Malaysia is taking steps to strengthen both the people and financing needed to advance its sustainability agenda. Two developments point to a shared priority: building the capabilities, collaboration and practical investment pathways needed to turn climate and nature commitments into action.
The first is the planned establishment of the Association of Sustainability Professionals (ASP), expected to launch by the end of 2026. The second is the Joint Committee on Climate Change’s (JC3) focus on mobilising capital, improving project readiness and building climate and nature resilience across the Malaysian economy.
Takeaways
- Malaysia plans to launch the Association of Sustainability Professionals (ASP) by the end of 2026. The new body aims to strengthen professional capabilities, promote standards and foster collaboration across the sustainability sector.
- The ASP is expected to support practitioners from a range of business functions—not only those with sustainability-specific job titles. Its work will include professional learning, recognised competencies and contributions to policy dialogue.
- The JC3 Journey to Zero Conference 2026 called for greater action to translate climate and nature ambitions into practical outcomes, including investable projects and financing that can be deployed at scale.
- A new JC3-university collaboration programme and the Climate Finance Innovation Lab are intended to build expertise, strengthen project readiness and help move climate and nature solutions towards implementation.
Table of Contents
A Professional Body for Sustainability Practitioners
Incubated with support from the Securities Commission Malaysia, the ASP is intended to strengthen sustainability capabilities, promote professional standards and provide a collective platform for practitioners. Its development comes as organisations face increasingly complex sustainability reporting expectations, regulation and stakeholder requirements.
The Association is expected to support learning and development, cross-industry collaboration, certification pathways, thought leadership and policy dialogue. It also plans to recognise high-quality training and certification offerings and provide a reference point for sustainability competencies.
Membership is not intended to be limited to people whose job titles include “sustainability”. Professionals in finance, risk management, procurement, operations and facilities management are also relevant, reflecting how sustainability considerations increasingly affect decisions throughout an organisation.
For businesses, this points to a practical need: sustainability knowledge cannot sit with one team alone. Organisations will need people across functions who can understand relevant requirements, identify risks and opportunities, and connect sustainability priorities with business decisions.
Turning Climate Ambition into Investment
The two-day JC3 Journey to Zero Conference 2026 brought together more than 800 participants from the financial sector, government, business, investment and academia. Under the theme “Building Climate and Nature Resilience for People and Business”, discussions focused on turning climate and nature priorities into investable projects and financing solutions with meaningful outcomes.
Topics included sustainable growth, energy transition finance, climate adaptation, nature-related risks and opportunities, carbon markets and project bankability. The emphasis on bankability matters: promising ideas need clear project plans and a credible route to implementation if they are to attract funding and deliver results.
The conference also highlighted the role of financial institutions in understanding climate and nature-related risks and embedding relevant considerations in risk management and business decisions. The shared message was that capital, collaboration and practical solutions are needed to support the transition and strengthen resilience.
Connecting Skills, Research and Finance
JC3 introduced a university collaboration programme involving Monash University, Sunway University, Universiti Malaya, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak and Universiti Tenaga Nasional. The programme aims to connect academia, the financial sector and policymakers through applied research, talent development and practical solutions.
JC3 is also developing the Climate Finance Innovation Lab to support climate and nature-related projects that may need further development before they are ready for funding. At the conference’s Pitch-a-Thon, three projects—Tulen Fuels, QuinTerra and AAE Solutions Sdn Bhd—received recognition for their investment potential, broader impact or effective presentation of their solutions.
Together, these initiatives address connected challenges. The ASP is intended to help build professional capability, while university and project-finance programmes aim to strengthen the knowledge base and pipeline of projects with potential to attract funding.
What Businesses Should Take from This
The announcements offer a timely signal for Malaysian businesses: sustainability capability and climate resilience are increasingly linked to organisational readiness, access to finance and long-term competitiveness.
Businesses can begin by identifying which teams need stronger sustainability capabilities, reviewing how climate and nature-related risks are reflected in decision-making, and checking whether relevant projects are sufficiently developed to support financing discussions. Building sustainability expertise across functions can also help organisations connect reporting requirements with risk management and business strategy.
The direction is clear: professional capability, credible information and finance-ready projects must develop together if Malaysia is to translate sustainability ambition into outcomes across the real economy.
Resources
- Eco-Business, “Malaysia to launch new sustainability professionals body by end 2026.”
- Securities Commission Malaysia, “JC3 Journey to Zero Conference 2026 Concludes with Shared Commitment to Translate Climate and Nature Ambition into Greater Impact.”
Webinar
NSRF Readiness Check: Where Do You Stand Today?
22nd September 2026, 2:00 PM to 2:30 PM MYT
Assess your organisation’s readiness for Malaysia’s National Sustainability Reporting Framework (NSRF) and identify the key gaps that may require attention. This practical 30-minute webinar covered readiness across governance, strategy, risk management, metrics and reporting, with practical next steps to strengthen your sustainability reporting approach.