THE 25 BEST PROJECTS OF STEWARD LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC
Steward leadership is the genuine desire and persistence to create a COLLECTIVE BETTER FUTURE for stakeholders, society, future generations, and the environment.
In business, this means pursuing a growth strategy that aims to create win-win-win prosperity wherein employees, shareholders and society at large thrive together.
The Steward Leadership 25 (SL25) list showcases projects from for-profit organisations that have demonstrated resolute actions to drive profitable growth by addressing the very challenges that threaten humanity.
Submissions for SL25 2024 have closed. The shortlist will be unveiled on 23 October 2024.
THE 25 PROJECTS OF 2023
These projects showcased resolute actions that went beyond profit-making to tackle the existential challenges our society faces today, such as climate change and social inequality.
+
Leveraging edtech for inclusion and digital literacy
Empowering communities through a cross-sector approach
Advanced Info Service Plc
Impact geography: Thailand
By Kantima Lerlertyuttitham, Group Chief Human Resources Officer
AIS is dedicated to driving economic growth by implementing an inclusive cross-sector integration model known as the “ecosystem economy.” As a prominent technology company in the Thai telecommunications industry, we have identified three main sustainable targets: driving digital economy, promoting digital inclusion, and acting on climate. The AIS Academy, with its mission to drive digital society, is an integral part of achieving these targets. The programme is designed to cater to the needs of all learners, from educational personnel to students and the public.
Reducing educational inequality through skills development
Our LearnDi Platform offers over 20,000 learning courses designed to reskill and upskill employees in line with technological and business trends. Upon completion of a course, users receive a digital badge as a credential from Credly. LearnDi provides access to digital learning resources and opportunities for career development:
1. Promoting digital literacy and cybersecurity.
The Aunjai Cyber Online Course initiative aims to build cyber immunity for Thai citizens by increasing digital literacy. As of 2022, more than 250,000 Thai citizens have registered for the course and about 50,000 have been certified. This course has provided learners with cybersecurity awareness, including fundamental and advanced professional skills in online security and communication, a concerted effort in line with the stewardship purpose of fostering a digitally aware and secure society.
2. Enhancing teaching proficiency.
The Educators Thailand project links AIS Academy with the Ministry of Education and leading educators to assist Thai educators in developing courses to enhance skills in designing teaching materials suitable for modern digital education. This programme is open to over 1,000 key personnel from both the public and private sectors. Given that educators are key in shaping the future workforce, this project aligns with our stewardship mission by investing in the development of educators who, in turn, guide and empower younger generations.
3. Empowering tutors and mitigating educational disparities.
The Tutors Thailand initiative is a collaboration between AIS and the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security to develop the skills of a new generation of tutors. The initiative empowers them to use digital platforms to design teaching and learning and producing online materials. It has also facilitated access to high-quality learning materials for students in remote areas. By bridging educational gaps and enhancing educational accessibility, we actively contribute to the stewardship objective of cultivating equitable educational opportunities and inclusivity.
4. Fostering innovation.
The Jump Bootcamp Thailand aims to encourage entrepreneurs to acquire the skills to develop innovations. In 2022, AIS, together with the Stanford Thailand Research Consortium, created a curriculum that allowed 252 participants from other organisations to share ideas and experiences with AIS staff. By facilitating the exchange of ideas and nurturing innovation, we are fostering an environment of continual improvement and adaptability to technological advancements, perfectly in sync with our stewardship mission of driving a digital society.
5. Preparing youth for professional proficiency.
Aunjai Asa Career Development, in partnership with the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security and online shopping platform Shopee, offers vocational courses to prepare youths for skilled professions and online product sales. By equipping them with the requisite skills for meaningful careers and supplementary income, we actively contribute to the stewardship goal of enhancing economic opportunities and improving the livelihoods of Thai youth.
These initiatives resonate with our unwavering commitment to nurturing a digital society and fortifying the well-being and development of the Thai community.
Fostering digital transformation in AIS and beyond
We have also modernised our traditional library with the ReadDi application, allowing employees to reserve physical books and download e-books. In addition, we have developed the ROBOT Assistant for Library that assists users in universities in northern Thailand. The robot provides information on library services, makes announcements, and navigates users to service areas. These innovations serve as a testament to AIS's distinction in the realms of education and library services, substantially augmenting accessibility and operational efficiency.
The innovative nature of our LearnDi platform, ReadDi application, and ROBOT Assistant for Library have significantly contributed to the success of the projects. These efforts have led to improved digital literacy rates, teaching proficiency, and innovation. In particular, our focus on innovation has resulted in a diverse course catalogue, remote learning access, and strategic collaborations with external partners to foster skill development and support entrepreneurship endeavours.
The indelible impact of AIS Academy on the sustainable evolution of the organisation's business operations is palpable in its concerted efforts to cultivate the skills and knowledge base of its workforce, instigate responsible cyber citizenship, and enhance the socio-economic fabric of millions of people. The sheer magnitude of this endeavour, encompassing a vast learner demographic and a diverse spectrum of educational programmes, is emblematic of our resolute commitment to propelling societal and environmental well-being through digital transformation.
Advanced Info Service Public Company Limited (AIS) is the 5G Digital Service Provider with the most spectra to provide service, totalling 1460MHz The company has 44.4 million subscribers as of September 2023. AIS powers Thailand with 5G technology through 4 core businesses: mobile phones, high-speed home broadband through AIS Fibre, Enterprise Services and Digital Services in 5 aspects of video, Cloud, digital payments, the Internet of Things (IoT) and services provided jointly with partners in new business sectors. In realizing the vision of becoming a Cognitive Tech-Co, AIS will leverage its potential to support a robust digital infrastructure for the country, boost the industrial sector’s competitive potential and upgrade quality of life for all Thais. Find us at www.ais.th
+
Restoring tropical forests and biodiversity
Restorasi Ekosistem Riau (RER), a nature-based solution resulting from private sector leadership, sustained investment and partnerships.
APRIL International Enterprise
Impact geography: Indonesia
By Lucita Jasmin, Director of Sustainability and External Affairs
When RER was established a decade ago, the term “nature-based solutions” was still emerging as a concept. Today, RER stands as a replicable example of exactly that. Spanning an area twice the size of Singapore, RER encompasses 150,693 hectares of tropical peat swamp forest on the Kampar Peninsula of Riau Province, Indonesia.
Funded and managed by APRIL Group and our partners and integrated alongside our production forestry operations, RER was established in 2013 following the issue of 60-year restoration licences by the government of Indonesia. The restoration licenses converted forestry concession areas that had been degraded over many years through canal construction and selective logging into one of Southeast Asia's largest tropical peat swamp conservation and restoration projects.
A production-protection approach
To contribute to the global imperatives of limiting global temperature increases to 1.5 C and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, we recognise that we need to take bold action. As a leading provider of fibre, pulp and paper, APRIL has developed an approach we call "production-protection," where our commercial plantations provide not only a protective ring or physical barrier but also financial, technical and operational resources for conservation and restoration forest areas such as RER. This is part of our wider stewardship efforts under our APRIL2030 commitments to have more positive impacts on climate, nature and people.
Under our production-protection model, we will conserve one hectare of forest for every hectare of plantation forest, and we are currently 80% of the way towards our target. In other words, we are committed to ensuring that nature gets half of the landscape where we operate.
APRIL’s production-protection activity generates financial and technical resources to advance our restoration efforts, where USD1 for every ton of fibre produced from our commercial plantations goes to funding conservation and restoration. Since 2020, that has resulted in USD47 million in investment, which has been used for a number of conservation initiatives including RER.
Delivering positive impact for nature, climate and people
RER’s significance is reflected in the diverse fauna and flora it supports. Our most recent survey data gathered by field teams revealed that the RER is home to 846 plant and animal species. This tally includes 78 mammal species, including five of Sumatra’s six cat species, among them the critically endangered Sumatran Tiger and the endangered Flat-headed Cat. The species count also includes 317 bird species, 106 species of herpetofauna, and 198 species of plants.
In 2020, the RER ecology team published a peer-reviewed article in the conservation journal Oryx on the presence of the Flat-headed Cat (Prionailurus planiceps) on the Kampar Peninsula, the first record of its kind. In the same year, RER was selected as the release site for a rehabilitated female tiger named Corina. Through field cameras, last year, the RER team obtained the first visual sighting of Corina since release, who was looking healthy and active.
RER implements a range of forest and hydrology restoration efforts to bring the ecosystem back to its natural balance. Annually, RER restores around 8,800 hectares of forests. The team has closed more than 230 km of old drainage canals to date, positively impacting around 15,000 hectares of forest. RER also demonstrates how forest restoration can result in massive carbon emissions avoidance, which has been scientifically measured and verified.
Over the past decade, RER has provided a vital platform for advancing science in tropical peat swamp landscapes. We established an eco-research camp in 2021, which serves as a tropical peatland science hub facility for local and international researchers. The eco-camp has hosted several research teams, such as research teams from the National University of Singapore, University of British Columbia and University of Kent, and scientists from across Indonesia.
Since its inception, RER has demonstrated that ecosystem restoration, sustainable forestry, and community engagement can operate in a balanced integration to effectively contribute to Indonesia’s climate goals. This shows what can be achieved through a combination of committed leadership, sustained investment, partnership and collaboration at the government, scientific and community levels.
While RER will continue to be restored and strengthened at its own delicate pace, it is our hope that the success of RER will provide a model that will encourage others to invest in nature-based solutions to achieve national and global goals for climate, nature and people.
APRIL Group is a leading producer of bio-based fibre products, with forestry plantations and manufacturing operations in Sumatra, Indonesia. We are determined to ensure the next decade is one of action and further transformation for our company as we play our part in making a positive impact on climate, nature and people through our APRIL2030 commitments and targets. For more information, please visit www.aprilasia.com and follow our Instagram @discoverAPRIL.
+
Fostering equity and resilience for marginalised communities
Creating opportunities through education and training, advocacy, and eco-conscious practices
Bettr Barista Pte Ltd
Impact geography: Singapore
By Jia Wen Kew, Special Projects Manager
Bettr is Southeast Asia's first certified B Corporation and one of the largest impact-driven coffee companies in Singapore. We have one simple goal: Bettr-ing our world. Whether it’s brewing at Bettr Coffee or training in Bettr Academy, we’re creating social impact with every cup and in every class. Our world can’t be 100% perfect, but our everyday eco-conscious practices and support for marginalised communities will make it 100% Bettr. We have two brands, comprising Bettr Academy and Bettr Coffee.
Bettr Academy is a registered training provider of SkillsFuture Singapore and a Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) Premier Campus for coffee professionals and newcomers alike. We are your training partner, whether you are looking to develop a deeper understanding of coffee or explore the world of specialty beverages like specialty tea and cocktails.
Our retail and experiences brand, Bettr Coffee provides sustainably sourced specialty coffee products for retail, wholesale and large-scale events services. We also operate coffee bars at in-workplace outlets, using our presence to positively impact the community.
Impact across the value chain
At Bettr, we aim to create an ecosystem that encourages all stakeholders to be better versions of themselves and champion a new breed of businesses that prioritises doing good in real places and having a real impact.
By creating equitable access to quality and holistic education for the public and marginalised communities through our social programmes, we empower these groups by improving their employability and work skills and upscaling emotional resiliency. Furthermore, we work with values-aligned food and beverage (F&B) businesses as employment partners, helping them fulfil their operational needs while creating impact for marginalised communities with employment opportunities.
Working with these values-aligned organisations, we are able to build retail coffee outlets that serve as both training grounds for new social programme students and aspirational job destinations for well-performing graduates for higher supervisory roles.
On top of that, we also make sure that our sourcing and production processes are sustainable and responsible, allowing both wholesale and retail customers to learn about sustainable production and adopt conscious consumption habits in their daily lives. As a return, this amplifies the overall impact and improvement of the livelihoods of coffee farmers.
Access to quality education
For over a decade, we have established ourselves as the leading provider of coffee education in the region, with the mission to foster the growth and development of aspiring coffee and beverage professionals. We continue to strive to create equity and access to quality education not only through our selection of professional courses but also through our social programmes.
Amongst the marginalised communities we work with, we have trained 111 inmates in Singapore Prison since 2018 (as of March 2023) and are on track to train an additional 305 inmates by mid-2024.
Furthermore, we’ve worked with six unique schools to train over 102 at-risk students, over 10 runs of our youth programme since 2019. Collectively, we have over 220 (as of March 2023) beneficiaries enrolled on our social programmes from over 100 community partners (such as the Ministry for Social and Family Development, Family Service Centres, and non-profit organisations) and work with over 40 F&B employment partners (such as Starbucks, Timbre Group and PS.Cafe) to provide internship and employment opportunities.
Working with many values-aligned organisations, we move beyond a transactional relationship and create long-lasting partnerships that prove to be mutually beneficial. We have provided over 1,200 corporate clients an avenue to contribute to real impact while meeting their internal requirements by engaging our services or buying our products.
Improving industry quality and adoption of Progressive Wage Model (PWM)
As one of SkillsFuture Singapore's Programme Partners in the Food Services framework, we champion quality education and equal opportunities. Our platform specialises in coffee and beverage education, promoting equity for learners.
We have trained more than 7,000 students from over 30 countries, with over 2,800 training places enjoying SkillsFuture Singapore's training support in the past four years, demonstrating our commitment to empowering learners. We've trained over 320 staff from 148 F&B/Hospitality companies since 2019, advocating lifelong learning and Progressive Wage Model (PWM).
Improving long-term employability, increasing emotional capacity and resilience
In Singapore, an estimated 164,000 individuals earn under SGD1,500 monthly, many who are unemployed. Our social programme empowers this group, improving employability and financial independence for graduates. 80% have secured jobs post-graduation, a significant shift considering 69% were previously unemployed. Our programmes also nurture emotional literacy and self-agency, with 70% of students expressing heightened awareness and articulation of emotions, while 90% feel empowered to lead purposeful lives and make impactful changes. Through emotional intelligence training, we empower individuals to navigate future challenges.
Creating a diverse workforce
We enable values-aligned F&B companies who are committed to creating a diverse workforce to join as employment partners in our social programme. Bridging the gap between marginalised communities and employers, we allow employers to work better with underemployed individuals and give opportunities to marginalised communities.
Contributing to economic and community development
The coffee value chain grapples with severe inequality. In 8 out of 10 coffee-exporting countries (about 89% of total coffee exports), coffee farmers live below the poverty line. This situation jeopardises the future of the coffee industry.
Our procurement framework attempts to address this issue by ensuring fair prices paid to coffee farmers. Through maintaining long-term supplier relationships, we offer consistent business to producers, providing the stability needed for reinvestment in their farms and communities.
Tailoring solutions for Southeast Asian countries
Looking ahead, we are committed to expanding our focus on holistic education, moving upstream to offer more preventative solutions. We are also scaling our business to provide more inclusive job opportunities for marginalised communities in Singapore. We aim to extend our reach across Southeast Asia, particularly in key coffee-producing nations, by tailoring our approach to each country's context and collaborating with local partners within the next five years.
Bettr is one of the largest impact-driven coffee companies in Singapore, and the first B-Corporation in Southeast Asia. Bettr Academy is a professionally certified coffee and beverage academy, that empowers marginalised groups and nurtures aspiring professionals through a holistic approach to education. Bettr Coffee operates coffee bars and a roastery in Singapore. Committed to sustainability, they forge direct relationships with coffee partners, aiming to provide equitable access to opportunities and resources through their coffee value chain.
+
Improving rural health with cookstoves that cut emissions
Transforming the lives of rural women and children through carbon financing, one cookstove at a time.
C-Quest Capital LLC
Impact geography: Cambodia
By Daelus Lu, Director of Business Development and Government Affairs
It is dinner time in Svay Leu district, a rural community around two hours away by car from Krong Siem Reap in northwestern Cambodia. Sophy throws a couple of large logs together, ignites them, and sets a pot atop the large orange flames billowing thick smoke. Almost immediately, her 2-year-old daughter starts coughing while her eyes start to itch.
This evening before bed, she will find herself coughing out black phlegm due to the inhalation of soot. She gives no further thought to this as it is a common symptom among her friends in the village.
Sophy’s story is not unusual among the rural women and children in Cambodia cooking using open fire. Due to the partial combustion of wood, the fire produces smoke with approximately 400 micrograms per cubic metre of toxic PM2.5 particles. At 20 times the World Health Organisation’s air pollution standards, this smoke is extremely detrimental to health. Every year, around 2.4 million people globally die from inhaling this black smoke.
Using less wood and cutting pollutants
C-Quest Capital (CQC), a social impact company, has made it our mission to improve women's and children's lives by distributing improved clean cookstoves (ICS) at zero cost to its users. ICS produces very little smoke and uses less wood to achieve greater cooking efficiency, so it helps our beneficiaries lead healthier and more economically productive lives.
CQC distributes its cookstoves for free to those who cannot afford this simple yet life-changing household device. The reduced use of wood enables our project to generate carbon credits. These credits are then sold to organisations, companies and governments that want to offset their emissions and demonstrate their commitment to environmental stewardship while supporting sustainable development and community empowerment.
This process, also known as carbon financing, allows us to fund our operations and expansions, propagate the social good we create, and provide returns to our investors financing these activities.
Our project in Cambodia aims to distribute at least 200,000 ICS to needy households. So far, more than 100,000 ICS have been delivered to more than 50,000 households. The project also meets eight United Nations Social Development Goals (SDGs), namely SDGs 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 13 and 15.
Improving quality of life and health
Social sustainability: As less wood is required to prepare a meal, women and children spend considerably less time collecting wood fuel for cooking. This reduces drudgery and presents alternative opportunities for improving their economic prosperity. Also, the amount of pollutants from burning biomass indoors is reduced. Less carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and particulates are emitted because of more complete combustion through our cookstoves. This helps improve the health of all family members, especially women and children who spend most of their time at home. Lastly, using cookstoves is a safer cooking method than open fire. This helps reduce the risk of burn injuries, especially for children at home.
Economic sustainability: The implementation of our project creates local employment in operational and management roles. CQC manufactures the cookstoves locally, and so far, we have employed 55 artisans in rural Cambodia to make these clay cookstoves. A part of CQC’s earnings is also channelled through an independent fund CQC has established. The For Women Foundation (FWF) funds initiatives such as education, water boreholes and health clinics. These projects enhance our overall economic, social and health goals by reinvesting contributions from CQC’s buyers and investors.
Environmental sustainability: Since 2018, our cookstove project also helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly over its lifetime. The project helps cut the use of non-renewable biomass from forests, thus assisting in conserving existing forest stock and protecting natural forest ecosystems and wildlife habitats.
Time-savings enabling better economic outcomes
Our cookstoves have enabled women and children to enjoy better health and gain time savings. The reduced time spent on cooking and collecting firewood has allowed the communities to increase farming outputs, leading to greater economic prosperity. Meanwhile, CQC is exploring other ways of helping the communities supplement their farming income and monetise more of their spare time. Some initiatives under development in CQC’s pipeline include agroforestry and other nature-based solutions.
C-Quest Capital (CQC) is a world-leading carbon project developer whose purpose is to transform the lives of low-income rural families in developing countries whose health, well-being, and economic welfare are most at risk from climate change. CQC does this by providing access to clean energy technologies and sustainable land-use solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, combat global climate change, empower women, and improve the health of those in need.
+
Enabling carbon reduction by cultivating algae
Harnessing algae's potential to treat wastewater and produce clean energy.
Chyau Bio Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
Impact geography: Nepal
By Gunjan Ghimire, Founder and CEO
At Chyau Bio Technologies Pvt. Ltd., we are committed to leveraging innovative biotechnology to address the pressing challenges of our time. Our Algae Reactor Project exemplifies our dedication to mitigate the impacts of climate change and contribute to a more sustainable future for all. By using an algae reactor to sequester carbon from the air and water, we are able to support a reduction in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
A solution for resource-constrained Nepal
Our journey with the Algae Reactor Project began with a fundamental question: How can we use biotechnology to mitigate climate change and support sustainable living while addressing the resource constraints faced by our community in Nepal? This question became our guiding star, leading us towards a steward leadership approach to business and governance.
In the heart of the Bagmati Province in Lalitpur, we embarked on this project with the intent to promote sustainable and environmentally responsible practices by providing innovative solutions for carbon sequestration and clean energy generation. By harnessing the remarkable potential of algae, we aimed to pioneer an eco-friendly solution that could address the dual challenges of environmental degradation and sustainable resource management.
Enabling water contaminant removal and biomass output
The Algae Reactor Project has yielded several key outcomes and innovative features:
- Carbon sequestration: The project utilises advanced photobioreactor technology to grow algae, which absorbs carbon dioxide from air and water pollution sources. Our algae reactor system therefore produces valuable biomass while sequesterings substantial amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to actively contribute to combatting climate change.
- Wastewater treatment: In the pursuit of sustainable living, we designed our system to treat wastewater effectively. By using algae to remove contaminants, we not only clean water but also produce oxygen, a vital resource for both human and environmental well-being.
- Resource efficiency: Algae's rapid growth and ability to thrive in various environments make it an efficient resource for biomass production. This ensures that our project remains sustainable and economically viable. The biomass produced by the algae can be used as a sustainable source of clean energy, providing an alternative to fossil fuels and contributing to a more sustainable energy future.
Investing in education and research to build scale
Our journey with the Algae Reactor Project is far from over. Looking ahead, we are dedicated to scaling up this initiative to impact a more significant portion of our community and, eventually, regions beyond. Our plans include:
- Community outreach: We aim to engage with local communities to promote awareness and educate individuals about the benefits of sustainable living and our algae reactor technology. Indeed, we have already engaged with local communities in Lalitpur Municipality, promoting awareness of environmental issues and involving community members in the project.
- Research and development: Chyau Bio is committed to continuous improvement. We will invest in further research and development to enhance the efficiency and versatility of our algae reactor systems.
- Collaboration: We intend to collaborate with like-minded organisations, both nationally and internationally, to address climate change and sustainability on a global scale.
Our journey has not been without its challenges. As a company rooted in Nepal, we faced scepticism and resistance to change, particularly in adopting innovative biotechnology solutions. However, our team's dedication and unwavering belief in the project's potential enabled us to overcome these hurdles and significantly impact our local community.
As I reflect on our progress, I am reminded of the words of the great Mahatma Gandhi: "You must be the change you want to see in the world." At Chyau Bio, we are not merely bystanders in the face of climate change; we are active agents of change. Our journey from a small startup in Nepal to a global advocate for sustainable living reflects our unwavering commitment to stewardship values.
Our experiences have only reinforced our belief in the critical importance of fostering justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. In Nepal, we have seen firsthand how environmental challenges disproportionately affect marginalised communities. This awareness has motivated us to ensure that our projects benefit all members of society, regardless of their background or circumstances.
Looking forward, our vision extends beyond these individual projects. We aspire to make Nepal a hub for the scientific intersection of space, climate and habitat. By bringing together experts, innovators and thought leaders in these fields, we hope to contribute to global solutions that address humanity's most pressing challenges.
In conclusion, the Algae Reactor Project by Chyau Bio Technologies Pvt. Ltd. stands as a testament to our commitment to drive long-term positive impact by propelling sustainable development and achieving carbon neutrality. Our journey exemplifies how businesses can thrive by doing good, and we are excited to continue pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the pursuit of a collective better future.
Chyau Bio Technologies Pvt. Ltd aims to promote sustainable and environmentally responsible practices by providing innovative solutions for carbon sequestration and clean energy generation. Our purpose is to mitigate the impacts of climate change and contribute to a more sustainable future for all.
+
Upskilling communities to bridge the digital divide
Nurturing an inclusive and future-ready community through targeted support measures
DBS Bank
Impact geography: Singapore
By Karen Ngui, Head of Group Strategic Marketing & Communications, DBS Bank, and DBS Foundation Board Member
Mobilising capital for communities and businesses
An uneven post-pandemic economic recovery and stubbornly high inflation have exacerbated the plight of the financially vulnerable, with some segments of society facing acute challenges in making ends meet. In these difficult times, we believe it is incumbent upon us as Singapore’s largest bank and a leading bank in Asia to demonstrate our purpose and relevance to the communities we are a part of. Our licence to operate comes from civil society and we believe it is essential to address the needs of multiple stakeholders, for generations today and tomorrow.
At DBS, we have embedded environmental and social considerations into the fabric of our business. As proof of our commitment to create impact beyond banking, we champion businesses with a triple bottom line and support community causes such as those that drive positive environmental and social impact. Much of this is undertaken through DBS Foundation’s Business for Impact chapter, which catalyses the growth of innovative and purpose-driven businesses, including SMEs, and its new Community Impact chapter which equips the underserved with digital and financial literacy skills to face the future with confidence, enabling communities to be more food secure and resilient.
Being purpose-driven has always been part of DBS’ DNA. Our dedication to making a difference runs deep within the organisation. In August 2023, we announced our pledge of up to SGD 1 billion over the next 10 years to step up support for vulnerable communities and catalyse social impact across the region. From 2024, DBS will allocate up to SGD 100 million annually in Singapore and key markets The funds will primarily support programmes addressing immediate needs like food and housing, promoting education to break the poverty cycle, enhancing digital and financial literacy, and strengthening emotional resilience. Additionally, we constantly strive to inculcate a spirit of volunteerism in our employees and our commitment is instituted by having two official volunteer-leave days per employee.
Fostering partnerships for digital skills development
While Singapore seeks to build a digitally inclusive society, a skill and literacy gap still exists among different age and income groups, as well as persons with disabilities (PWD). In line with DBS’ ongoing efforts to enhance access to digital literacy training and bolster digital inclusion efforts in Singapore, the bank formed strategic collaborations with partners to ensure no one is left behind.
DBS takes a multi-pronged approach to mobilising different stakeholders, including engaging like-minded partners in campaigns and supporting the projects of others. We lead different partners in developing digital content and curriculum, refining delivery to target segments and ensuring learning environments are conducive for those with specific needs. Many of the digital workshops are manpower-intensive, especially so when imparting skills to seniors and PWD who require more personalised engagement. Through our employee volunteering movement (DBS People of Purpose), DBS galvanises employees to volunteer, and contribute time and resources. Volunteers are also equipped with skills and knowledge to build confidence and in turn, train others. In 2022, we reached more than 10,000 beneficiaries through workshops on digital and financial literacy which were supported by DBS volunteers.
Building on our initiatives to improve digital literacy, we partnered with Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), which drives Singapore’s digital transformation, on the national Digital for Life movement, which aims to scale digital workshops and collectively reach some 100,000 Singaporeans and residents by 2024. Beneficiaries include seniors, hawkers, children and PWD. Through the partnership, we contributed SGD 500,000 to the Digital for Life fund which totalled SGD 1 million, inclusive of the Singapore government’s dollar-for-dollar matching, to support projects by non-profit organisations that help drive digital inclusion.
To subsidise hawker meals and ameliorate the effects of inflation, we launched the DBS 5 million hawker meals programme. This was supplemented with digital workshops to teach seniors about cashless payments so that they can enjoy the subsidy and become more digitally literate. In less than three months, more than one million meal subsidies were redeemed and the number of senior citizens who used PayLah! at hawker stalls quadrupled. 12% of overall redemptions were senior citizens while 24% earned less than SGD2,500 a month.
Enhancing support to at-risk communities
We believe it is especially critical that we support those who may find themselves displaced by new forces of technological and economic disruptions. To create long-term impact, it is imperative that we do so in an intentional and thoughtful manner.
Building on our existing endeavours, DBS will continue to introduce new programmes across communities in our markets to drive financial and digital literacy. As mental wellness difficulties become increasingly prevalent, we will expand our work with a focus on at-risk segments that may require more support. This underscores the bank’s unwavering commitment to fostering lasting and positive change within our communities.
DBS is a leading financial services group in Asia with a presence in 19 markets. Headquartered and listed in Singapore, DBS is in the three key Asian axes of growth: Greater China, Southeast Asia and South Asia. The bank's "AA-" and "Aa1" credit ratings are among the highest in the world. Recognised for its global leadership, DBS has been named “World’s Best Bank” by Global Finance, “World’s Best Bank” by Euromoney and “Global Bank of the Year” by The Banker.
+
Converting construction waste to build homes
An Indigenous-owned family business in Western Sydney championing circularity.
Eather Group Pty Ltd
Impact geography: Australia
By Divinia Eather, Marketing Manager
Construction is not the first industry that comes to mind in the sustainability conversation. But from humble beginnings in Western Sydney, our Indigenous family transport and earthmoving company, Eather Group, is giving a clear glimpse into a new best practice, innovating sustainable solutions to traditional construction issues and leading the construction industry, state and nationwide, to a circular economy.
We are the passion project and legacy of a family that cares deeply about “Working with Impact.” Since our establishment in 2010, we have used each project as an opportunity to create something meaningful and leave a lasting positive legacy beyond our organisation. So, our stewardship is guided by three pillars: Caring for Country, Caring for Community, and Caring for Culture.
Specialising in reuse opportunities for excavated material
Eather Group has become widely recognisable for our award-winning "waste to resource" initiatives, assessing the "waste" natural resources – clays, shales and sandstones – produced during the excavation stages of major construction projects and diverting them from a fate in landfill to be instead reused back in the industry. Most notably, we specialise in selective excavation, sourcing materials that can be used in manufacturing bricks.
With over three decades around what many of us would call rocks and dirt, our Managing Director Peter Eather has developed a unique understanding of the landscape of the Greater Sydney region, what materials are found where, what they can be used for, and how in demand they are.
This formed the basis of what we consider to be our magnum opus project, The Indigenous Circular Economy in Action Pilot. In 2020, we approached the demolition and earthworks team for high-rise development in North Sydney right over a rare and valuable pocket of white-burning shale – highly sought after for use in bricks.
Saving cost by processing shale for reuse
After a series of educational pitches and workshops with the team’s decision-makers, Eather Group was engaged to excavate, transport and process 200,000 tonnes of this precious resource. Every tonne could be reused in bricks, and this single project’s “waste” will produce enough bricks to build approximately 14,600 homes over the next decade.
From the client's perspective, cutting out excessive tip fees meant our sustainable solution saved the project up to AUD1,000,000 (USD635,000).
Additionally, we invited representatives from the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council to the site to meet with the head contractors and project decision-makers, connecting all parties and opening a discussion around the area’s history and significance, ultimately involving Traditional Custodians in the future of their Country.
Closing this circle, the site's developers have bought back a number of these bricks to use across the site.
Making the most of reusable materials
Over 13 years, we have diverted more than 4,000,000 tonnes of waste material, theoretically making enough bricks to build approximately 250,000 houses. This initiative has also prevented the unnecessary quarrying and transport of millions of tonnes elsewhere to compensate.
Our genuine commitment to on-the-ground outcomes has fascinated and inspired people across industries. The initiative caught the attention of the New South Wales Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), who awarded us a Civil Construction Market Program Grant through the Waste Less Recycle More initiative funded by waste levies to support further replication and advocacy of our solutions within the industry. With the EPA’s support, we are currently working with brick manufacturers to develop Indigenous-designed bricks, which will recognise the different traditional Countries, cultures and histories that come together to form one brick and, ultimately, a person’s home. This grant is the first of its kind allocated for excavated natural materials in New South Wales.
Since our pilot project, our company has nearly doubled in size and capacity. Projects across Sydney are approaching us for innovative ways to manage their waste materials and having taken on the role of sourcing approximately 3 million tonnes of material for a development site, we can now offer reuse opportunities for brickmaking and non-brickmaking resources. Under our supervision, 100% of the imported material has been repurposed as clean waste from major Sydney projects.
Diversifying workforce to promote gender and race inclusion
Our focus continues to be using our success to provide opportunities for others, and we are using the current projects to create entry pathways into the construction and trucking industry, attracting and maintaining a diverse workforce in a traditionally male-dominated industry. As of October 2023, 26% of our team are women across operational, executive and admin roles. The same can be said of the 31% who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. 92% are local to Western Sydney, and 31% are new to the industry or training in new roles.
The Indigenous Circular Economy in Action Pilot and our pursuits as a whole act as an example of how the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be implemented in the construction industry. In the end, we are a family business that knows who we are, and we have built an organisation designed to care and give back.
Eather Group is an Indigenous family business from New South Wales, Australia, that is leading the construction industry to a Circular Economy. In just 13 years they have become known for their commitment to diversity, for their focus on giving back to their community, and for innovating sustainable solutions to traditional construction issues.
+
Propagating native tree species through geothermal energy
Building a decarbonised and regenerative future through forest restoration.
Energy Development Corporation
Impact geography: Philippines
By Atty. Allan V. Barcena, Assistant Vice President – Head of Corporate Relations and Communications
Long before today’s global pivot to sustainability, we at Energy Development Corporation (EDC) have been at the forefront of climate action in the Philippines by pioneering geothermal energy production across the archipelago since 1976. At present, we are the largest vertically integrated geothermal energy producer in the world and the Philippines’ largest all-renewable energy company.
Regeneration through reforestation
At the heart of these achievements is an unalienable commitment to protect and propagate trees and forest cover for the role that they play in geothermal energy production. Water beneath the ground is naturally heated by the Earth’s core and produces steam, which is then harnessed and transformed into electricity. Thus, the abundance of moisture in the earth is critical in sustaining geothermal reservoirs for energy production, and trees are the single most vital factor in ensuring this. Trees are also the first line of response in decarbonising the atmosphere.
BINHI (the Filipino word for “seed”) and its greening legacy hold pride of place as EDC’s flagship corporate social responsibility programme. It is a reforestation and watershed management programme and EDC’s most important regenerative strategy contributing to the continued viability of our geothermal business. With BINHI’s particular focus on identifying and propagating endangered and threatened endemic species, the trees planted under the programme enjoy a high success rate of survival as they are distributed and planted across the Philippine archipelago.
EDC’s major areas of geothermal operation – in the provinces of Bicol in Luzon; Leyte and Negros Oriental in the Visayas; and North Cotabato in Mindanao – serve as the primary sites of BINHI reforestation. The programme thus enjoys extensive and complete coverage being contingent on EDC’s geothermal sites and being present in all three major island groups of the Philippines. As of 2021, BINHI has planted a total of six million trees across a total of 10,140 hectares of reforested areas and 100 tree parks and arboreta.
More than attaining sustainability, which is largely defined as keeping the environment the same way one had found it, regeneration is the next-level challenge for us today. It entails developing and nurturing more resources for the benefit of future generations. BINHI and its legacy are a prime example of this by ensuring energy security for generations to come through geothermal means.
Emphasising a multi-sectoral approach
BINHI is the most important and effective articulation of our mission – “to forge collaborative pathways for a decarbonised and regenerative future.” All throughout the BINHI process – from identification and assessment of endemic tree species especially those under threat of extinction, gathering and propagation of samples, distribution of seedlings for planting to continuous monitoring and protection of the trees, constant biodiversity monitoring activities, and bridging forest gaps in our areas of operation – strategic partnerships play a critical role. This multi-sectoral approach has established BINHI as a far-reaching and institutionalised CSR endeavour and the largest private sector-led forest restoration initiative in the Philippines.
We work primarily with citizen groups in our communities of operation, along with non-profit and socio-civic organisations, local government units and relevant government agencies, as well as like-minded enterprises in the private sector. Through this process, BINHI also serves as a stakeholder engagement platform and has enabled vital behavioural change. For example, BINHI has identified farmers practising environmentally harmful slash-and-burn methods in the Negros Islands and has guided them towards regenerative agriculture. In this vein, these farmers gained a lucrative source of livelihood in the form of coffee farming and sales. They were transformed from being adversaries of the environment to being its stewards.
On the global scale, we have been the sole Philippine partner in the Global Tree Assessment (GTA) programme of Europe-based Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), the world’s largest plant conservation network and the secretariat of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Attaining energy security for Filipinos
For 15 years now, BINHI has remarkably and consistently helped us attain our mission to secure a cleaner and regenerative future of energy for Filipinos. We engage with over 200 partner institutions and organisations and 88 forest communities that are home to more than 500 species of fauna.
Most importantly, to date, EDC is the only Philippine company that successfully absorbs more carbon than it emits thanks to efforts such as BINHI. In 2021, the BINHI forests in EDC’s geothermal operations absorbed over 1.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e). This is on top of close to 7 million tCO2e avoided by our overall renewable energy operations – geothermal plus hydro, wind and solar – that produced a total of a little over 9,000 gigawatt hours of clean power in lieu of coal or fossil fuels.
Needless to say, BINHI will endure as our organisation’s lasting contribution to our country’s climate action goals. It is also our response to the call of steward leadership where businesses are increasingly called upon to utilise our natural resources in the most conscientious and impactful manner possible. It is our hope that BINHI spreads its roots and establishes a stronger foundation of a secure energy future not just for the Philippines but for the region and the world.
Energy Development Corporation (EDC) is the 100-percent renewable energy subsidiary of Lopez-owned First Gen Corporation. It has over 1,480MW total installed capacity and accounts for 20 percent of the Philippines’ total installed RE capacity. Its 1,188MW geothermal portfolio also accounts for 62 percent of the country’s total installed geothermal capacity, making the Philippines the third largest geothermal producer in the world.
+
Driving employment for youths with special educational needs
Tailored assistance, coaching and app-based support to ensure no man is left behind.
Impact geography: Singapore
Anders Tan, Co-Founder
Growing up hasn’t always been easy for me.
My siblings and I have had to make ends meet as early as the age of 13, an uncommon scenario for most Singaporean children. My parents were preoccupied with their jobs and the mess of my home life prompted me and my siblings to make choices that had not been the best for us in our schooling years. It was then that my cousin chose to make time for me and my siblings, which changed the trajectory of my life.
Having benefitted from her kindness, I too, wanted to work in a space where I could have the same kind of impact on someone else. I’ve since had the privilege of meeting other like-minded individuals who had their lives impacted in similar ways: Shaun Tan, a firm believer in providing opportunities and the right environment for individuals to unlock their potential, and Arudra Vangal, who grew up facing myriad social challenges due to his high-functioning autism.
Together, the three of us looked for a gap we could fill and stress-tested various business models that could empower us to move forward sustainably. Eventually, we would also go on to build Inclus – a place where we could make space for everyone, not just in the workforce but also society at large.
Advocating inclusive hiring practices
The positive effects of inclusive hiring practices for businesses have long been known. They greatly increase a company’s talent pool and result in a diverse team with new perspectives and ideas that can help businesses in problem-solving and creating solutions in novel and creative ways. On a more personal front, individuals who may have previously been left out of the employment market gain a sense of agency and contribute meaningfully to society.
In other words, everyone wins when everyone is included.
Our key programme, which looks to secure internships and open employment opportunities for students and graduates from Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) with Special Educational Needs (SEN), has been invaluable in helping us achieve this.
Through our programme, various pipelines are established with multiple stakeholders within their ecosystem. This, coupled with ongoing support by professionals at Inclus, means that previously siloed services can now better communicate and support their integration into the workforce. This also provides SEN students with the opportunity to engage with open-market employers earlier in their development, greatly increasing their odds of employment.
These processes and accompanying personalised systems and solutions not only address ongoing challenges employers face but also greatly mitigate the “falling-off-the-cliff” effect for students who will eventually have to transition from school to work. Seeing the positive impact of our programme, we have allocated substantial resources, including personnel, expertise, and financial support, to continuously develop these processes to ensure that they are robust and sustainable. Our goal is to always foster both economic and individual development, leading to improved well-being for students as well as the workforce.
This is done through our innovative and cutting-edge approach. Unlike other programmes in this space, Inclus clearly separates the recruitment team from Life Skill Coaches (LSCs). We have dedicated teams for employer engagement and contractual agreements, resulting in minimal overlap and confusion.
Leveraging technology to enhance support
Another standout feature is the use of a mobile app for LSCs to engage with candidates. This technology facilitates seamless communication and support, especially in urgent situations or when job assistance is required. The app not only streamlines processes but also prioritises the well-being of candidates, leading to positive feedback from both candidates and LSCs.
The mobile app reflects our commitment to leveraging technology for candidates' well-being. Real-time support and timely assistance are provided through this innovative solution, enabling candidates to access resources and guidance when needed. The combination of technology and personalised support creates a unique and impactful experience, facilitating candidates' successful transition into the workforce.
In the short term, this project aims to identify and support students with disabilities in transitioning to the workforce by expanding outreach efforts to special education schools. This expansion will provide tailored assistance to a broader range of students with disabilities facing similar challenges.
Ensuring equal opportunities across borders
Looking ahead, our long-term vision is to extend the project's impact internationally. By replicating and adapting this successful model in countries like Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, Inclus seeks to ensure equal opportunities for individuals with disabilities across borders.
To drive long-term positive impact, this project prioritises sustainability by continuously evaluating and refining processes for effectiveness and scalability. Strategic partnerships with government agencies, educational institutions, employers and disability support organisations contribute to a more impactful ecosystem of support.
Our future plans involve collaborating with special needs schools locally and internationally. This will enable students to get comprehensive support from the beginning of their educational journeys, empowering them to overcome barriers and achieve their fullest potential. Pilot projects established internationally will assess the model's feasibility and impact in diverse contexts, laying the foundation for potential expansion.
Inclus is a social business that empowers people with disabilities (PWDs) through gainful employment and independent living. Inclus partners with the public and private sectors to identify sustainable employment opportunities and provides leverage through technology-empowered solutions and services. In particular, Inclus works with employers to enable them to have long-term sustainability and independence in hiring and engaging PWDs. Depending on the needs of an employer, Inclus works with them on multiple levels such as helping them systematize their culture and processes towards inclusive employment for PWDs, school internships, and recruitment for full-time employment or contract work.
+
Tackling malnourishment and food waste through whole foods
Encouraging individuals to consume whole vegetables for a healthier people and planet.
By Tomoaki Hasumi, CEO
Through our “Whole Nutrition Project," we educate people and raise awareness about the importance of eating vegetables with their skins on. Our goal is to help spread the message of eating vegetables with their skin on throughout Japan, and thereafter to the world, ultimately increasing people's sense of well-being.
Improving malnourishment and reducing food waste
By achieving this, we would solve two important issues around food and nutrition in Japan. Firstly, undernourishment is a significant issue amongst Japanese children. While there is little food shortage, about 80% of children suffer from a new type of nutritional deficiency. They are chronically deficient in vitamins, minerals, fibre and protein necessary for healthy growth, with an over-abundance of sugar, fat and carbohydrates.
Food loss and wastage are also a major source of concern in Japan, which produces approximately 5.27 million tonnes of food waste annually. More than half of this is generated by households. The main cause of such food waste is direct disposal (upon expiration of best-before dates), followed by leftovers (food left to rot and/or thrown away), and over-removal of edible parts of fruits and vegetables (peels, roots, leaves, etc.). Over-removal of vegetables and fruits consumes a lot of energy when disposed of via incineration, as they contain a lot of water. This disposal process then results in an increase in carbon dioxide emissions.
We have therefore focused on the importance of eating the peels, roots, seeds and pith of fruits and vegetables, which are usually discarded. Vegetable peels are richer in antioxidants and other immune-balancing nutrients than that of fruits. By fostering the habit of eating vegetable skins and peels, we make significant progress towards solving the issues of undernourishment of children and food wastage.
Transforming culture through education
To achieve the goal of people eating vegetables and fruits with their skins on, the "Whole Nutrition Project" has been working closely with schools. Since 2021, we have introduced school lunches with whole vegetable skins by providing nutritionists with information on washing and cooking methods, recipes that preserve nutritional value, and other necessary information to facilitate this process.
In March 2023, we further established a general incorporated association called the “Whole Nutrition Promotion Committee," where all its employees are Landlink employees. The committee has created a six-month educational programme using social media to provide various forms of content to raise greater awareness, convey information on how to wash, cut and prepare vegetables, and share recipes for tasty “whole-peel” cooking. Through this programme, we aim to establish a whole-peel culture among Japanese people, especially Japanese parents who cook for their families and children. The programme provides tailored opportunities for people of all ages, be they children or adults, to learn effectively. The incorporation of periodic quizzes ensures that proper information, depending on their knowledge and understanding, will be delivered to the participants.
Spearheading change in elementary schools
As a result of our efforts, 10,000 children are now eating “Whole Nutrition Project” school lunches, which are prepared with whole vegetable skins in such a way that nutrients are preserved. At the inception of the school lunch programme, I delivered a lecture to children at elementary schools to share the programme’s purpose and introduced a machine that measures vegetable intake. One month later, it was revealed that 83% of the children had increased their vegetable intake after starting the “Whole Nutrition Project” lunch programme. Furthermore, the amount of food wastage during the preparation of school lunches was reduced by approximately 10%.
An overview of our key outcomes are as follows:
Kume-mura School Lunch Centre (Iwate Prefecture)
- The amount of wasted vegetables decreased by about 10%, and the edible portion of food increased by about 10%. This was determined through data aggregated from a survey conducted by Kume-mura School Lunch Centre.
Fukaya Elementary School and Tokiwa Elementary School (Saitama Prefecture)
- Reported a decrease in the amount of waste vegetables, reduction in procurement costs, increase in edible portions of foods, and increase in carotenoids (antioxidants) intakes of children.
Improving community well-being through greater health awareness
Our mission is not only to address child malnutrition and food wastage but also to raise health awareness through education. We seek a future where communities experience a high level of happiness and heightened well-being by first enriching the food in their homes, raising health awareness, and finally enabling them to find greater clarity through their enhanced mind-body wellness.
To achieve this objective, we will expand the “Whole Nutrition Project” by expanding our educational efforts and developing accessible solutions for individuals to undertake with minimal spending. For instance, we are now planning an initiative with one municipality to develop a product utilising the whole skin of local specialty vegetables. This product is scheduled to be in stores in early 2024 and will be selected as a gift as part of their hometown tax donation programme. It will also be sold online and at local and nationwide supermarkets.
We are also planning to create supporter care system where supporters of our “Whole Nutrition Project” will receive products developed by participating municipalities as return gifts for their donation. Furthermore, we aim to have 10 million people registered in our education programme by 2030, such that it is widely used and established across Japan.
Through these multipronged efforts, we will build a future in which nutrition levels and food security are strengthened, food culture is enriched, and enhanced wellness is within reach for communities across Japan and the world.
With the vision of "Carving out the Future with the Power of Water," we are a company that pursues a wide range of "washing" activities, extending from the clothing cleaning industry to the development and sale of products for washing vegetables. Established in 2007, our business activities include: Clothing Cleaning Concierge "CHAMPION", Special Clothing Maintenance "MUSEO", Manufacture and sale of vegetable washing water “VegeSafe”
+
Creating health equity in rural and semi-urban areas
Closing the last mile gap through technology & partnerships
Last Mile Care Private Limited
Impact geography: India
By Anupam Biswal, Co-founder
India's rural and semi-urban, or rurban, areas often struggle with infrastructure and staffing challenges in healthcare services. These challenges include restricted access, availability, and affordability of standardised services, which negatively impact health index scores.
In February 2019, I was joined by co-founders Pooja Jaiswal and Gaurav Sengar, and we founded Last Mile Care (LMC). We embarked on a journey to establish a human-centric delivery model committed to revolutionising basic healthcare by making services available and affordable to everyone. Prior to this, we had worked to address healthcare issues in urban regions through the government-driven public-private partnership model. These experiences drove us to instead attempt to drastically alter the healthcare systems of rural and semi-urban areas and focus on achieving UN Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Well Being.
The Covid-19 pandemic strengthened our resolve to address the pressing concern of healthcare access, and we leveraged grants to kickstart healthcare centres. We realised that infrastructure and supply chain gaps could be addressed by building a network of reputable service providers and harnessing technology to improve user experience. We thus developed unique healthcare delivery centres grounded in our “digitally-led, physically-enabled" healthcare approach, also known as 1Care Units. At these units, patients have access to an aggregated network of services such as medicine dispensation, diagnostics, referrals, and health financial services.
Propelling human-centric innovation and solutions
Our mission to bring quality primary healthcare to every community requires sincere intent and perseverance. We held discussions with a variety of stakeholders, including the medical community, management consultancies, government leaders and enterprises. We conducted over 100 field visits in various geographies, working with International Non-Government Organisation (INGO) leaders and local populations to establish the needs of communities. We brainstormed various possible solutions and considered the key parameters of quality, access, digital transformation and standardisation while maintaining affordability, transparency and accountability. This led to the conceptualisation and eventual development of the 1Care Unit. With the support of public funding, we launched our first 1Care unit in June 2021.
1Care units allow teleconsultation and improve healthcare service delivery. These units provide convenient, single point of contact for a variety of services, including diagnostics, referrals and prescriptions. To increase health coverage and reduce out-of-pocket costs, these units also offer health financing. Technology-enablement through 1Care units allow wide accessibility to healthcare services, closing the last mile gap that rurban patients currently struggle with. Secure digital conferencing, data centres and help lines ensure patients can effectively access the crucial diagnostic and preventative treatments they need.
We partner with various interest groups, including female empowerment and blue collar worker groups, to increase the reach of 1Care units. We also place units in special economic zones where communities have unique needs. Currently, over 35,000 patients are registered in our centres:
- We experience an average footfall of 247 patients per month.
- 60% of registered patients are females.
- The average transaction cost per patient is USD 4.
Increasing affordability through financing tools
We have ambitious plans to use data, generative AI and language models to predict and address future healthcare needs. We will also build better health financing tools to address local credit needs. Our goal is to become the most trusted healthcare service provider. Our long-term success will come from continued patient satisfaction and loyalty due to our products addressing their most pressing healthcare needs. By the end of 2024, we intend to scale up, build effective networks, develop cutting-edge technology and increase funding through partnerships with impact funds, donors, corporate CSR and other private investors. By rethinking access through "phygital" 1Care units and affordability through financial instruments, we hope to improve health equity and keep patient interest at the core of our business.
Last Mile Care was incorporated as a healthcare startup in India in July 2021 with one mission in mind, "Bringing quality & accessible healthcare for all". The gap of affordable and accessible standardised healthcare services increases for rural & semi-urban or "rurban" populations. Under the brand 1Care health centres, Last Mile Care has operated over 15 primary health centres & has handled ~35,000 cases till September,2023 with 55% of females participation. Through these "phygital" (physical-digital) health centres, we provide high quality doctors' teleconsultation, dispense generic drugs, and provide low cost diagnostic tests along with health financing services for referrals.
+
Producing Organic Food through Wool-based Fertiliser
Channelling a love of agriculture towards tackling food insecurity and land degradation
Monpellets LLC
Impact geography: Mongolia
By Delgermaa Shagdarsuren, Shareholder
Globally, the organic trend is on the rise. In September 2018, Monpellets LLC launched its organic sheep wool fertiliser plant, aiming for nutrient-rich harvests and a thriving organic fertiliser market with the motto of “healthy soil, healthy food, rich harvest.” Mongolia heavily relies on imports for 97% of its green products (as of 2021), posing significant risks to food safety and raising concerns about product origin. Mongolia has one of the highest cancer rates in the world, a problem believed to be closely linked to inadequate food safety measures. In response to this crisis, the president of Mongolia, Ukhnaa Khurelsukh, unveiled the "Food Supply and Security" national movement on May 13, 2022, at the State Khural Assembly. This marked the inception of a transformative food revolution in our nation, leading us towards a healthier and happier society. We take immense pride in producing organic fertiliser from Mongolian sheep wool, which is then used in green products and houses to cultivate a bountiful harvest of wholesome, organic food. This initiative holds great promise for a more sustainable and food-secure future.
Harnessing learnings from New Zealand farmers
Yet, progress is often accompanied by hurdles. In 2022, we only collected 150 tonnes of unwashed wool despite having the capacity for 2,500 tonnes. The primary factors contributing to this shortfall were the inadequate supply chain for sheep wool, a shortage of skilled shearers, and an exceptionally low daily shearing performance rate. Using hand scissors, Mongolian shearers could only manage 30 sheep per day, whereas the world record stands at an impressive 754 sheep in 8 hours.
Mongolia has 31 million sheep, presenting an annual potential of 45,000 tonnes of wool. However, due to a scarcity of skilled shearers, extensive land leading to heightened logistic costs, and less efficient manual shearing methods, only 26,000 tonnes are currently processed. This situation calls for change, and we took the initiative to do just that. We partnered with Share Mongolia, an NGO (non-governmental organisation) of New Zealand and Australian farmers. In the summer of 2022, we initiated an electric shearing training programme in collaboration with New Zealand farmers. This resulted in a win-win-win outcome where herders adeptly tackled shearing challenges while prioritising the welfare of their sheep. Shearers not only enjoyed significant earnings but also acquired invaluable international shearing skills. At the same time, wool facilities like mine received wool promptly, guaranteeing a consistent supply at competitive rates. Furthermore, we are starting to use a better rate of our plant capacity to produce value-added premium quality organic fertiliser, which has increased in demand since 2022 in both local and global markets.
Unlocking vital nutrients for premium organic fertiliser
The innovation in this venture knows no bounds. From 1000 tonnes of unwashed wool, we’ve yielded 920 kg of premium organic fertiliser, devoid of water or additives. This not only boosts herders’ shearing capacity from 30 to 200 sheep per day, significantly increasing their income, but also guarantees superior soil and plant health. Acting as a water reservoir, this wool-based fertiliser imparts vital nutrients, promoting soil aeration and facilitating deeper, denser root growth. This groundbreaking product is Mongolia’s latest non-mining export, with an annual potential of EUR6 million in sales. Beyond its monetary value, it fosters fertile soil, resilient food production, and elevated health and safety standards. This internationally certified product garners trust, benefiting a wide range of stakeholders, from herders, cooperatives, and factories to consumers.
Fertiliser stands as a critical component for several vital sectors, including environmentally friendly forest and tree planting, as well as anti-land desertification efforts. In agriculture, it supports the production of value-added, animal-based exports, aligning with light industry development. Mongolia is recognised for its lucrative mining endeavours, yet extensive land degradation demands effective biological rehabilitation, with fertiliser as a pivotal ingredient. The labour sector offers substantial opportunities for skilled shearers, contributing to sustainable employment. Naturally, this positively impacts the economy and finance sectors. Wool-based fertiliser holds the potential to become Mongolia’s flagship export, bolstering the nation’s revenue in dollars.
Strengthening supply chains to maximise impact
Our project has garnered significant recognition and exhibits the potential for nationwide expansion. We’ve established the following mid-term objectives:
- Establishing up to two additional wool fertiliser plants nationwide, with the capacity to process 9000 tonnes of waste wool into marketable products.
- Strengthening wool supply chains with shearer support and fostering internationally skilled, sustainable youth employment.
- Implementing electric shearing nationwide to enhance efficiency and introducing more innovative approaches to improve the lives of herders.
- Emphasising the cultivation and consumption of wholesome food while using our fertiliser to enrich soil health. This will pave the way for our entry into the greenhouse.
My aspiration is to share the joys of agriculture with every Mongolian child. I plan to establish a greenhouse for berries, specifically organic strawberries, fertilised with natural products derived from Mongolian sheep wool. In doing so, I aim to create an environment where my children, alongside their classmates, can pick and savour these delectable berries. I am, after all, a typical hardworking Mongolian mother.
Monpellets pioneers eco-friendly plant that offering organic fertiliser crafted from additive-free sheep wool, conserving water. This nutrient-dense blend promotes fertile soil and environmental sustainability. With a 2500tn production capacity, we export to the EU and US, backed by organic certification by FIBL Europe and OMRI US, proudly Mongolian. Beyond fertilisers, we target farming and greenhouse sectors, both locally and internationally. Collaborating with Mongolian shearers and herders, we plan second and third plants to harness abundant waste wool resources. We, Monpellets, aspire to be a premier global fertiliser supplier, renowned for quality and green business ethics. www.monpellets.com
+
Tailoring investment solutions for net zero
Client engagement and partnerships to support the sustainability journeys of individuals, SMEs and large corporations.
OCBC
By Mike Ng, Group Chief Sustainability Officer
In our more than 90 years of history, stewardship has always been important to OCBC. We believe that collective action is necessary to drive change, which is why we actively engage all our customers in tackling the climate crisis. From individuals to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to large corporates, each segment of our customer base across markets is different. Hence, we make it a point to understand their specific needs and pain points, then address these issues with tailored financing and investment solutions to truly move the needle towards net zero.
This is in line with our purpose to help individuals and businesses across communities achieve their aspirations by providing innovative financial services that meet their needs.
Catalysing sustainable finance commitments
Our efforts to provide tailored sustainable financing and investment solutions have produced tangible results across all our client segments. In 2022, our key achievements included:
- SME and corporate customers – Over SGD10 billion (USD7.3 billion) in new sustainable financing commitments made in 2022 to bring total commitments to SGD44 billion by 31 December 2022, well on track to achieve our target of SGD50 billion by 2025.
- Corporate customers – Extended close to 100 green and sustainability-linked loans and acted as advisor for over 50 of them.
- Retail customers – SGD2.87 billion in Eco-Care loans booked in 2022. The value of OCBC Eco-Care Loans extended in 2022 quadrupled from 2021. Currently, 1 in 5 home, car and renovation loans are Eco-Care loans.
- High and ultra-high net-worth clients – At our private banking subsidiary Bank of Singapore (BOS), we expanded fund offerings to offer clients exposure to a more diverse range of sustainability funds across various sustainability themes including food scarcity, water and climate change.
Tailoring solutions for diverse needs
We are not the first nor the only financial institution to offer sustainable financing and investment solutions. However, what sets us apart is that our solutions address the unique challenges faced by different segments of customers. We can identify these challenges because we make it a point to truly understand our customers’ needs and are able to leverage the wider ecosystem to solve these challenges.
Take our SME customers, for example. SMEs typically have less resources to devote to their sustainability journeys. To address this challenge, we launched the OCBC SME Sustainable Finance Framework in 2020 so that SMEs do not need to develop bespoke sustainable finance frameworks prior to applying for sustainable financing. We progressively rolled it out to SMEs in the region. By end-2022, it was available to SMEs in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Indonesia.
With regard to the everyday consumer, through our 2021 and 2022 OCBC Climate Index, we found that cost and convenience were two key factors holding them back from making sustainable choices. The solution: We launched OCBC Eco-Care loans at the end of March 2021, covering home, renovation and car loans, offering preferential rates. To provide convenience, Eco-Care car loan customers are also given three months of free charging credits at Charge+ charging points across Singapore.
Enabling the transition to net zero
Given that sustainability is a growth pillar of our corporate strategy, our commitment to helping different customer segments transition to a net-zero economy is clear. We have clear commitments and targets. As part of our Net Zero by 2050 commitment, we will execute the key actions to meet the science-based decarbonisation targets that we set for six key sectors in our commercial and corporate lending portfolio in May 2023 and accelerate sustainable financing efforts towards our target of SGD50 billion by 2025. Partnerships continue to be invaluable, and we will take the lead in fostering a vibrant ecosystem, bringing our customers and other stakeholders together to collaborate on innovative solutions.
But I think, it first starts from within OCBC. One of the key pillars of OCBC’s corporate strategy is our "One Group" approach – working together and leveraging the strengths of the entire group across markets. This culture of cooperation and togetherness extends to sustainability. It is truly a group-wide effort and I believe that this is key to creating lasting impact for our clients and the community, for now, and beyond.
OCBC is the longest established Singapore bank, formed in 1932 from the merger of three local banks. It is one of the world’s most highly-rated banks, with Aa1 by Moody’s and AA- by both Fitch and S&P. OCBC is the second largest financial services group in Southeast Asia by assets. The Group’s key markets are Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Greater China. It has over 410 branches and representative offices in 19 countries and regions.
+
Championing inclusion for the disadvantaged via vocational training
Returning dignity to the disadvantaged and disabled through employment support
Project Dignity Pte Ltd
Impact geography: Singapore, Hong Kong
By Koh Seng Choon, Executive Director
Project Dignity is a social enterprise that champions social empowerment through vocation and passion for food. With an integrated platform comprising of a full-fledged hawker food centre, culinary training centre, social outreach programs and up-cycled book stalls, we drive social impact by empowering people with disabilities and disadvantaged with gainful employment and sustainable livelihoods. Our mission is to "to build and return dignity to the disabled and disadvantaged (PWDs) through vocation with passion”.
On weekdays, we also provide free meals to the community of working poor and engage elderly from nursing homes by taking them for city tour and lunch at our Dignity Kitchen. Since inception, we have successfully trained and placed more than 3,000 PWDs into gainful employment and have provided more than one million meal boxes to the poor.
75% of Project Dignity’s staff also face social, mental, intellectual, and physical challenges in their day-to-day lives. Leading by example, we aim to set the exemplary standard for other companies to strive towards a more inclusive environment for PWDs. We also encourage tri-partisan collaboration with corporations, institutions, and members of the public to pool resources and bring about positive change through corporate social activities that give back to the community.
Innovating to push boundaries of training and employment
Project Dignity’s proprietary training program and success stories demonstrate our determination to consistently innovate and push the boundaries of “impossible”. Since our launch in 2010 with one hawker stall and a small training centre, we have now expanded into various new divisions, including:
- Dignity Avatar – aims to create jobs for home-bound paraplegic person by enabling them to remotely control robots via their online avatar,
- Dignity Farm – a hydroponic farm meant for cultivating sustainable farming and facilitate training on urban farming methods for the intellectually-challenged youth,
- Dignity Wheel – a wheelchair food delivery service for the wheelchair bound who struggle to secure conventional employment that requires mobility skills,
- Dignity Kitchenette- an entrepreneurship training in a café managed by trainees with mental ailments with interests in running their own F&B outlets in the future,
- Dignity Mama – book stall manned by differently-abled youths with the help of their mothers / caregivers with flexible working hours that allow mothers/caregiver to adjust their schedules, balance their family with work while allowing the youths to gain entrepreneurial experience and earn a sustainable living.
All these ventures are aimed at strengthening our capabilities in skills training, placement, and employment for the PWDs within the F&B and retail sectors. Through our innovative training methods and comprehensive impact assessments, we enable improved learning outcomes and increased employability. Our PWDs gain skills, knowledge and confidence leading them to lead independent lives. Our programmes promote equal job opportunities and break down barriers to gainful employment, which in turn fosters social inclusion and equality and reduces discrimination.
With training and employment opportunities, PWDs are also able to integrate with the community better, which in turn enhances social cohesion, breaks down stereotypes and promotes positive interactions between people with and without disabilities.
Our work further challenges societal stigma and misconceptions surrounding disabilities, and encourages greater acceptance and understanding towards all individuals in society. PWDs in our programme may also become a source of inspiration to others facing similar circumstances.
Overcoming crises to protect the vulnerable
With the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, we rapidly faced falling revenue, as our revenue-generating corporate events and culinary classes were cancelled, and our hawker centre saw a sharp fall in patronage. We also observed a rapid increase in retrenchment of elderly and PWDs, some of them our past graduates that we took back to work in Project Dignity.
As hundreds of PWDs (and their families) were worried about their unemployment and future, I knew that I could not close the business, especially since employment opportunities were scarce. Hundreds of those in line for our Train and Place programme then would not have the opportunity to regain their dignity and job prospects. I took a bank loan in an attempt to ride out the crisis, and reassured my staff that there would be “no pay cut, no retrenchment and most important we must all stay together to overcome this crisis”. We persevered through the crisis, in spite of its ups and downs, and even managed to expand in the process. Prior to the start of the pandemic, the staff strength of Project Dignity was 48 staff but now in the beginning of 2023, the staff strength of Project Dignity is 178 employees.
Investing in targeted training for greater PWD wellbeing
As a firm believer in sustainability, Project Dignity constantly searches for innovative ways to invest in the training and development of PWDs such as –
- Implementing targeted training techniques that address the specific needs and challenges faced by PWDS to ensure their employability – evidenced by our development of training curriculum in urban farming for autistic persons to be employed in the agricultural sector. This sector is expanding in line with the government’s initiatives to sustainably produce 30% of the country’s agricultural needs
- Encouraging and ensuring accessibility measures are in place when placing our PWDs in employment of employers
- Constantly improving our metrics and indicators to track the progress and impact of the PWDs in terms of their wellbeing and progress
- Collaboration with disability organisations, advocacy groups, the government, and local communities to achieve greater impact and more sustainable outcome for all PWDs
- Train more PWDs as a potential pool of workforce
- Replicate the social enterprise concept across the regions
Project Dignity Pte Ltd (Project Dignity) is a social enterprise that champions social empowerment through vocation and passion for food. With an integrated social impact platform comprising of a full-fledged hawker food centre, culinary training centre, social event organiser, social outreach programs and up-cycled book stalls. PD drives social impact by empowering people with disabilities and disadvantaged with gainful employment and sustainable livelihoods. Project Dignity encourages tri-partisan collaboration with corporations, institutions, public to pool resources to bring about positive change through corporate social activities/events that aim to serve and give back to the community.
+
Uplifting village communities by regenerative farming
Supporting farmers to bolster herbal medicine supply chains
PT Industri Jamu Dan Farmasi Sido Mancul Tbk
Impact geography: Indonesia
By Leonard Oey, Chief Financial Officer
As the largest herbal Jamu and Herbal medicine manufacturer in Indonesia, a country with abundant resources, we at Sido Muncul aim to be a pharmaceutical, traditional medicine, health, food and beverage, and herbal ingredient-processing company that benefits the community and environment.
With the worsening effects of climate change, we understand that our business continuity will inevitably come under threat, given that we source most of our ingredients locally. As such, we developed a sustainable policy that balances economic, social and environmental parameters. As part of the policy, we identified sustainable sourcing as a key risk.
The sustainability of Indonesia’s supply chain is threatened by the declining harvest quality and dwindling number of farmers. The livelihood of local farmers is severely impacted by climate change and extreme weather conditions, which have been affecting harvest quality and increasing the harvest failure rate. The number of farmers has also been declining each year and could dip further, with 91% of farmers above 40 years of age. Farming as a career is also becoming less attractive to younger generations owing to income instability and lower prestige. The future of Indonesia’s agriculture industry remains uncertain. To support the industry, we source high-quality ingredients from local farmers to create our products.
Focus groups and training for local farmers
To support the community of farmers, we started the Sambirata Spice Village project at the end of 2019. Before we embarked on this project, we conducted social mapping and focus group discussions with local groups and leaders to determine the problem properly and to design the project. We found that Sambirata is an underdeveloped village in Central Java with great potential to cultivate cardamom, one of the key ingredients for our products. It was a good opportunity for us to be a facilitator and off-taker that provided them with a fair and beneficial market. With this arrangement, farmers are assured of sales during cultivation and the post-harvest period.
Fundamentally, Sambirata Spice Village project aimed to not only improve the farmers’ skills but also encourage them to build their community with circularity and sustainability in mind. This approach of “creating shared value,” as we’ve named it, is a result of the Fostered Farmer Programme we first introduced in 2000.
We found that while most farmers had basic knowledge and skills to process their harvests, the quality had yet to match industry standards. Chemical fertilisers that could damage the land and ecosystem were still widely used. We thus held training on cardamom cultivation based on Indonesia's Ministry of Agriculture Good Agriculture Practices Procedure on Cardamom Cultivation, eco-agroforestry planting practices, post-harvest treatment, and technical training on maintenance and repair of cardamom dryers.
These cardamom dryers were built together with local government and farmer groups in 2020. The patented micro hydro dryer system is equipped with spinner machines and rotary dryers that would help the farmers be less dependent on sunlight. The tool, powered by water, plays a critical role in ensuring the quality of cardamom, especially amidst uncertain weather.
To execute the Sambirata Spice Village project, we collaborated with 245 senior farmers from the Kridoyuwono Farmers Group, who managed 30 hectares of land. We also collaborated with Perhutani, a state-owned enterprise that managed 571.9 hectares of surrounding forest. The vast forest is ideal for cardamom cultivation using eco-agroforestry. We leveraged the forest land without cutting any trees and planted the cardamom under the strands of banana trees, using them as a shade to help maintain humidity, creating the perfect conditions for growing cardamom. This system was verified by one of Indonesia’s top universities, Jenderal Soedirman University, back in 2021.
We also facilitated the creation of a microbusiness run by a group of local women to process the bananas into snacks. Furthermore, we encouraged the farmers to create organic fertiliser from banana peels and cattle manure. In addition to reducing costs, this effort would be good for the environment.
A fair and beneficial market for farmers
In Sambirata we not only tackle economic challenges but also social and environmental challenges. By giving the farmers a fair and stable market, we uplift the local economy and encourage the younger generation to step in. Coaching, training and technical assistance are done continuously to enable Sambirata to become a sustainable village.
Until the end of 2022, this project has boosted the village economy by IDR7 billion (USD445,690) from cardamom cultivation. In a span of six months, the villagers also generated IDR6 million from the sales of banana snacks and IDR16 million in cost savings from organic fertiliser sales. As a result of the programme, 41 families (55%) were no longer considered “poor and underprivileged” by the government. Progress is expected to continue, with 31 more families to be uplifted, bringing the total impact to 91% of families in the “poor and underprivileged” category. The Sambirata Spice Village project is also contributing to seven United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (Goals 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 12 and 13) and has been verified by the SDGs Center of Diponegoro University.
Enabling community empowerment across Indonesia
The scale of this project continues to grow. We started the project with zero young farmers, and now we managed to attract 42. The number of senior farmers also increased by 37, bringing the total to 282 senior farmers. We also doubled the land under management by our farmers group from 30 to 70 hectares. In the future, we plan to expand the scope and explore many opportunities to develop the tourism sector in the village.
This project is only one of our contributions to uplift community and promote sustainable agriculture. We are committed to adapting the same approach towards other villages in Indonesia.
Sido Muncul (SIDO) is Indonesia's largest herbal medicine manufacturer, drawing on over 70 years of industry experience. Recognized for its top-quality products and best in class production facility, SIDO has established a robust brand presence, and become top of mind for Indonesian consumers. Operating through a network of over 120 distribution centres across the nation, SIDO maintains market leadership by prioritizing innovation and a dedicated focus on community and environmental well-being.
+
Protecting marine ecosystems and coastal communities
Harnessing data and technology to drive conservation and sustainable livelihoods
PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited
Impact geography: Thailand
By Susama Pitakuldilog, Acting Senior Vice President, Sustainability & Stakeholder Management Division
Guided by our Sustainability Framework, PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited’s (PTTEP) mission is to provide national energy security while maintaining the right balance of economic, social, and environmental aspects, and conserving and supporting marine ecosystems and coastal communities.
Improving ocean biodiversity to enable sustainable livelihoods
As most of PTTEP’s operations are offshore, we aspire to create development opportunities for the sustainable livelihoods of coastal communities in 17 provinces along the Gulf of Thailand (GoT) through our strength in operational locations, technology capabilities, and deep collaborations.
To turn this aspiration into action, PTTEP initiated the “Ocean for Life” project and developed long-term sustainability targets to improve the biodiversity of marine ecosystems. This project thus focuses on achieving positive impact on the ocean, improving biodiversity ecosystem services' value, increasing target communities’ income by 50%, and establishing 16,000 significant ocean conservation networks.
These ambitious goals subsequently contribute to Thailand’s overarching Ocean Health Index target and United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14: “Life Below Water” to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development.
The “Ocean for Life” project comprises of three workstreams.
1. Sustainable Ocean-Friendly Operations – PTTEP has pursued various endeavours to ensure an environmentally friendly operation and a zero spill and zero discharge performance. Furthermore, we have continued plans to install retired platform jackets as artificial reefs in approved areas from 2025 onwards. We have additionally achieved a remarkable milestone of zero produced water discharge into the environment for all operations in Thailand while ensuring minimal risk of ocean contamination from produced water across operating platforms. Indeed, our spill performance record has consistently surpassed the International Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP) benchmark, showcasing our dedication to excellence. We are therefore continuing to explore innovative technologies to uphold clean and environmentally friendly operations.
2. Sustainable Ocean Health and Blue Carbon Solutions – The development of PTTEP’s Ocean Data Platform has significantly contributed to the depth of Thailand’s existing ocean database. The meteorological and oceanographic data gathered from our offshore petroleum platforms and other information from various projects under the Ocean for Life Strategy are used as inputs to ensure environmental impact assessment report accuracy and support ocean conservation, emergency planning and the development of early warning systems. This includes the enhancement of ocean mathematical models such as marine debris dispersion prediction, climate change impact monitoring, and potential impact to ecosystems. Alternatively, our microplastics baseline and monitoring study, marked the world’s first attempt in using petroleum platforms as stations to collect ocean waste and microplastic data. Our use of current mapper buoys and satellite tracking technology also marks Thailand’s first study of ocean currents and oceanographic data in the GoT.
To conserve the world’s most effective carbon sinks, feasibility studies for carbon dioxide absorption of seagrass, seaweed and seashell are underway with promising outcomes to advance blue carbon solutions. Mangrove reforestation has additionally been completed of 5,007 râi of land (1 râi = 1,600 square meters) against 45,000 râi of land targets. We have also developed curing technology for carbon sequestration in artificial reefs to lower GHG emissions. This technology chemically converts CO2 into calcium carbonate or limestone embedded in concrete material. This viable and environmental-friendly technology not only helps improve biodiversity abundance, but also benefits tourism and coastal communities’ economy in a sustainable manner.
3. Sustainable Community around the Ocean – Finally, we have cultivated community activities in 17 provinces around the GoT to increase biodiversity, restore natural resources, and build ocean conservation networks. For example, we have developed a youth network through our natural resources and environment conservation camps and created jobs to sustainably improve community income. To date, we have achieved 44.7% of net positive impact on ocean biodiversity and ecosystem services value in all offshore operations compared to base year 2019. We have also established 11 aquatic animal hatchery learning centers and seafood product value enhancement groups in 10 of the 17 provinces along GoT to enhance the abundance of marine animals and expand the coastal conservation area in target locations. Moreover, 25 fish homes were placed covering 12.8 square kilometers of coastal conservation areas. This aided in advancing increasing the income of target communities participating in the projects by 20.5% on average compared to baseline data before project implementation. These combined efforts have consequently improved the utilisation of ocean resources and increased conservation awareness of a network of 3,903 local fishermen along GoT.
Harnessing AI and robotics for long-term success
Technology and innovation are undeniable factors crucial to ensuring the success of “Ocean for Life”. PTTEP, in partnership with AI and Robotics Ventures Company Limited (ARV), a PTTEP wholly owned subsidiary, has developed cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics technologies which are now commercialised, such as XPlorer, a subsea pipeline inspection-class autonomous underwater vehicle, and Nautilus, the world’s first autonomous robot for subsea pipeline repair. These technologies accelerate research and technology development to enhance business efficiency across industries, and to create simplified solutions to business challenges for the Exploration and Production (E&P) business and other industries outside the energy sector.
Alongside these innovations, PTTEP has implemented underwater camera installation & AI software development for the identification of aquatic animals underneath offshore petroleum platforms to identify iconic species to promote national conservation efforts to increase the population and survival rate of aquatic species. As one of Thailand’s leaders in ocean conservation and rehabilitation, we recognise the significance of utilising technology for business and sustainable value creation and thus offer opportunities for authorities, researchers and industry leaders to tackle biodiversity and carbon sink issues in support of our fight against climate change.
PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited or PTTEP is a leading Thai E&P company committed to sustainably explore, develop, and produce energy supply to Thailand and other countries that we invest. We proactively prepare for the upcoming energy transition by focusing on an integrated natural gas business, while upholding the sustainability statement and framework. This includes reducing greenhouse gas emissions, investing in low carbon and future energy business, and creating sustainable values for stakeholders.
+
Unlocking healthcare access in underserved communities
Joining the dots of healthcare via an ecosystem approach
reach52 Pte Ltd
Impact geography: India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines
By Chrystal Yeong, Associate Marketing Director
52% of the world cannot access essential health services. Our mission is to unlock capital and the power of communities to achieve health for all.
Enabling capacity building of local health systems
We are a Singapore-based health-tech social enterprise improving access to primary care for lower-income populations residing in rural areas of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Our core approach involves the implementation of innovative data-informed campaigns, led by networks of digitally-equipped community Agents (comprised of upskilled local community health workers and local partner merchants). We work with firms in the pharmaceutical, consumer health, and fast-moving consumer goods sectors to mobilise financing, build capacity for local health systems, improve the availability of medicines and health products, and extend primary care services out of facilities and directly to the doors of underserved residents. Since 2016, we have engaged 1.5 million unique individuals through 14,000 reach52 Agents across 2,500 communities in the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Myanmar, Kenya and South Africa.
Strengthening communities from within
Our vision is to engage the 52% of people globally who lack access to essential health services, promoting equitable health outcomes for all. We work with local governments and social organisations to ensure that the health campaigns we deliver are sustainable and contribute toward strengthening local health systems in the long run. 95% of our reach52 Agents are female. We believe that by empowering local women to deliver healthcare services to their own communities, we strengthen communities from within. We also champion the important role that businesses play in this ecosystem – they provide necessary funding that goes beyond donor funds, while at the same time gaining market access opportunities and the ability to fulfil their social impact goals. This is why an important part of our mission is to unlock private capital and partnerships in order to fill the large financing gap required to achieve Universal Health Coverage.
Data-driven and human-powered
Our organisation is driven by innovation and a desire to generate impact through bold, unique approaches.
Tech innovation: Our digital platform consists of an offline-first mobile Android app, designed specifically to be used by our community Agents in areas with low internet connectivity, along with associated web dashboards for use by clients and campaign administrators to track, analyse and make data-driven decisions. As a whole, the platform supports the development, facilitation, monitoring, and evaluation of community health interventions in rural areas of LMICs, allowing us to deliver hyper-targeted engagements based on specific demographic or health traits.
Process-based innovation: We focus on addressing health financing gaps through the mobilisation of private sector resources, under a sustainable business model. We work with a range of private sector firms to secure financial resources, along with low-cost medicines and health products, to support the facilitation of these campaigns.
Partnering for concrete impact and health outcomes
As an impact-focused business, we directly align our targets towards the achievement of the SDGs (UN Sustainable Development Goals). We are principally focused on SDG 3 (good health and well-being), while also contributing to SDGs 5 (gender equality and women’s empowerment) and 8 (decent work and economic growth).
Our focus is on engaging rural residents in the ‘missing middle’, referring to those that do not live in absolute poverty but are poorly served by existing options in their remote settlements. An external evaluation demonstrated that reach52's model generates US$2.10 of social value in our target communities for every US$1 invested.
To support SDG 3, we operate campaigns across a range of disease areas, and have active campaigns focusing on malnutrition, maternal and child health, COVID-19, vaccine delivery, WASH, and eye care. Some campaign-specific outcomes we’ve achieved include:
- 65% reduction in stage 2 hypertension from baseline for participants in NCD management program
- 70% of engaged mothers disconnected from care accessed ANC services following engagement with a reach52 Agent
- 78% of vaccine-hesitant residents accessed immunization services following engagement with a reach52 Agent
Our work on SDG 5 is supported by our campaigns on maternal and child health. During these 1-on-1 door-to-door engagements, trained Agents deliver health education messaging, collect vital data, and enhance linkages to local health facilities.
We are currently leading projects in partnership with Bayer Consumer Health; Johnson & Johnson; Essilor; Pfizer; and Unilever, including:
- Our continued partnership with Johnson & Johnson, with a focus on upskilling 1200 Community Health Workers and impacting over 250,000 residents across Indonesia and the Philippines through targeted engagements and screenings in four health topics: diabetes and hypertension, maternal and child health, respiratory diseases, and mental health.
- Our partnership with Unilever to improve awareness and behavior change in nutrition and WASH, targeting 120,000 residents in underserved communities in India.
- Improving awareness, demand and uptake of the COVID-19 booster, targeting 120,000 residents in the rural communities of India and Philippines
Through these business relationships, reach52 is helping these global firms translate their investments into social impact for disconnected populations, typically coupled with commercial returns for their shareholders. This win-win model underpins reach52’s approach to sustainable social business.
reach52 is a HealthTech social enterprise that aims to redesign healthcare to reach 52% of the world without access to essential health services. Powered by an award-winning, data-driven tech platform and supported by an established network of community health Agents, reach52 partners with businesses, governments, and social organisations to deliver targeted scalable health campaigns, supply affordable healthcare products, and open new markets across low-and-middle-income countries.
+
Developing a zero-waste society to empower vulnerable communities
Investing in innovation and human capital to reduce waste and socioenvironmental harm
ReFuse SARL
Impact geography: Lebanon
By Guglielmo Mazzà, Co-Founder and CEO
I am a youth environmental engineer, social entrepreneur and activist, as well as the co-founder and CEO of ReFuse, a Lebanese social enterprise offering community-centered solid waste management services. My passion and expertise lie in combining equitable access to resources with ecosystem justice and restoration. Founding ReFuse with my 3 fellow co-founders enabled me to transform my vision into a tangible mission, mixing engineering with urban sociology expertise. Today, our team of over 15 members is rapidly expanding on my mission, and we jointly challenge the status quo with creative and ethical irreverence.
ReFuse, a 100% youth-led and owned social enterprise start-up, was born to tackle a socio-environmental problem, envisioning a zero-waste society that channels resources to empower communities. Registered in Lebanon since March 2022, ReFuse was created to fight waste and its harmful socioenvironmental impacts on vulnerable communities. Waste has overwhelmed local Lebanese governments and threatened communities’ health for decades. Setting up viable, accessible services continues to be challenging in dense, underserved communities. To date, around 20% of the waste is recovered, out of which 6% reaches recycling facilities, 36% is landfilled, and 44% is abandoned in 940+ uncontrolled scattered dumps, threatening the lives of the inhabitants.
To address this problem, we run recyclables collection shops, sell recyclables to industries and reward those who contribute with their waste. Our Web2 operating software engages users and trades over 24 types of materials. In our first year, we grew a base of over 10,000 users and regularly served 50 local enterprises. We saw firsthand how people that knew nothing about waste learned to identify 24 types of materials, ultimately reducing their consumption and boosting their environmental integrity. This served as a proof point of our belief: any community can start recycling, and get rewarded for it. In the long run, we aim to make better use of public spaces and improve the quality of living conditions in dense, previously underserved neighbourhoods.
Creating an accessible, user-friendly, and tech-based model
Our service model is designed to serve any dense setting with high volumes of waste generation. Small infrastructures are meant to ensure accessibility and user-friendliness: creating the missing link between people and industries. The model also relies on a web2-enabled digital solution we developed and tested, and is grounded on engineered logistics and centred on the diverse chemistry of secondary raw materials.
ReFuse is tackling a total addressable market of 2,700,000 tons of municipal solid waste, valued at $101 Million/year - if limited to Lebanon. Our goal is to reach a penetration of 4% in 4 years. We collected expressions of interest from 25+ industries for 30 tons/day, meaning an opportunity of $2.1 Million/year. ReFuse invested $30K in CAPEX to kickstart our processing capacity. The team is now focusing on the market acquisition by targeting underserved communities, spreading our community engagement campaigns, and targeting industrial producers of recyclables.
Traditional sorting schemes rely on trucks and bins to divert recyclables from dense neighbourhoods, incapable of recovering operational costs and generating awareness. Collecting loose recyclables, though, means facing huge operating expenditures for little volumes: transportation inefficiency easily reaches 90%. Loose recyclable transportation further adds to three key issues affecting Lebanon: traffic, lack of fuel, and air pollution.
ReFuse incentivises our community to drop their waste at our collection points. By saving on transportation, we can share 50% of the market value of recyclables with our community. Learning to sort materials is a steep learning curve, and requires trust building in the Lebanese context to compensate for the perceived sectoral corruption. To address this, we ensure transparency and on-the-spot learning at our collection centres. Our service adopters witness the sorting and direct processing, enabling their perception of recyclables as resources to grow rapidly. The reward-based scheme also encourages higher commitment and quality sorting efforts from users.
Enabling holistic empowerment for underserved communities
We fight to eradicate poverty, providing contract-based jobs and training for people in underserved communities. Through our reward-based sorting, we further enable income generation for vulnerable communities. We further work to erase informal jobs and child labour in this sector, by combatting the exploitative practices of Lebanon’s waste mafia, and opening recyclables collection points to eliminate reliance on this modern slavery system.
We reduce the release of waste into the air, water and soil by diverting 24 waste streams to the recycling industry, turning them into secondary raw materials. We tackle dense neighbourhoods lacking services to minimise adverse impacts on human health and the environment. We engage disadvantaged youth, continuously spread awareness, and provide technical consultancies to substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse. Through clean-ups and integrated solid waste management solutions, we contribute daily to creating more sustainable cities and communities, reducing litter and promoting environmental actions.
ReFuse’s service is designed and built to be scalable, to serve dense underserved communities, or to be placed in any setting with a high waste generation. We are prepared to scale our model to concentrated urban spaces, informal settlements, and refugee camps worldwide, innovating the space between people and industries in the most neglected settings.
Leading change amongst communities, corporations, and governments
Looking ahead, we aim to reach new communities and expand our social and environmental impact. The team is perfectioning the system requirements and operating procedures for managing several collection points in the near future. We aim to expand the area coverage to 5 collection centres while finetuning both our soft and hard infrastructure. We also aim to pilot our first movable circular center in Lebanon’s refugee camps to target up to one million users in underserved scattered settlements.
We are also looking towards our B2B strategy, to encourage huge corporations to transition to more sustainable practices through our advocacy efforts. We are further piloting initiatives based on our research on exploited informal waste collectors, and influencing the Lebanese government and UN agencies to update their policies on transparent recyclables trading.
Through our efforts, I want to make everyone see what I can see: Never call it waste. Make it valuable.
ReFuse is a Lebanese social enterprise committed to building a zero-waste society that channels resources to empower communities. We run recyclable collection points in dense underserved neighborhoods, we trade 24 types of recyclables with industries, and reward those who contributed with their sorted waste. Never call it waste. Make it valuable.
+
Providing safe sanitation in sub-tropical villages
Leveraging innovation and community education to enable access to safe sanitation, water and hygiene.
Safe Water Gardens (SWG) Pte Ltd
Impact geography: Indonesia, Nepal
By Dr Marc van Loo, Founder and CEO
My wife and I hired local staff from the village to build and subsequently staff the resort. LooLa gathered numerous accolades, including 2012 Most Inspiring Responsible Tourism Operator by Wildasia and 2015 overall winner of the World Responsible Tourism Awards, among others.
Creating a single-sized standalone sanitation system
But in the same year we were crowned the world’s most inspiring responsible tourism operator, our cook’s 1-year-old daughter died. The reason? Bad sanitation at her home.
This shocked us all, especially after I realised that she was not alone. Every day in Indonesia, nearly 400 children die because of bad sanitation. So, we decided to leverage our award to connect to experts and grants to make a change and bring safe sanitation to families like our cook's.
We learned that aid agencies developed a standalone sanitation solution after the Aceh Tsunami in 2004. We then mobilised our wonderful LooLa guests to spend some of their holiday time and money to build these sanitation systems for local families. Many guests obliged, in particular Singapore-based students. These joint efforts revealed the original system’s flaws, but we believed we could fix these flaws and make the system cheaper.
We needed credible partners to do so, so we got a Dutch government grant to work with two top universities: the National University of Singapore and Indonesia’s oldest university, Universitas Gadjah Mada. Two years later, in 2018, we had our cost-optimised model: the Safe Water Garden (SWG), suitable for families and small schools.
From sanitation to full WASH
Several large companies threw their weight behind the SWG, and in December 2019, the Indonesian government recognised the SWG as a safe sanitation system fit for use for up to 10 households. This officially made the SWG the world's cheapest safe sanitation system.
Meanwhile, students made us realise that we could easily extend safe sanitation to safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). So, we added WASH additions such as running water and clean drinking water. These WASH additions could be delivered for less than USD200 per family and be paid for through microloans. We brought in the microlenders who agreed to offer such loans. The SWG thus became an engine for a full micro-WASH solution that includes running and drinking water.
The SWG can also recycle pre-existing village waste in some of its key parts. It is maintenance-free and can be installed in one day. And it is three to seven times cheaper than the current safe sanitation solutions in Indonesia and Nepal, the two countries where we have operated so far.
Empowering villagers to adopt WASH systems
To reach our goal of bringing safe WASH to sub-tropical villages, we had to scale the SWG, and we realised that the way to do it was through education and empowerment. In 2021, we taught a whole village in Bintan to build their own WASH systems. They successfully built 30 systems themselves, benefitting 37 families. That same year, we taught villagers in Java to not only build their own systems but also to share them, bringing the cost of complete safe WASH to less than USD400 per family. With a grant from Rotary International, villagers of Nagrak in Bandung installed 30 full WASH systems for 92 families.
We knew we had to make one final step: teach villagers to become teachers. In the Model Village Programme (MVP), we train villagers to conduct their own high-quality WASH census surveys, build the WASH systems and leverage them to start healthy diet habits, micro-farming and micro-businesses, which are primarily run by women. The MVP enables the village to transfer all this knowledge to other villages in the same region, powering a regional WASH rollout. The first MVP, started in Bintan in 2022, was a huge success and demonstrated the proof of concept.
Creating a replicable and scalable model
We work to ensure that the MVP model will remain successful in the long term. The MVP is a win-win concept that will spark a chain reaction. We sell the MVP at USD260,000 as a Public-Private Partnership project. This fee includes exactly USD100,000 in WASH material cost, procuring as many local materials as possible at transparent prices, which makes the project manifestly corruption-free (to everyone’s delight). Depending on pre-existing conditions, USD 100,000 typically pays for at least 100 complete WASH systems that serve approximately 250 families. The fee also includes a year’s worth of complete WASH census data, and a fully empowered community that can lead a regional WASH rollout at less than USD400 per family. Regional or national governments and MNCs (multinational corporations) with a regional presence pay for the data and training costs while villages themselves co-fund the USD100,000 material costs.
For the many MNCs already publicly committed to providing basic sanitation (one level short of safe sanitation) for their workers before 2030, the MVPs go one step further and offer safe sanitation for far less money and time. A family on safe sanitation is also worth an estimated 0.5 carbon credit per year on account of avoided methane and nitrous oxide emissions. Given that safe sanitation verifiably lasts at least 20 years, a family on safe sanitation is worth about 10 carbon credits. Governments that follow this playbook can also achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 6 (ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all) at a fraction of the budgeted cost. In Indonesia, safe rural sanitation will cost less than USD10 billion, compared to the USD63 billion currently set aside.
In December 2019, the Indonesian government recognised the SWG as part of its national standards. The UN invited us to exhibit at the 2023 UN Water Conference in New York as one of (only!) six examples of a “scalable WASH innovation.”
Never doubt the power of individual action, especially if we work together. Passion and collaboration will save our planet. We hope that our story inspired the reader to play a part!
Safe Water Gardens grew out of LooLa Adventure Resort in Bintan, Indonesia. Our accolades include, among others, 2012 Most Inspiring Responsible Tourism Operator and 2015 overall winner of the World Responsible Tourism Awards. Officially recognised as part of national standards by the Indonesian government in 2019 and feted at the 2023 UN Water Conference as one of only six examples of a scalable WASH innovation, our goal remains: safe sanitation for less than USD200 per family for all village families in (sub)tropical countries by 2030!
+
Empowering vulnerable communities to thrive in a digital economy
Fostering social inclusion through digital enablement initiatives
Singtel Group
Impact geography: Singapore
By Aileen Tan, Group Chief People & Sustainability Officer
As a homegrown, purpose-driven technology company, we’re committed to advancing the well-being and progress of vulnerable members of our society, including children, youth, seniors, low-income families and migrant workers. Singtel’s strong set of core values guide our daily interactions with each other, our customers, partners, communities, and the strategic decisions we make. Our purpose, Empower Every Generation, encapsulates our goal of creating sustainable value and building an equitable and inclusive future for all.
One significant area we’ve focused on is digital enablement and inclusion across all the markets we operate. This is because we recognise that more people risk getting left behind and excluded digitally as technology is increasingly used for completing essential tasks like buying food or accessing banking or government services. We adopt an integrated approach to addressing the digital gaps in the community in collaboration with our partners (national and social service agencies), customers and internal business units. In this way, we develop and implement programmes that leverage our company’s collective resources to create meaningful social impact.
Our digital enablement initiatives are focused on digital literacy so the vulnerable can enjoy the benefits of a digital lifestyle, safely. For example, during the throes of Covid in 2020, when people were working and living remotely, we launched a Singtel Digital Silvers initiative, which involves our staff volunteers giving one-on-one tutorials to seniors on how to use Whatsapp or Zoom to stay connected, make healthcare appointments online and avoid online threats.
To ensure seniors and low-income families have what they need to stay connected, we launched Donate Your Data and Device programs to equip and empower them with free data, laptops and mobiles. To date, about 7,000 seniors have received free data connections through Singtel’s prepaid hi! Cards with a monthly 3GB data plan. We’ve also collected 957kg of electronic devices from our Singtel customers which were refurbished by our non-profit start-up partner, Engineering Good, and subsequently donated to seniors and low-income families.
Beyond connectivity and devices, enabling a safe digital experience for our customers is a key priority. With our multi-pronged holistic security approach, our customers are protected from the network level to their devices. We actively prevent more than 30 million scam calls and 20 million scam SMSes from reaching our customers every month. We also run education campaigns for seniors as well as workshops, in partnership with the Migrant Workers Centre, for more than 48,000 migrant workers so they can better protect themselves while online. To help parents and children learn about online bullying and other safety issues, Singtel has invested over S$1 million to support more than 10,000 parents and youth over the past two years via Help123, a cyber wellness and digital parenting platform offering workshops and a one-stop hotline.
In all, we are pleased to share that we have digitally enabled more than 840,000 beneficiaries in Singapore and Australia (through our wholly owned subsidiary Optus) since 2015 and are on track to reaching our digital enablement goal of one million persons.
Driving innovation in the social sector with technology
We believe that many problems faced by the vulnerable can be mitigated through technological innovation and that social impact start-ups have the potential to make a significant difference with the right mentorship and funding. That’s why we started the Singtel Future Makers (SFM) program in 2016. We were one of the earliest tech accelerators in Singapore to support and develop social enterprises with digitally innovative solutions to enhance social impact in areas such as healthcare, education, environment and inclusion. Today, the program has supported more than 80 local and regional social impact start-ups, with over S$5 million in grants.
Enabling more opportunities for inclusion
While we’re on track to meeting our 2025 target of empowering one million persons and SMEs through digital enablement and inclusion, we’re looking to widen our beneficiary base and set new long-term targets for our initiatives. Through discussions with our business leaders and social services partners, we’re exploring new channels for increasing engagement, volunteerism and outreach to beneficiaries. And to support higher levels of employment among vulnerable communities, we’re evaluating ways to bridge gaps in digital skills that are critical to employability.
These programs have not only made a difference in the communities we serve but give us a deeper understanding of their challenges. It also cultivates valuable skills such as empathy, adaptability, and effective communication, that are essential for personal and professional growth.
They also serve as a reminder of the importance of considering the diverse needs of our customers and society as a whole and spurs us to continuously innovate and create more value for our stakeholders.
Singtel is Asia's leading communications technology group, providing a portfolio of services from next-generation communication, 5G and technology services to infotainment to both consumers and businesses. Present in Asia, Australia and Africa, reaching over 770 million mobile customers and businesses in 21 countries, Singtel is dedicated to continuous innovation, harnessing technology to create new and exciting customer experiences and shaping a more sustainable, digital future.
+
Building resilience in infrastructure design
Incorporating social inclusion and disaster risk reduction in property developments.
SM Prime Holdings., Inc.
Impact geography: Philippines
By Jeffrey C. Lim, President
SM Prime Holdings, Inc. was built on a foundation of values. In 2013, Mr Henry Sy, the patriarch and founder of the SM Group, consolidated the property assets under SM Prime. Inspired by his belief in business as a socially inclusive force, SM Prime advocates property developments that uphold communal values and uplift lives.
We adhere to the company’s four-pillar sustainability framework: Economy, People, Environment and Community. Disaster resilience, social inclusion and the prudent use of natural resources are integral to SM Prime’s business strategy. Having resilience as an anchor in property design not only maintains our high standards, but also strengthens our value to the nation, enabling SM Prime to work with greater urgency, grow more inclusively and engage communities with more empathy.
By actively integrating sustainability parameters into our business operations, our investments prioritise climate change mitigation and adaptation. Our supply chain is augmented by a rich supplier and contractor database that meets global environmental, health, and safety standards. Moreover, we are exploring multi-sectoral collaborations with the government, civil society, and environmental groups like World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines. These partnerships support the shift to a sustainable economy with the right policies, financial regulations, and operating climate, that incentivise the transition to a low-carbon economy for the private sector.
Prioritising protection against calamities
When Hans Sy, son of the late Henry Sy, Sr., was the former head of SM’s Engineering Design and Development, he experienced several natural and manmade calamities that resulted in extensive property damage and devastation to SM’s tenants and community. Almost overnight, disaster preparedness and infrastructure resilience became priorities embedded in the company’s DNA.
The SM Mall of Asia Complex is uniquely designed with a seawall to protect it from potential storm surges or sea-level rise. Built on reclaimed land, the mall uses a specialised excavation method to provide more robust protection against liquefaction and seismic events. The mall is also elevated above the required building level with a wave return and drainage channel to prevent flooding due to storm surges.
SM Marikina, another example of resilient building, securely rests on 246 stilts and is built 20 metres beyond the government’s safety zone compliance. This architectural innovation enables the mall to withstand abrupt floodwaters. Thus, the mall has become a refuge for Marikina residents during strong typhoons while preventing the flooding of neighbouring communities, which was a perennial problem in the area before the mall’s construction.
Also, some of our properties were the first to be LEED-certified in the Philippines. For example, the iconic SM Aura property at Bonifacio Global City is a mixed-use development incorporating retail, trade halls and a Grade A office tower. The property is anchored by a LEED Gold Certified mall which promotes resource efficiency, green mobility and green landscaping.
Mr Hans Sy’s understanding of crisis leadership was integral. He played a role in ARISE-Philippines, which is a local network of ARISE global, the Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies. Members of the network voluntarily commit to implement the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR). SM Prime organised and launched the Philippine chapter of the network in 2015 and has since helped partner cities and local governments achieve greater disaster resilience through mobilising private funds for various public programmes.
Targeting Net Zero across the value chain
The company’s operations are directly and indirectly affected by climate-related challenges, which is why the themes of climate health, resilient design and disaster risk reduction have played pivotal roles in our construction and design activities over the past decade. Our sustainability framework is shaped by the board’s Corporate Governance Committee, who are tasked with all sustainability matters including social and environmental issues on value creation. This adjustment within the company’s board committees drove the creation of SM Prime’s Sustainability Council. The responsibility of achieving our sustainability roadmap commitments and targets lies with the office of the President.
With a vision of being a climate leader among Philippine property developers, SM Prime now leads the Race to Zero in Philippine Real Estate with its 2040 commitment. The launch of a Net Zero programme encompasses our integrative approach to achieve scalable results. Therefore, SM Prime has set a strong example for local builders to follow.
We strengthened our commitment to environmental protection by joining the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and by collaborating with WWF-Philippines to address climate concerns in our operations. We stay true to our path and purpose by continuously expanding our renewable energy portfolio, and optimising energy efficiency and efficient water management. SM Prime has achieved its 2022 commitment of sourcing renewable energy for at least 50% of its electricity consumption. We will continue to support the government programme of increasing the renewable energy supply of the country.
A sustainable and resilient future requires an all-hands-on-deck approach. It’s true that we can all take the lead to achieve a sustainable tomorrow. Our own journey in SM Prime has taught us that teamwork is key to everything.
SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime), is one of the leading integrated property developers in Southeast Asia. We are committed to being a catalyst for economic growth, delivering innovative and sustainable lifestyle cities, and thereby enriching the quality of life of millions of people.
+
Moving people, enhancing livestyles through inclusive service delivery
Driving social inclusion through greater accessibility in public transport
SMRT Corporation Ltd
Impact geography: Singapore
SMRT is a leading public transport operator in Singapore with over 70% of the rail network operated by us. With close to 2.5 million rides on our trains and buses daily, our MRT stations and bus interchanges impact lives and livelihoods. We recognise the unique role we have in bringing communities together.
Our mission and purpose is Moving People, Enhancing Lifestyles. We don’t just move people physically from point to point; we move them in different aspects of their lives, such as the way they live, play and work.
With a rapidly ageing population and people with diverse needs and disabilities living among us, we have over the years made a concerted effort to understand their requirements to provide inclusive travel solutions and inclusive service delivery.
Delivering inclusive service to commuters with different needs
With our commuters at the heart of our operations, we strive to deliver exceptional service through our employees and leverage innovative solutions in operations, maintenance, and customer service to enhance the commuting experience. This is central to our purpose and drives our passion to best meet the needs of our commuters.
In 2017, we introduced the Inclusive Service Delivery Programme to equip SMRT Trains and Buses staff with practical skills and build their confidence to assist priority passengers.
Since then, we have continued to improve service excellence and in the past year, we have implemented several efforts that positively impact commuters:
In April 2021, SMRT Buses teamed up with Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS) and SPD to enhance our inclusive service delivery training for frontline staff like bus captains and interchange managers. Through the training, our frontline staff learned how to interact with commuters with different physical and intellectual disabilities as well as those on the autism spectrum.
We also launched Go-To SMRT, an initiative to enhance our commuter services and facilities to better serve the Singapore community. Through Go-To SMRT, we want to encourage everyone to embrace SMRT-operated transport nodes as the first place they turn to for common needs such as wayfinding, first aid, locating missing children or the elderly, and other assistance that may help in their travels in the transport network.
Starting with 17 SMRT train stations and five bus interchanges, a suite of facilities and services were made available at SMRT stations and bus interchanges to transform them into go-to points for anyone in need of help, including people with special needs. Since end-2022, our Go-To SMRT initiative has been fully rolled out across all SMRT-operated MRT stations and bus interchanges.
We also optimised our train stations and bus interchanges to feature care spaces and first-aid rooms, as well as established Dementia Go-To Points that serve as ‘safe return’ points where members of the public can bring persons living with dementia who may appear lost for help. These points also serve as resource centres within the community to provide information and useful resources on dementia and link those who need help with relevant dementia-related services.
In 2021 alone, we helped more than 80 dementia commuters reunite with their loved ones, and we record over 100 Go-To SMRT evidence-based stories every month.
Leveraging technology to enhance accessibility
While we have the mandate of a public transport operator to maintain and operate transport services, what defines us and our work is our efforts to go beyond that and focus on delivering a commuter-centred experience for all commuter groups.
We identify and deploy innovative solutions to leverage technology and augment our other efforts to make public transport more accessible.
SMRT was the first public transport operator in Asia to deploy NaviLens, an indoor navigation mobile app designed to aid visually-impaired commuters get around our transport nodes.
We first trialled NaviLens in June 2021 in some areas of Woodlands Integrated Transport Hub (WITH) when it opened for operations, teaming up with two social service agencies – the Guide Dogs Singapore Ltd (GDS) and Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped (SAVH) – to fine-tune NaviLens’ user accessibility in real-world situations through various tweaks before we launched it officially to cover the whole of WITH in May 2022.
Since then, NaviLens has also been rolled out across all SMRT-operated bus interchanges, with plans also to extend this innovative solution to MRT stations.
Collaborating and digitalising to support the community
Inclusive travel solutions and inclusive service delivery will always be part of SMRT’s DNA for customer-centricity.
SMRT hopes to integrate responsible stewardship and social leadership by striking a balance between the twin pillars of business growth and social mission. This will serve as a key tenet of how we run our public transport and commercial business, especially as we continue striving to be an industry leader for other commercial organisations to follow suit.
We remain focused on delivering service that have our commuters at the heart of our operations. Our people strive to deliver exceptional service and leverage innovative solutions in operations, maintenance, and customer service to enhance the commuting experience. In the years to come, we intend to leverage data and digitalisation to impact commuters positively.
We are also keen to explore collaboration with suitable partners who could help us better support different commuters and make travel accessible to them. This extends to the level of training our people must have to be able to provide the right assistance that meets the needs of different commuters, adequately and sensitively.
We are committed to doing our part to have a positive impact on the lives of our commuters and community because we are in the business of Moving People and Enhancing Lifestyles.
SMRT Corporation Ltd is a Public Transport Operator in Singapore and an internationally respected commercial partner. Guided by our vision of Moving People, Enhancing Lifestyles, we are committed to delivering safe and reliable public transport services as well as creating vibrant transit destinations to make our everyday touchpoints better. We also provide specialist and dedicated expertise in a wide range of urban mobility solutions. As a purpose-driven organisation, we are steadfast in our journey to build a sustainable business.
+
Integrating data analysis to halve food waste
Harnessing technology to make a difference one plate at a time.
Sodexo Singapore Pte Ltd
Impact geography: Singapore
By Lee Qi Ni, Corporate Responsibility and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Lead, Malaysia and Singapore
In 2016, Sodexo launched a flagship sustainability program in Singapore called WasteWatch powered by Leanpath. As a food services and facilities management provider, our aim was to reduce food waste by 50% by 2025.
WasteWatch deploys technology to track and analyse food waste data, empowering our culinary teams to effect change. The information enables our chefs to make data-driven decisions at both the operational and behavioural level to eliminate excess food waste produced by our kitchens and the consumer plate waste discarded by guests.
WasteWatch represents a simple vision for a more sustainable future, making a difference one plate at a time.
Analysing food waste data to reduce waste
Sodexo is a purpose-driven organisation where we live and breathe our three values of Service Spirit, Team Spirit and Spirit of Progress. We truly believe our purpose is to create a better everyday for everyone to build a better life for all.
As a service company, Sodexo takes care in getting to know our clients and customers. With WasteWatch, our culinary teams are equipped to service our clients’ growing interest in food waste reduction, present relevant data and propose waste reduction initiatives.
Strong teamwork is essential to deliver our services. With WasteWatch, Sodexo’s culinary teams support each other in various ways – from recording and analysing food waste data to brainstorming ideas to reduce food waste together.
We believe excellence in service means continuously seeking opportunities for improvement. With WasteWatch, Sodexo’s culinary teams take the initiative to measure and analyse food waste data, looking for better ways of reducing food waste to progress as a sustainable food services provider.
Overall, WasteWatch empowers our culinary teams to contribute to Sodexo’s purpose. By reducing food waste and its carbon emissions, we protect the environment and create a better everyday for future generations.
Combining hardware, software and behavioural education
WasteWatch reduced an average of 50% of food waste at Sodexo kitchen sites over three years. Since its pilot launch in Singapore in 2016, the programme has reduced food waste by more than 400 metric tonnes, preventing close to 3000 metric tonnes of carbon emissions. As Sodexo continues its daily efforts to reduce food waste, these numbers are expected to grow further.
Supported by our technology provider, Leanpath, WasteWatch combines hardware, software and behavioural education. The core innovation is a measurement system that connects a touch-screen interface to weighing scales, which collects daily pre- and post-consumer food waste using metrics like weight, quantity and food type.
All data collected are sent to Leanpath Online, the backend AI-powered platform that identifies areas of wastage and communicates the operational and behavioural changes needed to reduce waste. The AI platform also uses smart data to set waste reduction goals and shares in-depth real-time insights on the financial and environmental impacts of food waste.
Like any new innovation, execution is key. Capability development is an important component of WasteWatch, as we use data to improve daily standard operating processes across our food service sites. For example, kitchen teams are trained in food waste data entry and data analysis. Wastewatch also considers how our business model influences behaviour. As our kitchen teams operate onsite services for clients, they are physically separated and accountable for different sites. Usually, ideas to reduce food waste come from and stay within the same team. A simple platform was thus created to share best practices and encourage cross-pollination of ideas across sites.
Instilling a circular mindset in the long term
Sodexo is working to scale WasteWatch across a diverse range of food service sites, from large-scale facilities like manufacturing plants, hospitals and schools, to smaller corporate office pantries serving coffee and light meals. To enhance WasteWatch’s financial feasibility for smaller sites, Sodexo is developing WasteWatch Lite, where sites can continue using the Leanpath software for food waste data analytics while having the flexibility of choosing lighter hardware (weighing scale and tablet).
Sodexo also plans to utilise data gathered from WasteWatch to drive further innovation, such as managing food waste that are traditionally perceived as "unavoidable." Examples include promoting zero-waste recipes made with usually discarded ingredient parts such as potato peels to reduce trim waste from fruits and vegetables. Ultimately, Sodexo aims to instil a circular mindset within its culinary teams, shifting from a linear take-make-dispose model to a sustainable take-make-reuse approach, contributing to a more sustainable future.
Sodexo Singapore was established in 1982 and delivers Food and Facilities Management Services to over 50 clients, feeding 50,000 people every day. Sodexo Singapore is a trusted partner to some of the biggest multinational corporations, healthcare providers, education, and mining & offshore facilities. Our top-notch chefs, nutritionists and kitchen crew work with clients to provide meals of culinary and nutritional excellence. While our comprehensive range of Facilities Management Services takes an intelligent approach to optimizing the environments we service.
+
Empowering elderly and kidney patients through employment
Enabling seniors and kidney patients to build skills and strengthen their sense of purpose.
Tea Ideas Pte Ltd
By Jacinta Ong, Director
In the bustling heart of Singapore, Tea Ideas is quietly but profoundly changing the lives of elderly above 60 and kidney patients. Spearheaded by our indomitable trio of Albert, Chun Chuan, and myself, Tea Ideas is at the forefront of uplifting these communities and restoring their self-esteem and self-confidence through inclusive employment support. Wellness is also at the heart of what we do, as we provide healthy and high-quality teas for our customers’ various needs.
Creating tailored and flexible job opportunities
Born from a vision of enhancing overall societal well-being and addressing the unique challenges faced by the elderly and kidney patients, we embarked on a mission to provide not just jobs but meaningful work opportunities. Our project has been in motion for more than 10 years now, driven by a set of ambitious yet compassionate objectives.
We aim to empower and uplift elderly and kidney patients, offering them meaningful work and a supportive community. This noble purpose is tightly woven into the fabric of our organisation, reflected in our values of authenticity, creativity and resilience.
Our project's core strategy is to provide flexible work arrangements tailored to the physical and cognitive limitations of our beneficiaries. Simple yet powerful changes, such as lighter equipment and larger font sizes, ensure that both hardware and software are user-friendly. This meticulous prioritisation of beneficiaries' needs is vital in preventing our beneficiaries from feeling "fearful and frozen," thus enabling them to thrive in their roles.
Fostering connection and holistic well-being
The project has yielded remarkable outcomes for us:
Adapting quickly to changing circumstances
Our project's innovation lies in its pragmatic approach to problem-solving. Instead of extravagant investments, we opted for practical redesigns of existing processes. One notable instance was during the challenging days of the Covid-19 pandemic. Facing tight budgets, we realised we needed to pivot and sell our products to companies instead of to their staff and clients but wondered how. We formed a working committee and started to explore ways to creatively reimagine packaging, such that cost was reduced while maintaining quality. This process helped us secure substantial corporate orders and we weathered the storm successfully.
Building scale through entrepreneurship and skills development
We have ambitious plans for the future. In the short term, we aim to expand our project’s presence with more roadshows and events, enhancing our visibility and cash flow. The goal is to attract not only more seniors and kidney patients but also single mothers and autistic youths who are above 18 years old and fall outside the government support jurisdiction. This vision will further enhance our mission of empowerment and social impact.
Our organisation is committed to driving long-term positive impact by creating a chain of social enterprise outlets. These "social franchising" outlets will create more job opportunities for beneficiaries and serve as hubs for skills development. We also plan to engage external industry trainers to equip beneficiaries with entrepreneurial skills, enabling them to run successful "co-partner" outlets.
In essence, Tea Ideas exemplifies how social enterprises can create transformative and sustainable impact within communities. By providing employment opportunities, equipping beneficiaries with skills, and fostering entrepreneurship, our project is creating a legacy of empowerment and positive change. With plans for expansion and continued training, the future is bright for Tea Ideas, promising an even greater impact on society.
Tea Ideas is a registered social enterprise that employs the elderly and renal patients. We uplift the social, mental and physical well-being of these beneficiaries via flexible work arrangements and streamlined processes. We advocate a healthy beverage drinking lifestyle with our Ultra Rich Antioxidant Tea. We started the company since 2012 and is also a 2-year “Business For Good” Award Winner in 2020 & 2021.
+
Manufacturing electric jeepneys to combat pollution
Creating an electric vehicle transportation platform to strengthen the public transport system
Tojo Motors Corporation
Impact geography: the Philippines
By Jose Ledesma Mabilangan, Chairman
Tojo Motors Corporation is a proudly 100% Filipino-owned firm that espouses steward leadership by creating an ecosystem around an electric vehicle transportation platform in the Philippines. Our mission is to serve both the public and private stakeholders and provide an environmentally and socially sustainable solution for the transportation industry, specifically the modernisation of the iconic Filipino jeepneys.
The story of Tojo Motors Corporation began in 2013 with Ralph Legaspi, our Founder and CEO, on vacation in the idyllic tropical beaches of Boracay. Ralph observed a problem with the noisy and volatile organic compound emissions of tricycles that plied the streets. As a car enthusiast, he sought to create a more environmentally-friendly transportation vehicle to replace these tricycles which he felt were ruining the natural beauty of Boracay. And thus, he founded Tojo Motors, the first local manufacturer of electric vehicles, and built it from the ground up with his own personal capital. Till date, Ralph, our Board of Directors, and Advisory Board have consciously focused on our primary purpose of providing and environmentally sound and sustainable solution to the antiquated public transport system in the Philippines.
Modernising jeepneys for social & environmental impact
The passage of the Philippine EV Bill on April 15, 2022 provided Tojo Motors an invaluable opportunity to create and develop Electric Vehicle Jeepneys or E-Jeepneys to replace over 800,000 existing traditional jeepneys nationwide.
As for the impact to our nation, our E-Jeepneys present an opportunity to lessen the significant dependence on fossil fuel. The modernisation of jeepneys have the potential to drastically improve air quality and noise pollution. In addition, repairs and maintenance of these vehicles eliminate the use of oils and chemicals.
Most importantly, we are able to provide more sustainable employment to our Filipino workers as we scale up our production. For our E-jeepney drivers, we are able to provide a higher living wage as compared to using traditional jeepneys. Moreover, our vehicles are substantially easier to drive and are more comfortable.
Finally, our E-Jeepneys provide a much better and more pleasant experience, specifically, a safer, smoother, cleaner, noise-free, spacious, and convenient ride.
Integrating technology to address needs on the ground
We continuously invest in research and development to keep up with technology and to create Filipino sustainable innovation in the transportation industry. We have designed and built our E-Jeepneys in-house to include a GPS system, auto fare collection system, CCTV cameras, video entertainment system with artificial intelligence advertising capability, lithium-ion battery, and AC motors technology.
We are the only truly local manufacturer of electric vehicles in the Philippines. Our E-jeepneys cater to the local conditions of the roads and environment. Our business model relies on battery swapping instead of charging. Moreover, our after-sale service technology can extend the battery life of our vehicles as compared to our competitor’s imports.
We have been recognised by the Department of Science and Technology and the United Nations under UNIDO, UNDP, and UN Habitat as one of the local innovators in the Philippines. We were recently conferred the E-Mobility Award from the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines during the 11th Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit.
Spearheading the transition to electric vehicles
The future is extremely bright for us. In the recent 11th Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit 2023, the conclusion arrived was that there was no turning back from the transition to electric vehicles in the Philippines. It was predicted that by 2030 over 6 million vehicles would use an electric platform in our country.
The immediate plan is for us to tap this once in a generation opportunity and to scale up our production under its current factory base. We plan to expand our manufacture to other types of vehicles including e-tricycles, e-buses, e-motorcycles, e-trucks, and eventually e-cars.
While our core business is the manufacture of electric vehicles in the Philippines, we plan to expand our business portfolio to include battery swapping, leasing, cashless payment system, and advertising. Next year, we plan to set up a Leasing Facility for our customers thereby facilitating financing options. Furthermore, we will be setting up a battery manufacturing company to include other battery applications and innovations.
We plan to launch a pilot project early next year in General Santos City, Mindanao wherein the E-Jeepney program is integrated into an ecosystem within a 2-hectare property to include solar charged battery swapping stations, retail areas for livelihood projects for the families of the jeepney drivers, and housing projects for the drivers. This is a collaborative project between Tojo Motors, the local government unit, and the jeepney cooperatives.
For the long term, we plan to build a world class manufacturing facility and several assembly plants in strategic locations nationwide and thus employ more workers. Tojo Motors would also have global ambitions as we have received several enquiries from Ghana and Egypt to replicate this transportation ecosystem platform in their respective countries.
Tojo Motors Corporation is a proudly 100% fully Filipino-owned electric vehicle company. The firm has been developing electric-type public utility vehicles since its founding in 2013, using modern technology such as AC motors and lithium battery. Tojo also focuses on sustainability of our people’s livelihood, providing the best price and after-sales support, making Tojo the leading EV provider in Boracay Island, Naga City, General Santos City, Butuan City, and other parts of the country.
Click here to see 2022 Honourees.
Curated By
Supporting Partners
Methodology
Steward Leadership involves activating the Steward Leadership Compass to have a significant positive effect on uplifting communities or tackling today’s environmental challenges.
Projects that are included in SL25 are part of the organisation’s core growth strategy, which is subsequently guided by the organisation's values and purpose and serves as its compass in directing operations and execution.
The judges assess the nominees based on:
Purpose and values
Whether the project has a clear purpose and values that seek to create sustainable growth while benefitting its stakeholders, society, future generations and the environment. Judges also consider the extent to which the project aligns with the organisation’s overarching purpose and values.
Strategy and planning
How the project is integrated into the overall business or growth strategy, as well as the scale of the project in relation to the size of the organisation’s business.
Tangible outcomes
The reach and positive impact of the project on the environment, society and/or other impact areas and whether it has improved the current state of the environment and society.
Sustainable value creation
The innovative nature of the project relative to that of others in its industry and its commitment to long-term sustainable impact. Judges also consider how the project fulfilled a pressing need of the community and its stakeholders.
Judges
Mr Patrick Daniel
Director, SPH Media Trust
Mr Munib Madni
Founding Panvestor & CEO, Panarchy Partners
Tan Sri Dr Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria
Executive Director, APEC Secretariat, Singapore
Professor Joanne Roberts
President, Yale-NUS College
Dr Veerathai Santiprabhob
Member of the Board, Mae Fah Luang Foundation
Professor Dr. Hellmut Schütte
Professor Emeritus of International Management, INSEAD, Singapore
Ms Elissar Farah Antonios, QRD®
Founder & CEO, Soul Ventures Holding Ltd.
Media
Media
FAQ
For non-APAC-headquartered companies, you may nominate a project if its geographical impact is in APAC and you have an office in the area(s) where your project is implemented.
We may follow up with applicants through the application platform to clarify information in the application form and/or request applicants to provide more information via email or virtual interviews. Applicants will be informed of their status before the Steward Leadership Summit.
