Tag Archives: ESG

PR Newswire

ClimaFi is fighting greenwashing with the first platform for trading UK woodland and peatland carbon credits built on the Concordium blockchain

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ZUG, Switzerland and LONDON, Feb. 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — UK-based climate technology company ClimaFi announces the first trading platform to offer carbon credits from verified UK peatlands and woodlands. CLMT Exchange, a regenerative project built entirely on the Concordium decentralized blockchain, will allow enterprises and organizations to offset their emissions using domestic credits. 

Companies are facing several challenges in the fight against climate change. This includes increasing pressure to publicly disclose their greenhouse gas emissions, as well as recent legislative proposals to pose “dissuasive” penalties on companies making unsubstantiated environmental claims.

As concerns about climate change grow, many companies are taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint. However, not all claims about reducing emissions are genuine, leading to the phenomenon known as greenwashing. One solution to this problem is the use of blockchain for the issuance of verified certificates on emission reductions from peatlands and woodlands.

Peatlands and woodlands are storing at least 550 gigatons of carbon globally, more than twice the carbon stored in all the world’s forests: peatlands cover just 3% of the Earth’s surface but account for the largest terrestrial carbon stock in the world. 

In the UK, peatlands account for almost 10% of total national land, but up to 80% of them are currently in a state of degradation. As they deteriorate, they release 20 million tonnes of CO₂ into the atmosphere every single year, accounting for 4% of the UK’s total annual greenhouse gas emissions. The UK market has around three million hectares of peatland from which to produce carbon credits, thus successfully restoring them (an opportunity worth £2.8 billion a year) could play a vital role in the fight against climate change.

CLMT Exchange offers an opportunity to fuel this transformation by focusing on high-quality carbon credits with the backing of existing government-approved standards agencies such as the Peatland Carbon Code, a voluntary certification standard for UK peatland projects, and the Woodland Carbon Code, a UK quality assurance standard for woodland creation.

A Grantham Research Institute report shows that UK corporations often offset their emissions by buying foreign carbon credits due to a lack of high-quality domestic projects, but by buying carbon credits through CLMT Exchange, companies and investors will be able to secure high-integrity credits and help drive the regeneration of degraded UK peatland. 

CLMT Exchange’s carbon credits help companies offset emissions while facilitating national efforts to meet Article 6 commitments under the terms of the Paris Agreement. Additionally, CLMT Exchange offers the unique opportunity to trade carbon credit pending issuance units on a secondary market, thus providing liquidity and support from investors and traders entering this rapidly growing asset class. 

As the very first marketplace for trading peatland credits, CLMT Exchange will be a unique blockchain-based venue for companies to buy –and most importantly, trust– regional credits, while also increasing demand for high-quality Peatland Carbon Credits alongside national programs. Finally, the program will reinforce the importance of ClimaFi’s forthcoming “Peatland Protocol”, a new, science-based digital methodology (“dMRV”) for accurate and transparent measurement and monitoring of all projects.

As the only layer-1 blockchain with a built-in self-sovereign ID framework, Concordium blockchain plays a vital role in ensuring all the above can be done properly, safely, efficiently and for the betterment of society. The partnership is set to begin immediately, with carbon credits being made available for trading on CLMT Exchange in Q2, 2023. 

Lone Fønss Schrøder, CEO, of Concordium, says: “On the CLMT Exchange, enterprises can offset and regenerate land in close proximity to where they emit by blockchain-based, trusted, verified credits. This creates a tamper-proof record of carbon credits that can be easily audited and verified, and it provides a reliable and trustworthy way to demonstrate a company’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions and combating climate change, reducing the risk of greenwashing and promoting responsible business practices.”

Tim de Rosen, ClimaFi’s CEO and Co-founder says: “We are delighted to be building CLMT Exchange on Concordium. A highly attractive feature of the Concordium blockchain is its regulatory-ready, built-in ID layer.”

Media Contact
Marketing team
marketing@concordium.com

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TECNO’s Trailblazing PHANTOM X2 Pro 5G Wins Gold at the International Design Awards 2022

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The recently showcased flagship product of TECNO PHANTOM X2 Pro 5G, astonished at the International Design Awards 2022, winning a Gold and a Bronze for its sustainable design.

LONDON, Feb. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — TECNO, an innovative technology brand with operations in over 70 markets globally, continues to rack up more accolades as the 16th annual International Design Awards (IDA for short) recently unveiled its full list of winners, where among those celebrated is the impeccable design team behind TECNO’s newest flagship product under its premium sub-brand, the PHANTOM X2 Pro 5G Eco-Friendly Edition, winning the Gold Award in Media And Home Electronics-Phone and Other Communications Technology, and the Bronze Award in Design for Society-Eco-Sustainable-Design.

Founded in 2007, the IDA was created to appreciate, celebrate and promote the work of visionaries in the field of design. As one of the most prestigious and authoritative design awards in the world, this award means that TECNO PHANTOM X2 Pro Eco-friendly edition has been recognized by international professional judges and the industry in terms of sustainability, technological and innovative design concept. It is the world’s first smartphone to feature a retractable portrait lens comparable to a professional camera to create “studio-like” portrait photography. With a 65mm focal length, 2.5x optical zoom retractable portrait lens, the PHANTOM X2 Pro 5G revolutionizes image-making in the smartphone industry. The trailblazing smartphone also packs a powerful flagship MediaTek Dimensity 9000 5G chip, which delivering both outstanding performance and advanced power efficiency.

On top of its exceptional processing power, the PHANTOM X2 Series also have a unibody curved-screen design that softens the phone’s appearance and feel, while its 3.5D lunar crater back cover reduces the impact of the camera module, eliminating sharp corners and giving it a beautiful slimmer look. 

Aimed to celebrate sustainable and smart designs from a variety of disciplines, the IDA serves as an important spotlight for not just the winning designers, but also the environmental impact their products have on the world. Committed to the cause, the PHANTOM X2 Pro 5G Eco-Friendly Edition was built with sustainability in mind, featuring an ultra-thin eco-friendly back cover that’s constructed using recycled materials recovered from oceans. In total, each back cover contains 14.4% recycled material which can reduce carbon emissions by approximately 38%, with each individual cover producing an estimated 2.4g fewer emissions on average.  This significant reduction in carbon emissions have just been why it won the IDA Award in Sustainable Design at first attempt. However, the work isn’t done yet. The PHANTOM X2 design team hopes to encourage consumers worldwide to continue embracing sustainable lifestyles.

TECNO has always been committed to bringing outstanding products with both technology and design to consumers through innovation that constantly breaks boundaries. From winning the Sustainable Product Design award at the Loop Design Awards in September 2022, to now winning gold at the IDA, TECNO has more certainly proven itself to be an impeccable force in the premium smartphone market. With “Stop At Nothing” brand essence, TECNO will continue to design the best contemporary technologies for global users, giving them stylishly designed intelligent products that inspire them to never stop perusing their best selves and best futures.

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Panasonic Corporation Emphasizes Holistic Well-Being in Its Products; Announces New Brand Action Tagline “Create Today. Enrich Tomorrow.”

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MANILA, Philippines, Jan. 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Panasonic Corporation today unveiled in The Philippines its new brand action tagline ‘Create Today. Enrich Tomorrow’, as part of their continuous efforts to better champion solutions that emphasize the well-being of people, society and the planet.

The new brand action tagline aims to enhance people's quality of life and take care of the environment
The new brand action tagline aims to enhance people’s quality of life and take care of the environment

Panasonic has a long-standing mission established by its founder Konosuke Matsushita which says that the corporation should contribute to society and tackle global challenges around climate change, which are both key to its strategic direction moving forward.

In April 2022, Panasonic Corporation was set up as a new company within the Panasonic holding company structure, incorporating the business operation that produces appliances for day-to-day life. Mr Masahiro Shinada, President and CEO of Panasonic Corporation shared that the corporation will continue fulfilling Panasonic’s mission through ‘Create Today. Enrich Tomorrow.’

Shinada said, “This represents our thinking as a company and our goal as a manufacturer to enhance the quality of lives of people by creating useful and high-quality products today that improve their holistic well-being. At the same time, we are also taking care of the environment and developing innovative technologies to enrich all our lives tomorrow. These contribute to our commitment to ensure that families and individuals can continue to rely on us and trust us to fulfill their home and lifestyle needs.”

Each word of the slogan has its meaning:

CREATE useful, high-quality products that improve people’s lives and make the world a better place. This is the essence of who Panasonic is.

TODAY our customers need us to develop technologies and engineer solutions to improve their daily lives and their personal wellbeing. We deliver with relentless innovation and our commitment to sustainability.

ENRICH the world together. At the heart of everything we do is the wellbeing of our customers and our planet. Panasonic’s goal is to enrich the lives of those around us, every day.

TOMORROW we will continue to enhance our products, services, and solutions to help our customers lead their best lives and to help our future environment.

Expanding on the focus areas of ‘Create Today. Enrich Tomorrow.’, Mr Takahiro Oyama, Deputy Managing Director of Panasonic Appliances Marketing Asia Pacific said, “Moving forward, these three well-being categories — Inner, Outer and Spatial Wellbeing — are the foundation of the design and purpose of all our products and services. ‘Inner Wellbeing’ starts from the kitchen through healthy eating, while ‘Outer Wellbeing’ focuses on physical hygiene. ‘Spatial Wellbeing’ aims to create a comfortable living atmosphere at home that is safe and clean.”

Holistic Wellbeing sits front and center in the design and purpose of Panasonic's products and services
Holistic Wellbeing sits front and center in the design and purpose of Panasonic’s products and services

From a product design and feature standpoint under ‘Inner Wellbeing’, Panasonic will use proprietary technologies for heating, pressurizing, and stirring foods, as well as radio wave sensing technology for defrosting to help preserve these flavors and offer consumers the ability to cook tasty food using less salt and fat.  

‘Outer Wellbeing’ products will feature more biometric sensing and analysis technologies to create targeted skin care regimens based on individual needs such as hair type or skin type. ‘Spatial Wellbeing’ products feature nanoe technology to improve the quality of air we breathe, as well as hometainment solutions that meet the demand for high-definition entertainment in a living space in this digital era.

Panasonic also shared that the new brand action tagline will be underpinned by their commitment to protect the global environment through two pillars – carbon neutrality and promoting a circular economy. The corporation aims to reduce more than 300 million tons in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 from its own value chain and avoided emissions through utilizing clean and efficient energy solutions, as well as improve product durability and design products that can be easily disassembled for reuse and recycling.

For more information on our branding ‘Create Today. Enrich Tomorrow.’, please visit our homepage at www.panasonic.com/ph/consumer/create-today-enrich-tomorrow.html.

For enquiries, please contact
Ms. Phoenix Manayaga
Marketing Communications Manager
Panasonic Manufacturing Philippines Corporation
phoenixdianne.manayaga@ph.panasonic.com 

PR Newswire

JD.com and APEC Women Leadership Forum Co-Launch Report on Women’s Contributions to Sustainable Consumption and Production

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BEIJING, Jan. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — APEC Women Leadership Forum, the premier platform on fostering women’s economic empowerment among the 21 economies of the Asia -Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and JD.com co-launched the “APEC Report：Observation of Women’s Value in Sustainable Consumption and Production,” which adopted extensive surveys and consumption data to examine the role of women as both producers and consumers in advancing sustainability.

The report found that women are instinctively leading the green consumption path with their actions, and their shopping choices often determine the consumption patterns of each household. Meanwhile, women demonstrate prominent leadership in driving the “Sustainability/ SDG / CSR” fields in the corporate world.

Shopping greener “before you know it”

Based on the results of a survey conducted by JD.com’s Consumption and Industry Development Institute on over 2,000 respondents on the topic of responsible consumption, women weigh “environmentally friendly” as a much higher consideration than men when considering products. In fact, it is the only factor on which they outscored men, whereas the latter showed comparatively more concerns for other factors such as brand, culture, and price.

Interestingly, when being asked about the concept and their understanding of sustainable consumption, female respondents gave themselves more moderate ratings than male did, with only 49.75 percent choosing “understand very well” and “understand,” while 31.19 percent opted for “not sure.” However, their feedback on actual shopping choices unveiled a stronger tendency towards energy saving, trade-in, replaceable and recyclable products, especially in the categories of home appliances, furnishing and decorations, office supplies, car accessories, footwear, health products and more. These results demonstrate that women may have a deeper understanding about the concept of sustainable consumption than they give themselves credit for, as they are more likely to choose sustainable products instinctively.

When asked, “Which player is more important in promoting sustainable consumption?” Forty-four percent of female respondents chose “consumers” over “product makers” （30 percent）, and “circulators” (27 percent). Female respondents also showed higher approval of producers for behavior categories including offering job opportunities, supporting disadvantaged groups, proper waste handling and more.

Shaping sustainable producers with “SHE Power”

With more and more enterprises setting up the dedicated function of “Sustainability/ SDG /CSR,” the role to implement these initiatives is mainly led by women, accounting for over 60 percent in surveyed companies that have set up such dedicated departments, and 82 percent in other companies that have relevant positions, according to APEC Women Leadership Forum’s research on women business leaders, in a new attempt to study women’s role as producers in sustainable consumption.

According to the surveys on which the report is based, women leaders demonstrate stronger focus on long-term value and innovation for sustainable solutions, with respondents expressing that they started formulating relevant thinking 6 to 10 years ago (30 percent). A majority are driven by the factors of “enterprise development need” (76 percent), “inspired by global trends” (73 percent), and “guided by domestic policies” (73 percent). 

The report also noted that it is urgent for the whole society to enhance awareness of responsible consumption and production amid global uncertainties in order to continue making progress toward the Sustainable Development Goal. Meanwhile, how to strike a balance between the Goal and enterprise ROI, and the lack of unified ESG standards, talents and corporate capacities, all pose threats to this course.

As a leading supply chain-based technology and service provider, JD.com is committed to collaborating with upstream and downstream partners and the whole society to collectively build a more productive and sustainable world. JD.com’s green supply chain efforts, known as the “Green Stream Initiative,” have so far engaged more than 300,000 enterprises in carbon reduction activities ranging from packaging, warehousing, transportation, product recycling and more. On the demand side, the company introduced the “Green Impact Initiative” in May 2022, which made nearly a million kinds of products on its platform more identifiable with environmentally-friendly labels, in order to raise awareness among its hundreds of millions users.

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Hi2 Global Joins UN Principles for Responsible Investment

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NEW YORK, Jan. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Hi2 Global is now a signatory of the United Nations (UN) Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), the world’s leading proponent of responsible investment.

Launched by the UN in 2006 under former Secretary-General Kofi Annan, PRI works to understand the investment implications of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors, and support its international network of investor signatories in incorporating these factors into their investment and ownership decisions.

The PRI is independent and encourages investors to use responsible investment to enhance returns and better manage risks, but does not operate for its own profit. It is supported by, but not part of, the UN.

The PRI has grown consistently since 2006 with 3,826 signatories representing $121.3 trillion of assets under management (AUM) all over the world as of 2021.

The six Principles for Responsible Investment offer a menu of possible actions for incorporating ESG issues into investment practice, which include incorporating ESG issues into investment analysis and decision-making processes, being active owners and incorporating ESG issues into ownership policies and practices, seeking appropriate disclosure on ESG issues by the entities invested, promoting acceptance and implementation of the Principles within the investment industry, working together to enhance effectiveness in implementing the Principles, and reporting on activities and progress towards implementing the Principles.

In implementing them, a signatory contributes to developing a more sustainable global financial system. Hi2 Global founder and CEO Jerry Wang believes PRI frame could greatly improve transparency in the investment universe and be able to bring fund managers to the same level of commitments to responsibility. Hi2 Global is scheduled to release its first PRI report in 2024.

As a global asset allocation platform, Hi2 Global has been incorporating ESG into investment decision-making process since inception in 2014 in New York. The actively managed Hi2 Venture Fund, an early-stage venture capital fund, is committed to responsible investments by focusing on innovative early-stage companies in emerging sectors including fin-tech, consumer-tech, clean-tech and health-tech in the United States, and emerging markets in Asia, Middle East, Africa, and Latin America.

The first Hi2 Venture Fund launched in 2020 has supported a number of innovation- and tech-driven startups which are committed to generate positive social and environmental impact in emerging markets.

While it has been proven that our portfolio companies have produced plenty of positive outcomes, the following figures would better demonstrate how they are contributing to the welfare of local society – more than 800 jobs have been created in emerging economies including Pakistan, Indonesia, Nigeria, Mexico; women make up 21% of founders and executives while minority founders make up more than 90%; 7 credit-tech startups and 2 digital banks in our portfolio are serving the huge unbanked and immigrant population across emerging markets in Middle East.

Looking forward, Hi2 Global will continue to incorporate ESG issues into investment practice by following the six PRI principles for responsible investment, with a particular focus on innovation-driven startups eyeing on transforming traditional sectors in emerging markets.  

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Vipshop Retains an A from MSCI ESG Ratings for Its Efforts in Sustainability

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GUANGZHOU, China, Dec. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Vipshop Holdings Limited (NYSE: VIPS), one of China’s leading online discount retailers, recently announced that its ESG-related performance has been recognized by major rating agencies in the capital market. The company retained an “A” from MSCI ESG Ratings in 2022, above the average for the e-commerce sector. The discount retailer also obtained a score of 46 in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), as a top player in the global retail sector, with outstanding performance in the rating components for Product Packaging and Supply Chain Management.

Vipshop Headquarters Building
Vipshop Headquarters Building

This year, Vipshop strengthened its ESG-related efforts on all fronts. In terms of the environment, the company has established a special leadership team to ensure the effective implementation of its energy conservation and carbon reduction plans by developing a comprehensive environmental management system and a top-down operation mechanism. The company expanded its big data resources, and streamlined the platform support systems, logistics and warehousing, to help brand partners and suppliers improve their operational efficiencies and curb energy consumption, alongside an integration of their decreased energy use with their carbon reduction efforts across the value chain.

In the third quarter of 2022, for the first time, the company conducted a systematic assessment of the feasibility of a sustainable and green carbon reduction roadmap, taking a holistic look at decarbonization opportunities along the value chain. It implemented the use of new lightweight and environmentally-friendly color bags, cutting plastic consumption by 123 tons, while continuing to increase the utilization of clean energy, with the total power generation capacity of photovoltaic power plants rising by 11.4% year-on-year.

Seeking to create a better working environment, the company provides equal work opportunities for all employees and stimulates their potential through a comprehensive career enhancement system, with the aim of achieving mutual benefits for Vipshop and its employees. In 2021, the company’s investment in employee training increased by 68.57% year-on-year, with total training hours exceeding 130,000. As for social responsibility and public service, Vipshop has deepened its efforts in the empowerment of women, rural revitalization, pandemic prevention and control, community integration, and volunteer services through a series of flagship public service projects including the V-Love Mothers, V-Love Charity Program, V-Love Workshop and VIP Love Aid for Agriculture programs, with total investment having reached RMB470 million as of the end of the third quarter of this year.

Taking a look at corporate governance, according to the ESG report released by the company in July 2022, Vipshop had created a three-tier social responsibility management structure consisting of an ESG working group, a focal point and an executor to clearly identify and assign social responsibility management tasks at all levels. As an important part of its CSR management practices, the company attaches importance to the expectations and demands of stakeholders and integrates them into its daily operations.

In line with meeting China’s goals to achieve carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060, ESG has been taken on substantial importance in the Chinese market and has become a new benchmark for appraising the quality and sustainable development capabilities of Chinese companies.

According to A Leapfrog Moment for China in ESG Reporting white paper produced collaboratively by the World Economic Forum and PwC China, China’s listed companies are increasingly familiar with both the challenges and benefits of ESG reporting. ESG reporting in China is at an inflection point, with a surge of activities from regulators, exchanges, investors and corporate leaders.

The boom in ESG management in China has boosted the overall ESG performance of Chinese companies. MSCI-ESG Ratings data shows that, in recent years, more Chinese companies have emerged among the top performers with A-AAA ratings. In the foreseeable future, Chinese companies and the Chinese market may have a more profound impact on global ESG development.

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MSCI Uplifted GTJAl’s ESG Rating, Stating That Its Corporate Governance Leads Global Peers

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SHANGHAI, Dec. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — On 25 November, 2022, Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI), an international authoritative indexing organization, released the latest annual Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) rating. The MSCI ESG rating of Guotai Junan International Holdings Limited (“Guotai Junan International”, the “Company” or “GTJAI”, Stock Code: 1788.HK) has been upgraded to “BBB”, a leading rating for securities firms in Hong Kong, referring to its excellent ESG management performance. MSCI stated that the Company’s improved responsible investment practices and the strengthened ethics policies are the primary drivers of the upgrade.

In the assessment of the overall strengths of GTJAI, MSCI stated that the Company leads global peers in corporate governance and in business ethics framework. GTJAI’s fully independent audit committee helps provide financial and risk control oversight. Meanwhile, the Company has a disclosure of its anti-corruption policies and a whistleblowing mechanism. Furthermore, GTJAI expanded its involvement in underwriting green/sustainable bonds, which amounted to USD 10.9 billion, as of 2021.

ESG performance of listed companies around the world is increasingly valued by financial regulations and international investors. High ESG ratings reflect stronger business management and corporate governance. With ESG-oriented investments becoming an important investment strategy in global financial markets, ESG ratings have become an important basis for measuring the value of investments in listed companies in the international market. The upgraded rating is a high recognition and full acknowledgment of GTJAl’s ESG management achievements by international authorities and the international capital market.

GTJAI adheres to the philosophy of “Finance for Good” and “Finance for the People” and believes that sustainability is one of the most important foundations of its long-term development. In the future, GTJAI will continue to strengthen the implementation of the Company’s sustainable development strategy, and increase its investment in environmental protection (including the impact of climate change), corporate governance, employee care and social contribution. Through a wide range of green financial services and products, GTJAI marches on low-carbon development for customers and society.

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Frost & Sullivan Institute Recognizes Industry Leaders with Enlightened Growth Leadership Awards for 2022

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SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The Frost & Sullivan Institute’s Enlightened Growth Leadership Best Practices Recognition honors companies that are driven and committed to their pursuit of excellence, while ensuring a healthy balance between growth and sustainability. The Institute bestows this prestigious recognition on companies that have demonstrated excellence in growth and have proactively taken initiative, both internally and externally to address key global priorities.

The Frost & Sullivan Institute's Enlightened Growth Leadership Best Practices Recognition honors companies that are driven and committed to their pursuit of excellence, while ensuring a healthy balance between growth and sustainability.
The Frost & Sullivan Institute’s Enlightened Growth Leadership Best Practices Recognition honors companies that are driven and committed to their pursuit of excellence, while ensuring a healthy balance between growth and sustainability.

“At Frost & Sullivan Institute, we believe that transformation truly arises from responsible decision making. This recognition is significant in terms of reiterating an organization’s commitment to growth with a moral imperative and to delivering value to its stakeholders, including its employees, investors, and customers,” said Prerna Mohan, Director, Frost & Sullivan Institute.

Frost & Sullivan Institute follows its proprietary, 8 step, measurement-based methodology, combined with extensive research, in-depth analyses, and benchmarking, to shortlist recipients. Being one of the few existing methodologies that equally weights growth and Environment, Social, Governance (ESG), this recognition is one of the Institute’s most prestigious best practices recognitions. The winners represent the best of the best.

Frost & Sullivan Institute congratulates all recipients of the Enlightened Growth Leadership Best Practices Recognition. As we did last year, we will recognize and celebrate the 2022 recipients at our Virtual Awards Banquet in November.

Recipients:

Cellnex

Computacenter

ContourGlobal

ACCIONA Energía

Crayon

Croda International

Dassault Aviation

Dassault Systèmes

Deliveroo

Delivery Hero

Dermapharm Group

Deutsche Telekom

DiaSorin/ DiaSorin Group

Drax Group

E.ON

Eevia Health Plc

Efecte Plc

Einhell Germany AG

Elia group

Elmera Group ASA

ElvalHalcor

Embracer Group

EnBW

Endeavour Mining

EssilorLuxottica

Eurofins Scientific

Fluidra

Fortum Corporation

Garmin Ltd.

Genmab A/S 

Gränges

Grupa Azoty S.A.

Grupa Kety S.A. 

Harbour Energy plc

Hera S.p.A.

ICON plc

Infineon Technologies AG

Instalco

Interpump Group

Ipsen S.A.

Iren S.p.A.

James Hardie Industries plc

Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc

Kingspan Group plc

Lifco AB

Linde 

Logitech International

Medicover AB 

Medios AG 

MercadoLibre, Inc. 

Metso Outotec

Micro Focus

Midwich

MYTILINEOS SA

NIBE Industrier AB

Nolato AB

Nordex SE

OMV

PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna S.A.

Picanol Group

About Frost & Sullivan Institute

The Frost & Sullivan Institute (FSI) is a non-profit organization dedicated to utilizing business practices to address global priorities. The genesis of the institute goes back to the vision of either creating, or becoming part of, a solution that addresses threats to humanity. The Institute has identified strategic imperatives for transformation and believes that we can truly accelerate innovation to zero. To learn more about FSI, visit www.frostandsullivaninstitute.org

About Frost & Sullivan

For six decades, Frost & Sullivan has been world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders, and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, Mega Trends, new business models, and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success.

Contact us: Start the discussion.

Media Contact:

Prerna Mohan
Email: prerna.mohan@frost.com

Related Links
www.frost.com 
www.frostandsullivaninstitute.org

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AC Ventures and Boston Consulting Group establish the first quantifiable ESG standards for Indonesia’s tech sector

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AC Ventures partnered with The Upright Project and used its proprietary platform to measure its portfolio’s impact on the environment and society. Overall, the firm and its portfolio delivered a result of +37% compared to the Nasdaq Small Cap Index’s +29%.

JAKARTA, Indonesia, Oct. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Earlier today, Indonesia-focused, early-stage venture capital firm AC Ventures (ACV) announced that it published the country’s most in-depth, data-driven impact report to date on the local digital economy. In the report titled “Scaling Impact With Technology,” ACV analyzed its own operations, as well as those of its portfolio companies, to offer a numerical baseline for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting in the nation’s tech scene and digital economy.

In partnership with Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and with support from The Upright Project in Europe (Upright), ACV carried out a rigorous analysis to better understand the tangible effects it is having on the environment and society in the archipelago.

Upright is a tech company based in Helsinki, Finland. Its mission is to create incentives for companies to optimize their net impact. It produces data that helps institutional investors and companies make smarter decisions for the future, with ESG reporting in mind. Using Upright’s tech, ACV is the first venture capital firm in Southeast Asia to report on impact using quantifiable measures that meet European standards.

At the heart of the study is a metric known by industry practitioners as the ‘net impact ratio.’ This is a percentage score used to quantify how effectively a group of companies turns resources into positive impact. In the report, it measures how ACV and its portfolio performed in terms of ‘environment,’ ‘health,’ ‘society,’ and ‘knowledge.’

ACV’s overall net impact ratio delivered an above-average +37% with its strongest areas being ‘society’ and ‘health.’ To provide useful context, the Nasdaq Small Cap Index (NQUSS) features an average net impact ratio of +29%.

As a forward-thinking investment company, ACV is committed to diversity and inclusion. Within the firm, 50% of its senior leadership roles are occupied by women. Across the portfolio, this figure comes in at approximately 40%. In the report, ACV also unpacks the net impact of multiple portfolio companies and shares insights about their sectors and why they scored the way they did. 

“The purpose of this debut report is to give ACV, our portfolio companies, and the tech ecosystem in general a baseline for what to report and how to report in terms of ESG and impact,” explained Lauren Blasco, Principle and Head of ESG at ACV. “There is no more important time to do this than right now, as companies are increasingly being held to higher standards around the world. Running these net impact assessments today actually puts the startups we invest in on the best footing possible for the future when this kind of reporting inevitably becomes more of a mandate.”

“The key to creating long-term sustainable companies is through empowering founders to build companies which generate value not only for the economy but for society and the environment. By using net impact ratios, we are now able to measure value creation explicitly for society and the environment. This will be as important as financial metrics in evaluating the performance of new companies and our portfolio companies,” said Adrian Li, Founder and Managing Partner of AC Ventures.

At its core, ESG is a framework for addressing long-term risks that organizations may face in years to come. In the realm of finance and investment, it’s a fast-growing vertical, and global ESG assets are likely to exceed US$41 trillion in 2022 and US$50 trillion by 2025, notes Bloomberg Intelligence.

“Our commitment to finding and catalyzing effective solutions to pressing societal issues is at the heart of our company’s purpose. And we know we can make the greatest impact through collaboration. Through this report with AC Ventures, and with the support from The Upright Project, we hope to leverage our contribution in supporting Indonesia’s businesses on the road to achieving environmental, sustainability, and governance compliance,” said Neels Steyn, Venture Architect Director for BCG Digital Ventures.

He added, “As a market with one of the fastest growing economies in Southeast Asia, societal issues are no longer the issues of tomorrow for Indonesia, but a current challenge that needs to be addressed. The report showcases how we will be able to see more contribution towards the nation’s sustainable and inclusive economic growth by supporting equal digital access and development in Indonesia.”

To read the report in full, please visit: https://acv.vc/impact-report-2022/ 

About AC Ventures (ACV)

ACV is a leading Southeast Asian venture capital firm investing in early-stage startups focused on Indonesia and ASEAN. The firm’s mission is to partner with and empower entrepreneurs with more than capital. ACV combines operational experience, industry knowledge, deep local networks, and resources to create value for startups. Its vision is to be a generational partner to founders driving positive societal change and economic impact in Indonesia and beyond. The firm is an official signatory of the UN’s Women’s Empowerment Principles, the Invest2Equal program under IFC – the private sector arm of the World Bank Group (8176888Z: US) – and the UN’s Principles for Responsible Investing.

ACV currently has over US$500 million in assets under management, invested across five funds. Since 2012, the firm’s partners have invested in more than 120 technology companies in the region, including some of the most iconic names in the ASEAN digital ecosystem. ACV’s Partners Adrian Li, Michael Soerijadji, Helen Wong, and Pandu Sjahrir lead a team of over 35 professionals with offices in Jakarta and Singapore.

About The Upright Project (Upright)

Upright is a technology company based in Helsinki, Finland. Its mission is to create incentives for companies to optimize their net impact. Upright produces data on the comprehensive net impact of companies, with the aim of looking both at the negative as well as the positive impacts at the same time and enabling smarter decision-making for institutional investors, consumers, and employees. In addition, Upright’s data offering covers the SFDR PAI indicators, EU taxonomy metrics, and UN SDG metrics for unlisted and listed companies. The Upright platform’s data universe is 14,000+ companies, and the clients include 200+ organizations in 15 countries (e.g. EQT, Trill Impact, Lightrock, LGT Capital Partners, Summa Equity, Nordea, etc).

About Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

Boston Consulting Group partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities. BCG was the pioneer in business strategy when it was founded in 1963. Today, we work closely with clients to embrace a transformational approach aimed at benefiting all stakeholders—empowering organizations to grow, build sustainable competitive advantage, and drive positive societal impact.

Our diverse, global teams bring deep industry and functional expertise and a range of perspectives that question the status quo and spark change. BCG delivers solutions through leading-edge management consulting, technology and design, and corporate and digital ventures. We work in a uniquely collaborative model across the firm and throughout all levels of the client organization, fueled by the goal of helping our clients thrive and enabling them to make the world a better place.

PR Newswire

The 19th China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit held in Nanning, China

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NANNING, China, Sept. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The 19th China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (CABIS), themed “Sharing RECP New Opportunities, Building a Version 3.0 China-ASEAN FTA”, was held in Nanning, China, from September 16 to 17, 2022.

2022 marks the first year of the China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership and RCEP coming into effect. On this special occasion, the Round-table Dialogue between Malaysian Government and CEOs from China, the China-ASEAN Business Leaders Forum & Special Dialogue on RCEP Business Cooperation, and the Symposium on China-ASEAN Commercial Legal Cooperation were successfully-held under the 19th CABIS.

H.E. Hor Namhong, Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia, delivered his video remarks at the event of CABIS
H.E. Hor Namhong, Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia, delivered his video remarks at the event of CABIS

The CABIS focused on RCEP new opportunities, industry and supply chain integration, New Land-Sea Trade Corridor construction, digital economy, green energy, sustainable development, commercial legal services, and intellectual property protection. State leaders, business representatives, and legal professionals from China and ASEAN conducted in-depth discussions online and on-site, yielding many outcomes in high-level dialogues, exchange of thoughts, and economic and trade cooperation.

The CABIS released the Progress Report on the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (2004-2021) and the Business Environment of ASEAN 2022, well received by the business communities of both sides. It issued the Appointment Letter to Members of the Expert Advisory Committee for CABIS, inaugurated the China-Japan-Korea Business Council Guangxi Liaison Office and RCEP Business Advisory Council China Committee Guangxi Liaison Office, and held the signing ceremony for Malaysia Kuantan International Logistics Park. It promoted the establishment of the China-ASEAN FTA Nanning International Commercial Tribunal and the ASEAN Trial Center of the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission, and set up the Guangxi Commercial Mediation Association. The Guangxi Chamber of International Commerce Commercial Legal Service Office in RCEP Member States was established; The CCPIT Cross-border Trade and Investment Law Service Platform (English, Lao, and Myanmar Language) Hotline was launched; The Strategic Agreement on Developing Guangxi Intellectual Property International Exchange and Cooperation Platform under the RCEP was signed.

The CABIS has been held successfully 19 times and become an international economic and trade event of the highest level, the largest scale, and the widest influence between China and ASEAN. It is an important cooperation mechanism to promote high-level dialogues, strengthen economic and trade cooperation, and promote people-to-people exchanges and the advocacy of business and industry communities of both sides.

(The Executor of the events of the 19th CABIS is Guangxi CA Panorama Group.)