Pamela Mar

This roundtable reflects Elevandi’s commitment to overcoming the barriers to scaling sustainable finance, and build upon conversations at the Point Zero Forum, Singapore FinTech Festival and Japan FinTech Festival on finance climate data.

The recent introduction of the sustainability reporting requirements such as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) presents a turning point for businesses within the supply chain. While navigating the complexities of supply chain mapping, verification procedures, and implementation costs associated with these regulations can be daunting, they also offer a foundation for gaining a competitive edge. This exclusive roundtable discussion brings together key stakeholders – businesses of all sizes, forward-thinking financial institutions (FIs), and innovative technology providers – to foster collaboration and unlock the full potential of EUDR and CSDDD.

Operating under our Elevating ESG theme, this interactive session goes beyond mere compliance. We'll delve into best practices that not only ensure businesses meet the new regulations, but also help them transform compliance into a competitive advantage. Experts will share insights on efficient supply chain mapping, robust verification procedures, and cost-optimization tactics and available financial instruments. Additionally, the roundtable will explore usage of tech solutions for operational efficiency and competitive advantage.

The envisioned collaboration is intended to extend beyond the roundtable itself. We'll explore the design, development, and deployment of a pilot to gain valuable insights and foster a supportive ecosystem. Collaboration with industry stakeholders, for smoother implementation of these requirements and championing best practices for sustainable supply chain reporting. Through this roundtable, attendees will gain digestible insights and have the opportunity to contribute to the pilot project firsthand.

Attendees who wish to familiarise themselves with the topic may refer to the reference materials below.
- ESG: The Urgency of Action & Why Climate Technology Matters Now
- The Climate Data Roundtable
- Project Savannah: Maximising the Potential of Digital ESG Credentials for MSMEs

This roundtable furthers Elevandi’s focus on developing the digital public goods, including at the 2023 Singapore FinTech Festival and 2024 Japan FinTech Festival.

Operating under the theme of Decoding Digital Assets and Payments, this roundtable will inform policy and business leaders on how data ecosystem development and cross border data policies may impact emerging digitalization agendas within trade, finance and sustainability. Alongside the G7 agenda for Data Free-Flow with Trust (DFFT), these areas of economic activity and policy require enhanced mechanisms for trusted and reliable data sharing or analysis across jurisdictional and policy borders.

It aims to enhance awareness and dialogue between different international initiatives shaping policy governing cross-border data flows. There are several key initiatives in this area, each emanating from a different policy domain.

- The DFFT initiative set out by the G7 and G20 aims to promote cross border data flows while respecting privacy, security, and intellectual property rights;
- the CPMI agenda aims to provide support to enhance efficiency, transparency, and safety of cross border payments with interoperability as a key building block; and
- the ICC Digital Standards Initiative convenes trade and finance stakeholders to enable trade digitalization with interoperability and data sharing as primary objectives, and where success relies on the free flow of commercial data in cross border supply chains.

Other initiatives include bilateral digital trade agreements that seek to enhance access to data and systems such as credit bureaus or business registry and legal data normally reserved for domestic institutions or industry members. In this patchwork of critical initiatives, this roundtable provides an opportunity for mutual update and dialogue across to forge more effective, integrated approaches to data governance and flows in support of the global digital economy.

Attendees will be invited to participate in polls and Q&A.

Attendees who wish to familiarise themselves with the topic may refer to the reference materials below.
- Foundations for Cross Border Data Flows to support Digital Finance Trade and Sustainability - From Idea to Implementation
- Shaping data policies through cross-border collaboration
- Digital economy: Data-driven financial services with trade | SFF 2023

The EU is a global frontrunner in advancing sustainability across multi-market supply chains through regulations such as the CSDDD and EUDR. However, these regulations face criticism for difficulties in interpretation, compliance, and heightened costs for the parties involved. Additionally, countries and sectors are campaigning to ring-fence the impact on their constituents, leading to a dilution of the desired outcomes.

Is there still a case for EU regulation as a prime driver of change? What’s needed to make this a reality?