SENSE AND SUSTAINABILITY

PwC's Sustainability and Climate Change leader Andrew Chan makes several compelling arguments in his bid to get everyone invested into preserving our future

- Elizabeth Soong

Eighteen years ago, Andrew Chan travelled deep into the jungles of Sarawak where the experiences he had with the indigenous communities made a lasting impression. He was humbled by the way they lived harmoniously with nature, their knowledge of natural ecosystems, how they optimised resources they had on hand, and the connection they had with their own, as well as other, communities.

“I don’t know if you know MacGyver?” he asks, referring to the 1980s TV character who would build advanced machinery out of scraps. “One of the guys [in the community] was very innovative [like him]. He had an old generator that he had scavenged, and he connected it to a big tin that he used to mill the husk of rice, so they didn’t have to manually do it. He was offering this service to all the neighbouring communities.

“It’s amazing to see the resourcefulness of the people; they look at being able to reuse things, extend the lifespan, and they have that strong community spirit of ‘how do we help others?’”

It isn’t surprising then that in his work leading PwC’s (PricewaterhouseCoopers) Sustainability and Climate Change practice across Southeast Asia, Chan is always asking questions. How can we treat our planet, our environment and our community with the same level of respect and mindfulness that indigenous communities do? And, ultimately, how can we make a real, long-lasting impact?

Chan was born and raised in the UK. As a youngster living in the countryside in northern England, he’d walk through the park to school every day and go camping with his Cub Scout pack. He reflects that times have changed. Kids these days don’t have such a privilege, with parents more concerned over their safety.