"What does Climate Risk have to do with me hitting my sales target?"
That was the question I could almost hear in every training room.
Over the past few months, I have travelled across Malaysia, from the Northern and Southern regions to Sarawak and Sabah, conducting Climate Risk and ESG Assessment training aligned with Bank Negara Malaysia's Climate Change and Principle-based Taxonomy (CCPT).
And almost everywhere I went, I sensed the same thing.
Relationship Managers (RMs) walked into the room wondering: ❓ "Why are we here?" ❓ "What does climate change have to do with banking?" ❓ "How does this help me grow my portfolio?" ❓ "What does ESG have to do with my customers?"
Frankly, they had every right to ask!!!! 😨
Most RMs are hired, trained, and measured based on their ability to: ✔ Acquire customers ✔ Grow lending portfolios ✔ Increase deposits ✔ Cross-sell products ✔ Deliver business results
and.....Climate risk can seem far removed from those priorities.
So how do I get the attention of participants and convince them that climate risk is relevant to their role? I start with a bold promise...????
"Give me today, and I promise you this : by the end of the session, you will not only understand why climate risk matters, but you will also see opportunities that many others have yet to recognize. More importantly, you will be among a limited pool of Relationship Managers equipped to guide customers on their transition journey towards building more resilient, competitive, and sustainable businesses; while helping them and yourself achieve business goals and targets more seamlessly."
Something interesting happened.
Once we connected climate risk to rising operating costs, supply chain disruptions, floods, energy prices, customer expectations, and business competitiveness, the conversation changed.
Climate risk was no longer an environmental issue. It became a business issue.
And CCPT was no longer just a framework. It became a tool to help customers: ✔ Build resilience ✔ Improve productivity ✔ Manage future risks ✔ Identify transition opportunities ✔ Remain competitive in a changing economy
This experience convinced me that the missing link 🔏 is not the framework itself. The missing link 🔓is helping RMs understand why climate risk matters to businesses and how they can play a role in helping customers navigate the transition.
That is why I am launching this LinkedIn series: "Relationship Managers as Drivers of Climate Transition."
Over the coming weeks, I will go back to basics - breaking down climate risk and CCPT into practical concepts, real industry examples, and customer conversations that RMs can immediately relate to and apply.
Because I believe the future RM is more than a banker.
The future RM is a trusted advisor helping customers build resilient, competitive, and sustainable businesses.
I hope you'll join me on this journey.
