With sustainability an increasingly hot topic, luxury brands are pursuing the trend with vigor, becoming more environmentally friendly so their customers can feel that their lifestyles and spending are supporting the good of the planet. We spoke to three thought leaders on sustainability in their industry. These thought leaders include Doris Goh, vice president, commercial, at COMO Hotels and Resorts; Markus Schuster, managing director of Audi Singapore; and Alexandra Stettler, vice president, sustainability-product specialist at Credit Suisse.One thing they all face is a growing demand from customers to commit to more environmentally responsible practices. Making Greener Travel ChoicesCOMO, a luxury boutique-hospitality group that has been practicing responsible tourism for over 30 years, has experienced a rise in demand from customers interested in responsible tourism, says Goh. “People feel that there are so many things about our planet that we cannot control, so people are buying into sustainability because they want to have this feeling that by being more sustainable, they can have the hope of better days,” she says. The company has kept its involvement in running a sustainable business relatively quiet, Goh says, because the owners felt that they didn’t want to commercialize their green efforts. But recently they have found it beneficial to be accredited, because companies have been coming to them to ask if they are.  One of COMO’s sustainable practices is within its Bali community, where COMO Shambhala Estate treats and shares safe drinking water with some 500 villagers daily.  Goh recognizes that some may be afraid COMO and other companies’ sustainability is little more than a gimmick. But how can guests know if sustainability is truly part of a brand’s DNA? Goh encourages guests to talk to people from the back office to the front office. For example, if you talk to people working at COMO, she says, you’ll find the brand practices sustainability from the ground up, including constructing sustainable buildings so they can conserve water and electricity. COMO focuses on the details too—making their own detergent as well as fertilizer (by fermenting fruit peel and water in sugar).  Going Electric in a Big WayThere’s been a growing consensus among both consumers and the car industry that drivers should switch to electric vehicles to reduce pollution and fight climate change. For the car industry, that means a major overhaul is under way. “The automotive industry is now undergoing the biggest transformation in the past 100 years since the invention of the car,” Schuster says. He notes that in the past century, cars have always had the same technology—employing the internal-combustion engine—and the switch to electric-vehicle technology is set to irrevocably change the type of cars we drive. Audi is committed to helping its customers switch to electric vehicles to make their driving experience an environmentally friendly one. The luxury-car brand is making its last market introduction of an internal-combustion engine car in 2025, and after that year, all the cars it brings to market will be electric. In addition, the German car manufacturer plans to phase out all internal-combustion-engine cars by 2033. Schuster himself drives an electric vehicle, the Audi e-tron, which he says he loves for its superior driving experience. He is passionate about persuading his affluent customers to switch to driving electric vehicles because of his experience driving one. The Audi e-tron, he says, can accelerate at the speed of an ultra–sports car. “When you have a combustion car, you tap on the gas, and it takes about a second to react. But when you tap on the gas for the electric vehicle, it’s like switching on a light, it’s instant. Also, there’s no vibration when you’re driving an electric vehicle. It’s super comfortable. You really feel like you’re driving a car from the future,” he says.  Helping High-Net-Worth Clients Make Sustainable Investing DecisionsFor Credit Suisse, sustainable investments have grown from a small part of clients’ portfolio to an integral part of how the bank operates as a global financial institution. “Credit Suisse has a longstanding commitment to sustainability and impact investing. We have a clear mission to lead our clients to a sustainable future,” says Shirley Law, market leader, Singapore, at Credit Suisse.“We strive to create investment products that seek to integrate environmental and/or social considerations while aiming to generate financial returns for our clients,” adds Stettler, who observed that when she started in the sustainable-investment field about six years ago, the options were limited. “Today, however, you’re able to build a portfolio that’s seeks to be sustainable and take account of ESG factors,” she says. Stettler notes that wealthy investors can build a sustainable portfolio through three approaches—exclusion, integration, or thematic. The exclusions approach means removal of the most environmentally harmful sectors from your portfolio. On the other hand, if you want to account for the way environmental (i.e. climate risks), social and governance risks will be affecting your portfolio, you can opt for the integration approach, which involves explicitly and systematically building in material ESG factors in investment analysis and decisions, with the view to better manage risks and improve returns. Finally, if you’re looking to invest in long-term trends such as electric vehicles or sustainable hospitality, you would look at the sustainable thematic space. ​​“It’s important to understand which approach you’re most keen about, and then ask us which products enable you to invest in that way today,” Stettler says.