Organised by Eco-Business in partnership with UNDP
AI is reshaping Asia's economies, energy and livelihoods at unprecedented speed. Organised by Eco-Business with UNDP, the inaugural Unlocking AI for Sustainability summit convenes government, investors, tech and civil society to ensure AI drives inclusive, sustainable growth.
Artificial intelligence is emerging as the defining technology of this decade, with consequences reaching far beyond the technology sector. Without safeguards, AI could compound the environmental and social costs of growth, entrench existing disparities and widen the divide between those able to develop and deploy the technology and those left behind.
Closing this gap is what the summit is for.
Senior delegates from government, business and key decision makers across FIs, corporate, technology firms, academia and civic society.
From founding partner to outreach partner, every partnership is co-developed with you around your objectives.
The Summit aims to be a high-signal, high-engagement platform that deepens connection and collaboration among stakeholders — and inspires action on both the innovation and governance fronts of AI.
This one-to-one conversation will weigh AI's potential for good against growing governance risks, including who should set the guardrails, the frameworks needed for inclusive and just AI transitions and what clarity regulators, industry and investors need to commit for the long term.
Explore sustainable AI infrastructure, data centres, energy efficiency, smart grids and environmental safeguards.
Our distinguished panelists debate AI governance.
Featuring distinguished speakers across government, policy, multilateral organisations, FIs, corporate, technology and industry.
Jessica founded Eco-Business and has spent two decades at the intersection of media, sustainable development and ESG. She advises boards of governments and multinationals on ESG strategy and governance, with a particular interest in where sustainability meets technology.
Edward is UNDP's Resident Representative to Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam. He was previously Strategic Adviser to UNDP's Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, and UNDP's Deputy Resident Representative to Papua New Guinea.
Lawrence is an investor with 25 years of public and private sector experience across strategy, business building, economic policy and sustainability, at organisations including Temasek, ByteDance, Accenture, PwC and Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry.
hidden attribute to restore it. Edward Vrkić's headshot is still needed (one is on the UCFS speaker page).A curated group of stakeholders, selected for relevance and seniority, so every conversation is with someone who can act on it.
Showcase AI-for-sustainability solutions, strengthen enterprise relationships, and lead the responsible AI conversation.
Demonstrate innovation leadership and connect with solutions that improve efficiency and lower emissions.
Gain visibility and credibility, and network with potential investors and customers.
Shape policy, identify deployable solutions, and support digital and sustainable development goals.
Access curated deal flow, network with founders, and understand emerging market opportunities.
Turn ideas into implementation alongside the people who will deploy them.
UAIFS builds on Unlocking Capital for Sustainability, Eco-Business's flagship summit hosted across six Asian markets since 2018. B Corp certified since 2023.
The summit will explore five interconnected themes: the sustainable infrastructure underpinning AI's growth from data centres to compute and energy demand; AI's dual role as both a climate risk and a climate solution; its power to strengthen supply chain resilience and operational efficiency; the financing models needed to fund an inclusive AI economy; and the safety and governance frameworks required to keep innovation accountable and human-centred.
Building on Eco-Business's track record with Unlocking Capital for Sustainability, hosted across six Asian markets since 2018, UAIFS puts AI governance at the centre of the conversation.
A high-signal, high-engagement platform that deepens connection and collaboration among stakeholders — and inspires action on both innovation and governance fronts of AI.
On how AI can accelerate climate action, the energy transition, resilient supply chains and sustainable growth, anchored by sound governance principles.
Covering data integrity, transparency, accountability and risk management, alongside AI's energy use and infrastructure efficiency.
On responsible deployment standards that align AI innovation with sustainability outcomes across markets and regulatory environments.
Raise awareness of the synergies between AI and sustainability, and spark the dialogue and partnerships that move ideas to impact.
Trusted news and advisory for a senior audience of multinationals, SMEs, governments, multilateral institutions and civil society. Headquartered in Singapore, with a presence in Beijing, Hong Kong, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and London.
Registration is open for the inaugural edition in Singapore.
A full-day, in-person programme built for participation: keynotes and a fireside chat to set the context, plenaries on governance, energy, inclusive AI, a look at future of AI, regional frameworks and supply chain resilience.
Select a block to jump to its sessions.
Eco-Business and UNDP open the inaugural summit: why AI and sustainability can no longer be planned on separate tracks, and what this room should leave having agreed.
UNDP sets out why Asia is a critical test for AI: whether it broadens opportunity across a region with a nearly 200-fold income gap, or deepens the divide between those who build the technology and those left behind.
The guest-of-honour sets out the government's view on how AI can drive inclusive and sustainable growth in Asia.
Asia's AI revolution is at a critical inflection point: though boosting productivity, accelerating the energy transition and bolstering resilience to climate risks, AI threatens to widen disparities through uneven technological transfer and entrenched by continued failures in governance.
This conversation asks which way Asia is heading: who should set the guardrails, how to close the digital divide while keeping innovation moving, what finance needs to back responsible AI, and what commitments such as the Hamburg Declaration on Responsible AI mean for the region.
Why it matters: AI governance remains an abstract concept. This plenary will identify a concrete blueprint for inclusive technological transition.
As trade shocks and climate disasters threaten energy grids and supply, AI is emerging as an indispensable tool for Asia's energy transition – optimising grids, forecasting demand and predicting future risks. However, the data centres powering these solutions are growing faster than the region can sustainably manage, leaving AI and the transition in constant flux.
This plenary convenes leading energy players to determine how AI can accelerate rather than hinder the transition, while scaling solutions without compromising short to long-term resource needs.
Why it matters: Sustainable AI infrastructure is central to manage data centre growth, but pathways to adoption are unclear. The plenary will deep dive into these future pathways.
AI is transforming labour markets and livelihoods at unprecedented speed, from factory floors to the gig economy, often faster than institutions can respond. Who shares in the gains, and who is left behind?
Panellists examine how to keep AI inclusive and human-centred, from reskilling workforces to closing digital and data divides.
Why it matters: Without public trust and broad-based gains, AI risks losing its social licence to operate.
What could AI in Asia look like by 2035? This session sketches plausible futures, the good, the bad and the ugly, and the choices made today that decide which one the region gets.
Why it matters: Long-range thinking helps leaders stress-test today's AI and sustainability strategies.
A regional view on how ASEAN can close its digital divide together, through shared frameworks, technology transfer and resilient supply chains, amid shifting geopolitics.
A leading technology company shares how it is building and deploying AI responsibly, and what it will take to align AI's growth with sustainability outcomes.
AI is reshaping how goods are made and moved, with real economic dividends and real disruption. This plenary looks at sectoral productivity gaps, labour-market transitions and lessons from the gig economy in developing Asia.
Why it matters: Supply chains are where AI's productivity gains, and its impact on jobs, show up first.
The closing plenary puts one of the hardest questions in AI governance to a vote. Two teams argue the motion, the audience votes before and after, and the swing decides the winner.
The motion: This House believes today's AI leaders cannot be trusted to govern AI responsibly.
Why it matters: A format that forces clear positions and shows where the room really stands.
UAIFS is built to run across markets and years, like its sister summit Unlocking Capital for Sustainability. When the next edition is confirmed, its agenda will be published under its own tab.
Seats are limited and confirmed individually for relevance and seniority.
Featuring distinguished speakers across government, policy, multilateral organisations, FIs, corporate, technology and industry.
Jessica founded Eco-Business and has spent two decades at the intersection of media, sustainable development and ESG. She advises boards of governments and multinationals on ESG strategy and governance, with a particular interest in where sustainability meets technology.
She is an independent non-executive director of Wilmar International and ComfortDelGro, where she chairs the Board Sustainability Committee and sits on the Digitalisation Committee. A former political correspondent at The Straits Times, she manages The Liveability Challenge, is the author of Forging a Greener Tomorrow, holds INSEAD's Certificate in Corporate Governance, and regularly speaks at forums including the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos.
Edward is UNDP's Resident Representative to Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam. He was previously Strategic Adviser to UNDP's Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, and UNDP's Deputy Resident Representative to Papua New Guinea.
Lawrence is an investor with 25 years of public and private sector experience across strategy, business building, economic policy and sustainability, at organisations including Temasek, ByteDance, Accenture, PwC and Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Early in his career he founded a design start-up selling lifestyle products made from upcycled materials to Asia, Europe and the US. He works at the intersection of business, technology and sustainability to create triple-bottom-line impact, and moderated the nature-risk plenary at Unlocking Capital for Sustainability Singapore 2026.
UAIFS is built to run across markets and years, like its sister summit Unlocking Capital for Sustainability. When the next edition is confirmed, its speakers will be published under its own tab.
Nominate a speaker for our consideration.
UAIFS is organised by Eco-Business in partnership with UNDP. Partners lead the conversation on stage and all year round, in front of the senior leaders who will decide how AI is built, financed and governed across the region.
The summit is small and senior by design. Partners get visibility where it counts and a voice in the programme.
Co-curate sessions with the Eco-Business team.
1.6 million senior-level visitors a year and 115,000+ contacts across Eco-Business channels.
Logo visibility throughout the event.
Audience figures are Eco-Business platform data from the UAIFS partnerships deck.
UAIFS is built to run across markets and years, like its sister summit Unlocking Capital for Sustainability. When the next edition is confirmed, its partners will be published under its own tab.
Tell us what you want to achieve. Our partnerships team will reply with the prospectus, rate card and ideas tailored to your goals.
20 November 2026
9.00am to 4.00pm (GMT+8)
Venue TBC
Our team reviews each request and confirms your place by email.
To be confirmed. Fee structure pending.
No. The 2026 summit is in person only.
To be confirmed. Group registration policy pending.
To be confirmed.
In Singapore. The venue will be announced shortly and sent to all registered delegates.
See Partner with us to see current partners, or send an enquiry directly.
Not ready to register? Get updates as speakers, the venue and new editions are announced.
Bridging technology and sustainable growth: technology providers, sustainability leaders, investors and policymakers forging credible pathways to harness AI for sustainable development.
AI's economic potential is undeniable. By optimising trade, energy and business efficiency, it is projected to add US$15 trillion to global GDP by 2030, with US$1 trillion in ASEAN alone. AI-driven technologies are also vital to the region's resilience, from optimising energy grids to improving supply chain traceability.
Yet this growth brings steep costs. Power-intensive infrastructure and fast-expanding data centres strain local resources, while poor governance risks deepening digital divides, job displacement and algorithmic bias. The defining challenge for Asia is making sure AI and sustainability advance together, giving regulators, technology developers and investors the long-term clarity they need.
Organised by Eco-Business in partnership with UNDP, this regional business summit will provide practical, actionable insights on the AI and sustainable development nexus, to translate ideas into implementation.
The programme moves from context to action across six blocks, ending with a closing debate and networking drinks.
Welcome remarks, keynotes from UNDP and the guest-of-honour, and a fireside chat on whether AI widens or closes Asia's divides.
Leading energy players on how AI can accelerate, not hinder, Asia's energy transition.
Who shares in AI's gains, and what AI in Asia could look like by 2035.
How ASEAN can close its digital divide together, followed by networking lunch.
A technology leader's keynote, then a plenary on AI in supply chains and operations.
Two teams argue the motion and the room votes before and after, then closing remarks and drinks.
More names will be announced as they confirm.
Jessica founded Eco-Business and has spent two decades at the intersection of media, sustainable development and ESG. She advises boards of governments and multinationals on ESG strategy and governance, with a particular interest in where sustainability meets technology.
Edward is UNDP's Resident Representative to Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam. He was previously Strategic Adviser to UNDP's Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, and UNDP's Deputy Resident Representative to Papua New Guinea.
Lawrence is an investor with 25 years of public and private sector experience across strategy, business building, economic policy and sustainability, at organisations including Temasek, ByteDance, Accenture, PwC and Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Organised by Eco-Business in partnership with UNDP.
Registration is open for 20 November 2026 in Singapore.