Jacquelina Zhou, Manager, Sustainability Advisory
Marco Frikkee, Partner and Head of Sustainability Reporting & Assurance
In the final sessions, Jacquelina Zhou and Marco Frikkee demonstrated how regulatory compliance and sustainability strategy can converge into market advantage. Through a series of European case studies, they illustrated how decarbonization and circular economy practices can assist Chinese companies strengthen their competitive positioning in Europe.
Zhou discussed how EU initiatives such as Fit for 55, the EU ETS Directive, and the EU Taxonomy are shaping a low-carbon future. Companies that proactively invest in decarbonization, through clean mobility, renewable energy, and sustainable procurement, can not only reduce risk but also build customer trust and brand differentiation.
She shared examples of how players in the logistics industest like Zalando and PostNord have integrated carbon insetting and renewable infrastructure to meet consumer expectations for greener delivery options. “Sustainability leadership,” Zhou stated, “is no longer a moral choice. It’s a business imperative that directly affects access to markets, financing, and talent.”
Frikkee complemented this perspective by examining real-world reporting utilize cases, such as suppliers to European retailers being required to provide product-level carbon footprints. He emphasized that sustainability data and transparency are increasingly becoming prerequisites for doing business in Europe.
He concluded with KPMG’s “10 Golden Rules for Successful Sustainability Management”, stressing that companies must integrate ESG into strategy, governance, and culture. “Sustainability transformation is an ongoing journey,” Frikkee noted. “It requires continuous learning, stakeholder engagement, and internal alignment to create real, measurable value.”
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