Veolia Water Technologies Hosts First Think Tank Asia

Industry Leaders Gather to Uncover Sustainable Business Innovations in Asia

Singapore, 10 December, 2015:-  Veolia Water Technologies proudly announces today the official launch of its Think Tank Asia initiative. This first edition is co-organized with ESSEC Business School (ESSEC) and the French Embassy in Singapore. Taking place in ESSEC’s Singapore Campus, the one-day executive workshop brings together a circle of 20 leaders and influencers from major industries across Asia, to share their views on sustainability, industry specific needs, and green corporate agendas, so as to define future business models in a world of limited resources.
 
Today, natural resources are becoming increasingly scarce as the human population’s needs continue to grow in an ever more densely populated and urbanized world. The world faces climate change issues and has to rethink its relationship with resources, to come up with new social and economic growth models that are more efficient, better balanced, and more sustainable. With 160 years of expertise in the management of water, energy and waste, Veolia applies its capacity for innovation to pursue human progress and wellbeing, as well as to improve the performance of businesses.
 
Jean-Philippe Filhol, Chief Executive Officer, Asia Industrial, Veolia Water Technologies, shared, “Through the Think Tank Asia initiative, we aim to create an opportunity to bring together innovators, social leaders, and decision makers who are dedicated to preserving scarce global resources. As a leading environmental solutions provider, Veolia has a strong legacy in sustainability, and we recognize that sustainable innovation is essential for harmonious growth. This is also timely, as the event echoes what is being discussed at the Paris Climate Change Conference (COP 21), which Veolia strongly identifies with.”
 
Led by Professor Cédomir Nestorovic (Professor of International Marketing & Geopolitics at ESSEC Business School) and Professor Kevyn Yong (Academic Dean of ESSEC Asia-Pacific and Associate Professor of Management at ESSEC Business School), the objective of the Think Tank Asia workshop is to create awareness amongst leading international organizations and to encourage companies to understand and address properly challenges relating to business sustainability, rules and regulations in Asia, non-governmental organizations, and green corporate agendas.
 
Consisting of two parts – The Geopolitics of Limited Resources & The Challenge of Sustainable Innovation – the seminar aspires to spark off innovative solutions and new business models. These solutions will aim to create more value for businesses, while reducing the impact of industrial activities on the environment, steering Asian industries towards more environmentally conscious business decisions.
 
Professor Kevyn Yong said, “As a business school, we are concerned about the development of future business leaders who will not only be skilled managers, but who will also see sustainability as a driver of strategic innovation. ESSEC’s educational approach has always been to pioneer business innovation and entrepreneurship, and it is boosted in ESSEC Asia-Pacific by combining Western and Asian philosophies."
 
Jean-Philippe concluded, “We cannot afford to ignore any longer the impact that our businesses have on the environment, and manufacturers should firmly push sustainable innovations into their production lines, such as the use of sustainably sourced renewable raw materials or reuse and recycling opportunities. Veolia sees value in facilitating open discussions to engage top-level decision makers at a strategic level. We will continue to push out similar initiatives to increase awareness across global industries and contribute to the rise of a circular economy.”
 
About Veolia
Veolia group is the global leader in optimized resource management. With over 179,000 employees* worldwide, the Group designs and provides water, waste and energy management solutions that contribute to the sustainable development of communities and industries. Through its three complementary business activities, Veolia helps to develop access to resources, preserve available resources, and to replenish them.
 
In 2014, the Veolia group supplied 96 million people with drinking water and 60 million people with wastewater service, produced 52 million megawatt hours of energy and converted 31 million metric tons of waste into new materials and energy. Veolia Environnement (listed on Paris Euronext: VIE) recorded consolidated revenue of €24.4 billion* in 2014. www.veolia.com (*) 2014 pro-forma figures, including Dalkia International (100%) and excluding Dalkia France.
 
About ESSEC Business School, Asia-Pacific
Established in 1907 in Paris, France, ESSEC Business School is an academic institution of excellence which has been characterized by its pioneering spirit throughout its history.
 
A research-driven institution with a wide network of corporate and academic partners across the globe, ESSEC focuses its strategic development on three principles: innovation, involvement and internationalization. With more than 4,558 full time students, 5,000 managers in executive programs and a faculty of 151 full time professors, ESSEC runs a wide range of academic and executive programs internationally and is well recognized for the quality of its programs and the influence of its research.
 
ESSEC Asia-Pacific was established in Singapore in 2005. The campus has since welcomed over 5,000 students and managers. ESSEC’s operations in the Asia-Pacific region present the perfect foothold for ESSEC to be part of the vibrant growth of Asia and to bring its expertise to the expanding region. In 2015, ESSEC opened the doors to its new campus, located in one-north business park. For more information, please visit www.essec.edu/asia
 
CPE Registration number: 200511927D Period of registration: 30 June 2011 until 29 June 2017