Continuing nation’s ESG agenda

The Star

Malaysian businesses advocating the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) agenda will be celebrated.   Entering its second edition this year, the ESG PIA – with OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Bhd as the main sponsor – seeks to recognise and showcase Malaysian companies’ journey and achievements in the ESG space.  Read more at https://tinyurl.com/yk92m6kb  WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline

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00:00 One! Let us put aside!

00:03 The Environmental, Social, Governance or ESG Positive Impact Awards

00:08 returns for its second year to celebrate the commitment of Malaysian companies

00:13 to sustainable practices.

00:14 Organized by Star Media Group Barhat or SMG

00:21 and supported by OCBC Bank Malaysia Barhat as the main sponsor,

00:25 the platform recognizes the ESG progress and achievements of businesses across the nation.

00:31 The awards also aim to accelerate ESG momentum across 15 categories, encouraging broader

00:38 adoption among companies to create a positive impact for a sustainable tomorrow.

00:43 At its launch on Tuesday, SMG Group CEO Alex Yao said the media group is stepping up its game

00:51 to become a catalyst in the ESG landscape.

00:55 Last year, we introduced our first ESG Positive Impact Award.

01:00 This also allowed them to position themselves at the vanguard of their respective industries.

01:07 It proved to be an excellent platform for companies to transform their achievements

01:14 into inspirations for peers, investors and stakeholders.

01:18 Guest of Honor, Masni Muhammad, the Executive Director of Investment Policy Advocacy

01:24 for Manufacturing at MIDA, commended the initiative

01:28 as a step forward in realizing the country's net-zero aspirations.

01:32 She also said the government is proactively ensuring a just transition towards a low-carbon

01:39 economy through the introduction of various frameworks and policies.

01:43 I think recently we just launched two types of grants for our local companies.

01:50 For example, Smart Automation Madani grants as well as Domestic Investment Accelerating Fund,

01:56 which are meant for SMEs for their investment in training, capacity building for ESG adoption.

02:06 But at the same time, as a principal investment promotion agency, it is also important for MIDA

02:13 to establish or develop strong ecosystems that can support sustainability adoption

02:21 or practices by our multinationals.

02:23 OCBC Bank's Wholesale Banking Managing Director, Jeffrey Teo, noted the growing importance of

02:30 ESG practices in contemporary business operations and emphasized the need for SMEs

02:36 to proactively integrate these principles.

02:39 I think there are, of course, early starters, there are SME companies that are ahead of the game,

02:44 but I think ultimately in the longer term, every company would need to be playing an

02:49 important role, not just from a compliance perspective,

02:52 but to ensure that it is a way of doing good by doing well.

02:56 And I think ultimately over time, it's going to be a matter of survival, right?

03:01 Any companies that do not, in the longer term, participate in the ESG

03:04 will be singled out by the market forces.

03:08 So I think it's best to start early and our job is to facilitate that.

03:11 Today's launch was made extra special with the ESG marketplace set up here.

03:17 We're joined by local social enterprises such as Gerai OA,

03:21 The Green Factory, Grace Market, The Cultivate, SEDEM and the Zero Waste Earth Store.

03:27 Each of them offered something unique, from sustainable goods to handicrafts,

03:31 showing us just how easy and fun it can be to make greener choices in our daily lives.

03:37 The awards have a big goal, to ramp up the ESG adoption for everyone,

03:41 not just for the big players, but also the smaller businesses.

03:45 We're in this together, understanding that even small steps can lead to significant

03:49 and positive change for a greener future.

03:52 This is Tina Lo, The Star.

03:53 [Music]

04:00 [Music]

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