A wrap-up of the ESG PIA 2023 Gala Night at Sheraton Petaling Jaya on Aug 21, with Nik Nazmi (front row, centre). Joining him are (front row, from left) SMG chief business officer Lydia Wang; Chan; Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry (Miti) secretary-general Datuk Hairil Yahri Yaacob; Rashid; Tai; SMG chairman Tan Sri Wong Foon Meng; sponsor OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Bhd chief executive officer Tan Chor Sen; and SMG chief content officer Datin Paduka Esther Ng; along with other award winners. — Filepic
TO continue recognising and showcasing the journeys and achievements of Malaysian companies in the ESG space, Star Media Group (SMG) has launched the ESG Positive Impact Awards (ESG PIA) for the third year running, today.
It also aims to accelerate ESG momentum across 16 categories and inspire greater adoption by businesses to drive lasting change and positive impact for a sustainable tomorrow.
Kicking things off with a new category
The ESG PIA 2024 will be introducing a new category called “Sustainable Products and Services” under the “Others” pillar.
This new award will recognise the development of products and services that exhibit substantial positive effects on the environment and society by providing a marketable solution.
These products and services demonstrate integration of sustainability into their offerings, a commitment to environmental stewardship, social responsibility and economic viability.
Some existing awards have also been renamed:
> “Biodiversity Conservation”, from previously “Sustainable Ecosystems”
> “Sustainable Supply Chain”, from “Supply Chain Management”
> “Responsible Manufacturing”, from “Responsible Consumption and Production”.
The last category has been further defined to recognise organisations that take a proactive role in integrating sustainability into their manufacturing operations.
It also acknowledges their ability to successfully curate and demonstrate long-term commitment to the protection of natural resources through sustainable management and efficient use of materials within the product life-cycle.
Throughout the duration of the award submissions, SMG will be assisting companies that are planning to participate with their submissions via clinics and winners showcase to share success stories and best practices.
Be one step closer
To participate, a company should download the submission pack from the ESG PIA website at staresgawards.com.my – under the application form tab – then register to access the online awards entry form.
Entries must be submitted by April 17, 2025.
The submitted entries will initially be scrutinised for eligibility and clarity before being presented to the judges for them to further short list.
A final judging is held to determine the winners for the different categories and overall winners in two different tiers, small and medium-sized enterprises that earn up to RM500mil in products or RM200mil in services.
Or they can fall into the large companies tier if they earn RM500mil and above in products, RM200mil or above in services.
The culmination of the event will be the ESG PIA Gala Night where everyone comes together to celebrate the winners who will be announced in great fanfare.
The winners will then proceed to compete on a regional level, which will take place in Q4 next year.
Honouring responsible actions
The previous gala night event, held at The Sheraton Petaling Jaya, was officiated by Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, who mentioned that the awards was more than a celebration of excellence.
He said it was a testament to the collective efforts of industry leaders who championed Malaysia’s sustainability agenda.
“The ESG Positive Impact Awards transcends mere accolades.
“They symbolise a commitment by local businesses to drive positive change across industries by embracing the future, namely ESG. Sustainability is no longer an option – it is our shared imperative,” he added.
Nik Nazmi said the planned initiatives from the government represented a comprehensive response to climate change.
“By reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the country’s resilience against climate impacts and promoting sustainable development with reduced carbon footprint, we forge a path towards a more resilient and responsible future.”
SMG group chief executive officer Chan Seng Fatt said in his speech that the strong participation in the previous year’s awards programme stands as a testament to the growing importance of ESG practices in Malaysia.
“Compared to previous year, we have seen a significant increase in the number of submissions by 38% to 287 submissions,” he remarked.
He attributed the surge to the heightened awareness and commitment towards sustainability among Malaysian businesses.
“It is truly inspiring to see this level of dedication, and we are confident that these award winners will serve as role models for others,” Chan added.
Two companies have set themselves apart with their impressive ESG initiatives, clinching the Most Outstanding ESG Initiatives of the Year award.
The winners were Malaysia Steel Works (KL) Bhd (Masteel) in the large companies category and Iskandar Malaysia Studios Sdn Bhd in the SME to mid-tier category.
Masteel chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tai Hean Leng said, “We’ve internalised ESG best practices for Scope 1, 2 and 3.
“That has reduced our cost of production, our emission, and also particularly for the award tonight is for scope 3, where we green our supply chain.
“We help our suppliers to get on the sustainability bandwagon to help them improve their sustainability reporting,” said Tai.
Meanwhile, Iskandar Malaysia Studios Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Rashid Karim said, “what is unique about us is that ESG is not just one of the many things we do; ESG is really what we do. It’s really part of our DNA.”
He said that as a film and TV production facility, the focus is on energy efficiency, although the company has clear policies on the social and the governance parts too.
“And I think the big push doesn’t really come from on top; it’s really my team here that pushes us, the management and the board to focus on this,” he added.
The theme for ESG PIA 2024 is “Celebrating ESG Excellence in Malaysia”.
The ESG Positive Impact Awards 2024 is organised by SMG, with Ernst & Young as the adviser and auditor.
It is supported by a range of working partners: the ABAC Centre of Excellence, Business Council for Sustainable Development Malaysia, Green Growth Asia Foundation, and the Malaysian Green Tech and Climate Change Centre, among others.
The ESG PIA is endorsed by the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry and Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry.
To find out more and participate, visit staresgawards.com.my.
