This document discusses the importance of sustainability, ESG, and CSR practices in Malaysia. It notes that Bursa Malaysia introduced sustainability reporting requirements in 2006, but these initially focused more on social aspects and philanthropy rather than business operations. Globally, leading organizations now integrate sustainability more fully. The document outlines several benefits of sustainability reporting and practices, including reducing risk, staying ahead of regulations, lowering the cost of capital, promoting innovation, and enhancing reputation. It also discusses how organizations can embed sustainability and align with UN SDGs. Malaysian companies' ESG scores have generally improved over time.
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Corporate Sustainability,ESG, and CSR Practices in Malaysia
8. Bursa Malaysia –
Importance of
Sustainability
In 2006, Bursa Malaysia introduced a
requirement for Main and ACE Market listed
issuers to disclose their corporate social
responsibility (“CSR”) activities or practices
in annual reports.
This requirement was perceived to focus
more on the social aspects of the business –
its people and the community – and had
limited impact on value creation.
Organisations tended to focus on
philanthropic activities, and not necessarily
address sustainability-related concerns
connected to their business operations.
9. • Globally, many leading organisations have moved beyond
CSR. Within a period of 50 years, organisations’
understanding of sustainability has evolved from no
knowledge, to the development of new management
models which integrate sustainability.
• In fact, stakeholders are increasingly interested in
understanding the approaches of organisations in
managing their economic, environment and social risks
and opportunities.
• Increasing impacts from sustainability-related risks (e.g.
climate change, scarcity of resources, changing social
expectations and new legislative requirements in
sustainability-related areas) are driving organisations to
embed sustainability considerations in response to these
risks and their challenges.
Bursa Malaysia – Importance
of Sustainability
10. Why integrating sustainability in
your business and sustainability
reporting are important?
• Stakeholders (who may include investors,
customers, employees, suppliers, NGOs, local
communities, etc.) are now more aware of
the impact that businesses have on the
economy, environment and society. This
impact may be positive or negative.
• For example, agricultural activities may
create a positive economic or social impact
(e.g. providing job opportunities;
• improving quality of life of local communities)
but may also create a negative impact on the
environment in the form of local or regional
air pollution (e.g. haze generated from open
burning).
11. Why integrating sustainability in your business
and sustainability reporting are important?
• This negative impact may become a reputational risk to
the organisation which allowed it to occur and may
subsequently affect its ability to obtain funding.
• Sustainability-related issues, therefore, can significantly
affect an organisation’s risk profile, potential liabilities
and its value.
• Hence, there is a need for the business community to
respond appropriately.
• Business leaders have also begun to recognise the benefits
of integrating sustainability-related considerations into all
aspects of their respective businesses.
12. Sustainability Reporting -reducing exposures to
sustainability-related risks
• Businesses are increasingly exposed to environmental
conditions and social changes, including population growth;
extreme weather events such as flooding, high rainfall levels;
climate change, ecosystem decline, etc.
• Failure to manage sustainability-related risks (e.g. floods
arising from extreme weather or strikes arising from unsafe
working conditions) may result in an organisation incurring
losses or costs (e.g. disruptions to production).
• Therefore, if an organisation proactively identifies and
manages sustainability-related risks, it can be better placed
to avoid and reduce cost impacts resulting from these risks.
13. Sustainability Reporting - staying ahead of emerging
sustainability risks and disclosure regulations
• when a new requirement emerges for greenhouse gas
(“GHG”) emissions information, an organisation which has
already considered GHG emissions as material would have
already factored this into its risk considerations and will
be ready to respond.
14. Sustainability Reporting - reducing the cost
of capital through a lower risk profile
• There is a tendency for investors to favour
organisations which demonstrate good Economic,
Environment and Social (EES) risk management.
• This in turn can enhance corporate value and diminish
risk, resulting in a lower cost of capital.
• This is because investors add risk premiums to the cost
of capital for firms with questionable environmental
and social practices.
15. Sustainability Reporting - Promoting
innovation and attracting new customers
• As sustainability considerations increase, an
organisation that recognises the opportunities and has
the capacity to innovate will drive growth through new
products, services and customers.
• The introduction of sustainability-driven products and
services can carve out a niche market for the
organisation.
• Dell’s circular economy initiative is one of the leading
examples of driving business growth through innovative
products and services.
16. Sustainability Reporting - Maintaining a
licence to operate
• A “licence to operate” (also known as “social licence
to operate”) refers to implicit community-approval of
an organisation’s business operations.
• It does not refer to a legal or regulatory licence to
operate.
• Put simply, the goal here is to achieve organisational
legitimacy in the eyes of society (or, more specifically,
across a broad spectrum of key societal stakeholder
groups/constituents).
17. Sustainability Reporting - Responding to
responsible investment and securing capital
• Traditionally, investors have looked at an organisation’s financial
performance to drive their investment decisions.
• However, it is fast becoming the norm for investors to evaluate ESG
factors alongside financial data when determining their investments.
• This change is attributed to several factors including increasing
pressure from various stakeholder groups i.e. regulators, NGOs, and
the public for more sound investment practices; developments in
legislation and international frameworks to account for sustainability
issues; the rise of new financial risks such as those related to climate
change and a shifting interpretation of fiduciary duty and the SDGs.
• Responsible investment (known interchangeably as socially
responsible investment (SRI) or sustainable investment) is an
approach to investing that aims to incorporate ESG factors into
investment decisions, to better manage risk and generate
sustainable, long-term returns.
18. Sustainability Reporting -Improving
productivity and cost optimisation
• When sustainability efforts, such as employee engagement
programs or health and safety programs, go beyond basic
compliance with labour standards (for example, incorporating
other benefits), an organisation can expect to improve its
attractiveness to recruit and retain top talent and enhance
employee and supplier productivity.
• This can lead to longer-term benefits such as customer
attraction, improved reputation, stronger operating margins,
and optimised capital expenditure.
•
If sustainability efforts fails, such as in relation to health and
safety, the impacts may include interruption in production,
investigations by relevant government agencies, fines and
negative publicity.
19. Sustainability Reporting - Enhancing brand value
and reputation
• It is widely accepted that brand and reputation can create
value by generating demand and securing future earnings for
organisations. Issues such as sourcing of raw materials;
energy and water usage; and human rights are increasingly
impacting organisational brand and reputation.
• Therefore, organisations will need to identify associated risks
and opportunities and assess their impacts.
• Stakeholders respond positively to organisations that conduct
themselves in a sustainable and ethical manner. This can lead
to increased confidence and trust among stakeholders,
enhanced brand value and reputation, as well as improved
customer loyalty.
20. UN SDGs – Why should businesses
care?
• Costs of inaction: Environmental and social burdens represent a
mounting business cost and ultimately are turning the world into a
less viable place in which to conduct business.
• Regulatory risk: The SDGs reflect future policy direction at the
international, national and regional levels. A failure to integrate
them strategically represents long-term regulatory risk.
• Market disruption: Forward-thinking businesses are forging ahead
with disruptive new business models which threaten to radically
reshape markets.
• Reduced license to operate: Businesses that fail to align their
strategy with the SDGs will most likely face a lower level of approval
and trust from governments and other stakeholders, creating
competitive disadvantage and reducing their license to operate.
21. Five-step process for organisations to align their strategies, as
well as measure and manage their contribution to the realisation
of the SDGs
23. Board members and the Chief Executive Officer, who need to
provide strong stewardship towards incorporating sustainability
into an organisation’s business strategies
28. ESG scores for Malaysian Companies – FTSE4Good
Bursa Malaysia Index
• Since the FTSE4Good Bursa Malaysia index was launched in
2014, Malaysian companies eligible for inclusion in the
FTSE4Good Bursa Malaysia have increased year on year.
• This indicates that the ESG scores of Malaysian companies
has shown consistent improvement over time.
• In the area of corporate governance, Malaysian companies
demonstrate some of the highest levels of performance in
relation to other companies operating in Emerging Markets
and in term of overall ESG ratings, ranked 5th out of 16
Emerging Market countries in FTSE Emerging company scores.