Asia's ESG Momentum

This chapter examines the accelerating adoption of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing across Asia, highlighting both its economic promise and structural vulnerabilities. While regional markets, especially in East and Southeast Asia, have embraced ESG narratives to attract global capital and signal modern governance standards, the underlying frameworks often lack depth, enforcement, and cultural adaptation. Drawing on policy reviews, case examples, and emerging data from Asian financial hubs, this chapter analyses how rapid ESG growth may conceal inconsistencies in regulatory alignment, data transparency, and investor understanding. It argues that without addressing these foundational gaps, Asia’s ESG momentum risks becoming more performative than transformative, requiring a recalibration of both institutional strategy and behavioural engagement.