Leadership and Innovation Against Environmental Degradation

In this timely era of environmental concerns, the role of the CEO becomes doubly vital in leading the way toward sustainability in South and Southeast Asia. This chapter gives a bird’s-eye view of transformative leadership in Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, and Thailand, particularly in exploring how far-sighted chief executives are driving corporate social responsibility through environmentally friendly operations. The case studies include the solar energy revolutions in Bangladesh led by Grameen Shakti, leadership in electric car technology in India by Anand Mahindra, the creative environmental policies of Tony Fernandes at AirAsia, and the sustainable seafood projects at Thai Union spearheaded by Thiraphong Chansiri. Beyond negotiating the hurdles to success in their own sectors, each of the leaders addresses some of the global challenges: social justice, resource depletion, and climate change. These CEOs demonstrate how ethical leadership can mean long-term environmental and financial success by aligning their corporate objective with wider international environmental frameworks such as the SDGs and ESG measurements. Their stories have inspired an emerging generation of leaders to consider sustainability as a robust commercial strategy as well as a moral duty.