of the regions most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, where rising sea levels and intensifying natural hazards affect millions of people in densely populated areas and coastal zones.
Events have already unfolded in Asia this year, with catastrophic floods across the region damaging valuable business assets and disrupting critical supply chains, Ms Fu pointed out.
Moreover, she also mentioned that these trends “are projected to intensify in the decades ahead”.
“Singapore’s Third National Climate Change Study has projected that Singapore could experience increases in annual mean temperatures of up to 5 degrees Celsius, mean sea level rise of up to 1.15m, and more frequent and severe extreme weather events by the end of the century,” she said.
“Similar trends are also projected for the region.”
As such, for businesses planning investments, managing assets and building supply chains, “these are material risks which cannot be ignored”, she added.
“Building resilience and adapting to climate impacts, are therefore compelling in safeguarding business continuity and competitiveness,” she said.
Building resilience
In Ms Fu’s own words, “these risks are real, the stakes are high and the urgency to act is there. What businesses now need is the right information, capabilities and support ecosystem to translate plans into action”.
She said, “Companies will need to formulate plans to address these climate risks. This involves an assessment of the vulnerabilities in operations and supply chains, assets and infrastructure; as well as putting in place business continuity plans that include protection of workers, diversification of supply chains, enhancement of asset protection and insurance against climate hazards.
“Financiers such as banks, insurers and asset managers will need to identify, assess and price climate-related risks better to incentivise investments in resilience.”
To help organisations enhance their climate resilience, the CoE will address the multiple dimensions of the climate crisis through three overarching themes of climate resilience:
· Energy resilience: Advancing low-carbon, efficient and diversified energy systems that simultaneously support decarbonisation, strengthen energy security and increase resilience to climate and geopolitical shocks.
· Climate adaptation: Reducing vulnerability to physical climate impacts so that infrastructure, communities, ecosystems and economies can continue to function and thrive in a changing climate.
· Nature and biodiversity: Preserving the ecosystems and natural capital that provide critical services, reduce climate vulnerabilities and support long-term economic, environmental and social stability.
The EY Climate Resilience Center of Excellence was launched in Singapore on 2 October 2026.