Singapore, 29 April 2020 - Salcon Berhad (“Salcon”), a premier water and wastewater engineering company has won a top Asian award for its CSR communication at the 2019 Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards. Salcon walked away with the Bronze Award for Asia’s Best Sustainability Report (SME) award today at an award ceremony which was hosted online due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
“We are truly honoured to receive this recognition for the fourth consecutive year. Sustainability reporting is important to us not just as a means of communicating our performance against commitments but also to inspire our partners and stakeholders to be invested in our sustainability journey. We will continue to enhance our strategic approach and sustainability reporting platform to drive long-term sustainability and shareholder values, says Mr. Ooi Cheng Swee, Chief Operating Officer of Salcon Bhd.
“This significant achievement inspires us to continue to prudently manage the impact of our business on the environment, to uplift the communities, and maintain an inclusive working environment for our people towards our vision of transforming lives for the better,” he added.
An impressive 80 shortlisted companies from 13 countries made it to the final round of the 2019 Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards across 19 categories. The finalists were shortlisted by the members of an independent judging panel.
An independent judging panel determined Gold, Silver and Bronze winners for 2019. ASRA follows a rigorous multi-tier evaluation process. Evaluation of 461 entries from 16 countries in Asia involves three rounds of assessments to select the very best in each award category. In addition to assessing the report quality, comprehensive due diligence is carried out to consider finalists’ reputation among their stakeholders as part of the judging process.
In a live broadcast from Singapore, more than 200 senior business leaders and sustainability professionals from 15 countries attended the exclusive awards ceremony hosted virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Attendees also included dignitaries from academia, embassies, trade associations and advocacy organisations.
Ms. Chern Meng Gaik, General Manager – Corporate of Salcon Berhad received the award on behalf of Salcon Berhad. The awards were presented by Amita Chaudhury, Senior Advisor, Sustainability Learning for Business, UN Global Compact (Secondment from Unilever) and ASRA Judge . The event was graced by the appearance of the Guest of Honour, HE Mr Niclas Kvarnström, Swedish Ambassador, Singapore.
In his keynote address, Ambassador Kvarnström said, “The current times highlight the importance of transparency for solving global problems. Businesses that show investors and customers that they are sustainable and responsible also show that they are leaders.”
The awards ceremony started with the opening address by Ms Alexandra McKenzie, Chargé d’Affaires of the British High Commission to Singapore.
As institutional investors are getting more serious about a company’s sustainability performance, sustainability reporting has become an essential tool for communicating how the reporting organisation manages its material economic, environmental and social impacts, risks and opportunities to build a sustainable business.
Rajesh Chhabara, managing director of CSRWorks International and the founder of ASRA, said: “The unprecedented global pandemic caused by Covid-19 is a stark reminder that businesses, governments and societies need to work together to build mutual resilience. Adopting responsible environmental, social, and governance practices has become ever more essential to ensure corporate sustainability.”
Salcon’s award-winning report demonstrates the organisation’s leadership in sustainability reporting and its commitment to creating long-term value for stakeholders.
CSRWorks International, a Singapore-based firm focussed on sustainability consulting, training and thought leadership, has created non-profit Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards to inspire all companies to adopt sustainability reporting.