Commentary: Franchises like fast food chains could lead fight against climate change

ASEAN could possibly play an crucial part in giving cross-border help techniques and capacity building, improving general public sector understanding about the franchising group, and collating reliable stats about the dimensions and nature of the sector.

Regional cooperation can aid assure that franchise units are integrated when govt consults enterprise on climate change issue.

ASEAN could also enable Asia-large franchise chains to “reshore” and bring their offer chains closer to house.

Amid the latest convergence of trade uncertainty and the race to web zero, the regional bloc can foster a potential win-gain situation through aiding member states deal with the disruptions brought on by China’s continued zero-COVID tactic and Russia’s blockade of Black Sea trade, when cutting down journey length and encouraging more sourcing from inside the region.

It’s not still occurring, but ASEAN ought to start imagining about accomplishing so.

In the meantime, even though, some gamers are producing their unilateral moves instead of waiting around for federal government assistance. For case in point, a lot of food models are continuing to evaluate their packaging (partly pushed by impending bans on one use plastics), adding a lot more plant-based mostly products to their menus, and in search of to lessen their carbon footprints when opening new merchants.

That’s a very good commencing, but visualize how considerably much more productive it could be if a holistic, area-vast standpoint is embraced.

Would I like a combo meal with fries and a consume? I’d rather have reduce emissions, thanks.

Michael Schaper is Browsing Senior Fellow with ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute and Adjunct Professor at John Curtin Institute of General public Policy, Curtin College. This commentary initially appeared on ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute’s web site, The Fulcrum.