Insights

On 2 July, SPARK’s second Asia Regional Live Session brought together SMEs across the region to explore how to turn sustainability ambition into actionable strategy. The session featured Sue Meng Chan, Deputy Director, Sustainability and Capability Building at UN Global Compact Network Singapore, who provided a deep dive into materiality, stakeholder engagement, and the foundational […]

Sustainability has become a critical component of business operations globally, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are essential players in this transformation. In Asia, SMEs form the backbone of the economy—representing the majority of businesses and providing vital employment opportunities.

The 2024/25 cohort marks a significant milestone for the SDG Ambition Accelerator, representing the fifth global cycle of the program. Since its inception in 2020, the initiative has seen participation from more than 2,700 companies worldwide, all committed to embedding the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into their core strategies and operations. This year alone, over 580 companies across 120 countries joined the programme, reaffirming the business community’s growing dedication to sustainability.

Participating in the SDG Ambition Accelerator was driven by our commitment to enhance our sustainability efforts and align our business practices with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We were particularly attracted to the opportunity to select benchmarks linked to the Forward Faster initiative, which would guide us in developing innovative strategies that significantly increase our positive impact on the SDGs. Additionally, the Accelerator provided access to valuable resources, expert guidance, and a network of like-minded companies. This collaborative environment would enable us to share experiences, learn from others, and implement best practices in sustainability management. 

The 2023/24 cohort of the SDG Ambition Accelerator marked the 4th iteration of this impactful program. We proudly hit our target, with over 2,000 companies globally committing to an SDG Ambition since the program's inception.

Tru-Marine is a home-grown Singapore company specialising in the Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) of turbochargers in marine, offshore, locomotive and power plant applications. The company has a presence in 8 countries worldwide, and is the only authorised and cooperative repair shop in the world for the majority of the turbocharger makers.

On 15 and 16 August, we, together with our Global Compact Network Philippines (GCNP) colleagues, were delighted to host 2 webinars where we had six UN Global Compact (UNGC) member companies from around Asia to share their Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and decarbonisation journey with other Asia-based members. 

In line with global trends on increasing transparency and quality of carbon emissions reporting, we decided to increase the assessment of our 2022 emissions to include all Scope 3 emissions, such as Office Capital Purchases (Scope 3-2), and External GCNS Events and Training Workshops (various Scope 3 categories).

In this feature, we are grateful to have Andre Yeo (Senior Manager - HSE, Facilities & Energy Mgt) and Rob Field-Marsham (Head of Technology & Innovation) from fellow GCNS member and CPLC Partner, Containers Printers, share their experience in implementing various energy-saving and decarbonisation initiatives in their company.

As a business, energy consumption usually forms a big part of a company's carbon footprint. If your company is looking to go green, switching to renewable energy is a great way to start.

"There is enough evidence to demonstrate that business plays a key role in just moving society forward," said Sanda Ojiambo as she addressed GCNS Members and Prospects during our in-person Open House 2023 that happened on February 7th.

On the sidelines of Sustainability Week Asia 2023 and in conjunction with the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), we planned two events to engage with key MNC and SME Participants: The CEO Breakfast and The GCNS in-person Open House.

The event welcomed Guest-of-Honour Joseph Teo (Chief Negotiator for Climate Change, Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment) who provided an insightful keynote presentation on the COP28 discussions that took place around climate change adaptation and mitigation.

What do you believe is the number one thing that musicians are doing to ruin their chances at succeeding in the music industry? Is it: not practicing their instrument enough? Not putting together enough good music industry.

Music is a form of art that involves organized and audible sounds and silence. It is normally expressed in terms of pitch (which includes melody and harmony), rhythm (which includes tempo and meter).