AC Ventures' ESG Head Lauren Blasco Recruited by ASEAN Business Advisory Council for Carbon Center of Excellence

• Will serve a five-year term advising public and private stakeholders on voluntary carbon markets.
• ASEAN Alliance on Scaling Carbon Markets to be launched, aims to scale up voluntary carbon markets across ASEAN

The ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) Green & Sustainable Working Group has inducted AC Ventures’ Principal and Head of ESG Lauren Blasco (pic) into its Carbon Center of Excellence (CCoE).  The ASEAN-BAC was set up in 2003 with the mandate to provide private sector feedback and guidance to boost ASEAN’s efforts toward economic integration. Its activities are primarily focused on facilitating business and policy cooperation between nations. 

The CCoE aims to promote an understanding of carbon markets for business leaders, market participants, and will launch a new ASEAN Alliance on Scaling Carbon Markets (AASCM), which will champion scaling up voluntary carbon markets and compliance markets in the region.

Lauren has committed to a five-year tenure to act as an official advisor to public and private stakeholders across the bloc on how to build, launch, and grow voluntary carbon markets. “I am honoured to be joining the ASEAN-BAC Carbon Center of Excellence. It is a unique opportunity to shape and guide the future of the voluntary and compliance carbon markets in Indonesia and throughout the ASEAN region. I believe that these carbon markets are a critical tool for combating climate change and ensuring a sustainable future for all” she said. 

The CCoE is set to establish and build upon a variety of initiatives, including its Carbon Knowledge Hub, a curated repository of resources designed to deliver the right know-how and insights to navigate the carbon markets for key actors (credit sellers, investors, etc); its Practice Sharing Center, a series of knowledge exchanges and capacity building sessions meant to help businesses understand and formulate strategies in relation to carbon markets; and the aforementioned AACSCM.

Dharsono Hartono, Legacy Lead of the ASEAN Net Zero Hub and Carbon Center of Excellence, added, “The ASEAN-BAC Carbon Center of Excellence is a beacon of innovation and action against climate change. Our mission is to drive the ASEAN economy toward achieving net-zero emissions, paving the way for a better future. With Lauren onboard as an expert in carbon management, we are propelling our mission further. Her knowledge and commitment will undoubtedly accelerate our path toward a carbon-neutral business landscape in ASEAN.”