Climate Action
3 actions to accelerate emerging market climate transition
Emerging market and developing economies account for over 95% of the increase in GHG emissions. Huge investment is needed to cut emissions and tackle climate change.
Donald Perry Kanak
Chairman, PreachFor Foundation; Independent Director, Manulife; Board member and Senior Fellow, Program on International Financial Systems. Don is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations; and a member of the National Council of WWF-U.S.
Most recently (through Oct 2022) Don was the Chairman of Prudential Insurance Growth Markets, and the Chairman of Prudence Foundation, the community engagement arm of Prudential in Asia and Africa. From 2008 through 2015, Don served as Chairman of Prudential Corporation Asia, and 2012 to November 2020, as Chairman of Eastspring Investments, the asset management organisation of Prudential plc. From 1992 to January 2006, Don held a number of senior positions at American International Group (AIG), ultimately AIG’s Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer. Prior to his career in insurance and investment, Don was a partner of an international strategy consulting firm. From 2016 through June 2022, Don served as Chairman of the EU-ASEAN Business Council, the primary voice for European businesses within the ASEAN region. 2017-2022 Don was member of the Steering Group of the Sustainable Development Investment Partnership (SDIP), a joint venture between the World Economic Forum and the OECD, and co-chair of the SDIP’s ASEAN Hub. In 2011-12, Don chaired the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Insurance and Asset Management. He has been a member of other Forum councils, including councils on Social Security Systems, South East Asia/ASEAN, and SDG Investments. He was board member of the Hong Kong Financial Services Development Council 2021-January 2023. He was also a member of the United Nations Global Environment Facility’s Technical Advisory Group on its 2014-2018 climate change mitigation strategy. Don served as an elder/deacon in Tokyo Union Church and Hong Kong Union Church from the 1990s through the 2010s, respectively.
Don holds a J.D. with honors from Harvard Law School, an M.Litt in Management Studies from University of Oxford (U.K.), a B.A. with highest honors in economics from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and the Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designations from the American College.
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