Ben McCarron

Ben McCarron is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Asia Research & Engagement (ARE) Group, a Singapore-headquartered, philanthropically funded civil society organisation dedicated to catalysing corporate change across Asia through investor-backed engagement, research, and collaboration.

Founded in 2013, ARE works with investors representing more than US$10 trillion to advance a more sustainable and compassionate Asia, addressing energy transition, transforming food and agriculture systems, and boosting sustainable finance.

ARE's Food Systems programme includes a team of specialists across China, India, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand seeking to embed sustainability into corporate procurement and practices, accelerate protein diversification, and build more resilient food value chains. ARE outcomes include catalysing zero-deforestation commitments from China's two largest dairy companies and supported the introduction of China's first corporate animal welfare and antimicrobial resistance policy.

Ben began his career as an equity fund manager and transitioned to sustainable investment over 20 years ago. His report Banking Asia's Future examined how leading regional banks are responding to climate-related risks and opportunities. He has also published four CLSA Blue Books covering animal proteins, palm oil, climate change in Malaysia and ESG frameworks. He previously served as the Malaysia and Thailand chapter author for the Asian Corporate Governance Association's (ACGA) biennial CG Watch publication and as GRESB’s Asia Ambassador.