We are a small team of dedicated individuals, focused on providing specialist sustainability support, tailored to individual clients requirements.
by Lim Sze Wei & Stefan Ullrich. Investors are beginning to get on board with the global fight against climate change, a movement that was until recently the territory of non-profit organisations and environmentalists. According to the inaugural Global Climate Index 2017 for Asset Managers by the Asset Owner Disclosure Project (AODP), a majority […]
Complexity can be stressful for anyone so we completely understand what you’re facing when asked to put together a Sustainability Report for your organisation when you simply don’t know how and frankly don’t have the time. The hurdles you face are shared by many and we want to help by addressing these issues and suggest real […]
Singapore has passed the Carbon Pricing Bill on large emitters. Under the 2015 Paris Agreement and as part of a global effort to mitigate climate change, Singapore has pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions per dollar of GDP by 36 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030. It has also pledged to stop any increase in its total GHG emissions by 2030.
The assumption behind the science based target is that climate change, if not restrained to below 2 degrees as described by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), will cause irreparable damage to the world’s systems, so much so that our current way of life will be irreversibly and significantly altered.
On World Environment Day this year, both the public and private sectors in Singapore upped up their efforts for environmental protection with a series of plans and initiatives. These include: the unveiling of the Public Sector Sustainability Plan 2017-2020 by Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, the introduction of mandatory reporting of packaging data and […]
What constitutes Human Rights in the Workplace Human rights are often seen as perplexing, complex issues that most organisations find hard to grapple with or think these are simply not applicable to their business. Human rights are in fact, very much a part of the daily workings of an organisation. Common human resource issues, contractual […]
With the new GRI Standards, using the G4 Sector Disclosures is a ‘reporting requirement’ – a ‘should’, not a ‘reporting requirement’ (GRI 101 Foundations, pg. 18). What does this mean for reporters? Simply put, it is now a recommendation, and not a requirement, that reporting organisations consult the sector disclosures to assist with identifying its […]
The NUS Energy Studies Institute (ESI) and the US Embassy jointly organized a screening of the 2016 documentary film about climate change, ‘Before the Flood’, on the 6th of April 2017. Held at the NUS University Hall Auditorium, the film screening was prefaced by a panel discussion on climate change. ‘Before the Flood’ is a […]
Carrie Johnson, Wong Dan Chi, Nicolas Heath & Lim Sze Wei With the Singapore Stock Exchange’s (SGX) announcement this year that sustainability reporting is to be introduced on a “comply-or-explain” basis for all listed companies from the end of FY2017, understanding Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) material issues has never been more important. Up to […]
Nurul Amillin Hussain. A carbon tax on emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) will be implemented in 2019, as announced on the 20th of February in the 2017 Budget, delivered by the Minister of Finance, Heng Swee Keat. This move towards carbon pricing follows other policy initiatives to reduce Singapore’s emissions intensity to 36% below 2005 […]
The 2017 budget which was announced by Singapore Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat outlined initiatives to boost sustainable growth and productivity amidst global political and economic uncertainties Here are some key sustainability-related points from the Budget Statement: Economic Plans to help companies manage economic transition In view of continued weakness, the Government will defer […]
Paia will be running the following SGX subsidised workshops primarily focused to assist Singapore Exchange (SGX) listed companies to meet the new requirements. Carrie Johnson, Director of Paia Consulting, said, “It is great that SGX has appointed GCNS to organise the workshops which will encourage companies to start reporting early. Having helped SGX-listed companies on […]
The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) is currently publishing the 2016 results of its climate change, forest, water and supply chain surveys, having started with the UK results end of October. Soon, some Singaporean companies will get scores, some will be publicly named as not responding, others won’t be mentioned. Should you care? CDP runs a […]
The Sharing Economy could be called the accidental revolution. When Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia started renting out a spare air-bed in their apartment to make ends meet in early 2007, little did they know that they would go on to create one of the biggest new companies in the world with over 425k guests-per-night […]
BNP Paribas organizes inaugural Sustainable Future Forum in Singapore It was a star-studded affair. To emphasize the bank’s recognition of the importance of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, BNP Paribas organized a one-day conference in Singapore on October 27. Keynote speakers included Ms Cherie Blair, CBE, Founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women […]
The World Economic Forum’s latest report on the Global Gender Gap was released on 26th October 2016, featuring a host of new insights into the state of gender equality across the world. The report has been released annually since 2006 with the aim “to create global awareness of the challenges posed by gender gap and […]
Congratulations to our client, City Developments Limited (CDL) for being named the Top Property Developer in Asia and Top Singapore Corporation, for the third year running. CDL is now in the 2nd spot in the list of top 100 most sustainable companies in Asia. It is also the only Singapore company and property developer in the top 20 list […]
Let these four words live and breathe together. “From complexity comes stress, anxiety and frustration – even rage – followed by apathy and exit. But you do not have to be a victim any more.” Edward de Bono, Philosopher Companies are increasingly looking at planning their Sustainability Reporting to comply with SGX Sustainability […]
The Paia team attended the CSR and Social Innovators Forum (CSRSIF) held at Suntec Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1-2 September 2016. The first joint event between Global Compact Network Singapore (GCNS) and Social Innovation Park Ltd (SIP), the CSRSIF combines the fields of corporate social responsibility and social innovation with the theme “Co-creating the Future […]
Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) organised a Maritime Sustainability Workshop in M Hotel on Monday 22nd August 2016 where Paia was proud to showcase its work. The purpose of the workshop was to assist and encourage the maritime sector to embrace the new SGX requirement for Sustainability Reporting. SGX’s new sustainability reporting rules […]
City Developments Limited (CDL) and the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore (SEAS) announced the launch of the Singapore Sustainability Academy (SSA) on Friday, 5th August 2016. It is the first major People, Public and Private (3P) ground-up initiative in support of the national goals to tackle climate change articulated in the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint and […]
SGX has recently introduced sustainability reporting by listed companies on a ‘comply or explain’ basis in response to growing international interest in sustainability. SGX is inviting CEOs of all SGX listed companies to a 2 hour briefing for clarity and understanding of the new requirement. The briefing will convey the purpose and meaning of SGX’s […]
Paia held a Breakfast Briefing, July 15th to help Singaporean corporate reporters on their journey to producing meaningful, useful and compliant sustainability reports. Paia Associate Director, Alex Nichols and Principal Consultant, Ms Wong Dan Chi gave us valuable insights and recommendations on how to build a good sustainability report and meet the new requirements of […]
The GRI G4 Reporting Guidelines are on their way to becoming a ‘Standards’ for reports published from January 2018 onwards. Our Senior Consultant Saskia Jung attended the 5th Global GRI Conference in May this year and was able to provide early feedback on drafts of the standards, which will be finalised in October 2016. The […]
SINGAPORE Exchange (SGX) has officially released the Guidelines and Rule on Sustainability Reporting yesterday, June 20 2016. These guidelines are in line with the global trend of stock exchanges requiring companies to report on their environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues for financial year 2017. The SGX guidelines expect that companies ‘comply’ or ‘explain’, that is, commit […]
SGX tonight released their Guide and Rule for Sustainability Reporting. Stay tuned for more.
Congratulations to our client SMRT Corporation Ltd (SMRT) for publishing their inaugural Sustainability Report recently. The Road to a Sustainable Future shows how sustainability is integral to SMRT’s business. We are pleased to see an increase in sustainability disclosure by Singapore companies.
We thought hard before posting this – it sounds a bit like shameless business development when we advise businesses to start reporting early. And 10 months early, too?! But, allow me to forge ahead! The dust has barely settled on the last report and it’s time to begin planning the next. Why? Engage your colleagues. […]
These are some of the newest developments and challenges in sustainability worldwide discussed at the 5th GRI Global Conference, 18 to 20 May 2016 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Paia participated in this conference with more than 200 speakers and 1162 attendants from 73 countries – involving representatives from the Global Reporting Initiative GRI, the United […]
“We have attracted talented people because of our sustainability approach.” Rob Coombs, President and Chief Executive Officer, Asia Pacific Interface is the global leader in the manufacture of modular carpets used in offices and homes. In the mid-1990s, the company started to embed sustainability in their business by implementing changes in the way they operate. […]
Our Senior Consultant, Saskia Jung is at the GRI Global Conference 2016 on Sustainability and Reporting in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Follow @PaiaConsulting to stay upto date with her tweets.
GRI introduces a new report review service! Contact GRI GOLD Community by 10 May 2016 to analyse your published sustainability report & suggest improvements!
We are pleased to see not only a growth in the number of companies producing GRI Sustainability Reports in Singapore, but also a significant increase in the quality of disclosure. We are proud to have worked with the below companies on their recent reporting projects many of whom have demonstrated leading edge practices in their […]
On the 25th of February 2016, Paia’s Principal Consultant, Wong Dan Chi was invited as an industry panellist to comment on a report led by the Centre for Governance, Institutions and Organisations (CGIO) at National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School. Paia is pleased to support research efforts on sustainability and governance, and is especially […]
Congratulations to our client City Developments Limited (CDL) for being ranked the Top Real Estate Company and Top 10 Corporations in the prestigious Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World in 2016.
The Singapore Exchange (SGX) released a consultation paper, ‘Sustainability Reporting: Comply or Explain’ on 5 Jan 2016. In the consultation paper, SGX provides a background and reasons for sustainability reporting, before putting forward amendments to both mainboard and catalist rules, and reporting guidelines. The proposed amendments and the guidelines will be open for public comment […]
In line with SGX’s Guidelines requiring listed companies to produce sustainability reports, Paia is rolling out a Toolkit to simplify the reporting process specifically for companies who want to write their report in-house. This Toolkit provides the necessary tools to produce a sustainability report in line with SGX’s requirements. What you will learn Paia’s toolkit […]
On 12 December 2015, the first ever universal agreement on climate change was adopted by 195 nations. The deal was made at the Paris Climate Change Conference, also known as the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Major points of the agreement include a […]
Paia recently attended the GRESB Masterclass held in Singapore. GRESB, an industry-driven organization committed to assessing the sustainability performance of real estate portfolios (public, private and direct) conducted a Masterclass. GRES, has a pivotal role in transforming the current landscape as more organisations develop a strong business case to incorporate sustainability in their operations. The […]
By Supriti Bezbaruah. Gender equality is not just the right thing to do, it also makes good business sense: gender diversity improves the performance of organisations. For example, a study by McKinsey & Company in 2013 found that companies with higher representation of women on executive committees had 47 percent higher return on equity (ROE) […]
Paia was invited to share recent developments in Integrated Reporting, at the ACCA Finance and Accounting Technical Conference 2015, on 23rd October 2015. Wong Dan Chi, Senior Consultant, discussed the significance of integrated reporting and the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) framework. Taking a practical approach, she highlighted common misconceptions and illustrated how the principle-based […]
The Paia team attended the Responsible Business Forum for Sustainable Development 2015 (RBF) held at Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre and Gardens by the Bay, 3 to 4 November 2015. The RBF saw over 600 business leaders, policy makers and NGOs from around the world gather to share innovative solutions for creating sustainable growth and […]
Green Freight Asia (GFA) held the Annual Forum in conjuncture with Responsible Business Forum for Sustainable Development from 2 to 4 November 2015 at Marina Bay Sands. The topic was Bringing Green Freight Practices to Scale and the discussion panel consisted of invited guests representing shippers (DHL, UPS), clients (IKEA, HP, Heineken) and NGOs (Clean […]
Congratulations to our clients Keppel Land and City Developments Limited (CDL) for winning the prestigious Sustainable Business Awards Singapore 2015! Keppel Land Limited won in the category ‘Strategy & Sustainability Management’. CDL received the award for its performance in the category ‘Land Use, Biodiversity and Environment’.
Paia congratulates our client Maritime & Port Authority (MPA) on winning the Singapore Sustainability Awards 2015 (Large Enterprise Category). The Singapore Sustainability Awards, initiated by the Singapore Business Federation in 2009, recognise organisations for their outstanding sustainable business practices. Congratulations also to our clients Sembcorp Industries and City Developments Limited (CDL) for winning the Most […]
Paia Consulting was featured in Lianhe Zaobao Finance (联合早报 – 财金) on Monday, October 12, 2015. The half-page spread drew on Paia’s in-house research on sustainability reporting, and insights from Wong Dan Chi, our Senior Consultant. The reporter wrote that following the recent issues with transboundary haze, it is expected that more investors and members […]
The haze has hit down hard on Singapore and is affecting us all this month. This has led to a rapid expansion in public awareness on the issue and a movement such as X The Haze towards only using sustainable paper and palm oil products. Furthermore, the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) and the government are […]
Banks in Singapore will for the first time be expected to disclose environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies for financing, under new industry guidelines set by the Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) to advance responsible financing. ESG aspects include greenhouse gas emissions, labour standards and corporate integrity, which are indicators of sustainability and ethical […]
With the recent Singapore Exchange (SGX) consultation on its proposed “comply or explain” regulation to Sustainability Reporting, and an increasing number of companies locally producing Sustainability Reports, we felt there’s a need to clarify the difference between Sustainability Reporting and Integrated Reporting. Sustainability Reporting is about communicating the organisation’s approach to managing its key environmental […]
As of 12 May 2015, 50% of top 30 companies in Singapore by market capitalisation, which forms the Straits Times Index, produce sustainability reports in accordance with Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). GRI is the most established sustainability reporting guideline internationally, and is cited as a recommended guideline in the Guide to Sustainability Reporting issued by Singapore Exchange […]
With about 100 registered participants from Singapore, Hong Kong and China, India, Japan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Australia, Europe and the US, the first Responsible Business Summit Asia initiated discussions between representatives from corporations, academia, press, non-for profit as well as some government agencies. It was organised by the Ethical Corporation on 6-7 May […]
Update (21st June 2016) SGX launches Comply or Explain Sustainability Reporting Update (5 Jan 2016): SGX releases Consultation Paper. Read more here. On the 6th of May 2015, the Singapore Exchange (SGX) announced plans to implement sustainability reporting on a ‘comply or explain’ basis. Under this regime, companies that do not follow SGX’s guidelines will be expected […]
Congratulations to our clients City Developments Limited (CDL), Maritime & Port Authority (MPA), Sembcorp Industries, Sembcorp Marine and ST Engineering on the recent release of their GRI G4 reports. MPA’s inaugural report is both G4 Comprehensive and incorporates the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) Integrated reporting framework. In the latest report, Sembcorp continues its clear […]
The Singapore Business Federation (SBF) has launched the Singapore Sustainability Label to enable organisations to benchmark their sustainability business practices. Companies can apply to be accredited any time throughout the year and may reach Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum status depending on their sustainability performance. The Label aims at recognising excellence in the community of […]
17 October 2014 Reported from the Singapore Compact CSR Summit 2014 by Gillian Lim, Paia Consulting The Singapore Exchange (SGX) announced that it will be enforcing a “comply or explain” approach to Sustainability Reporting in the near future, and hinted that may shift to fining companies for non-compliance further down the line. The announcement came […]
Nearly 350 global institutional investors released a statement for government provision of stable, reliable, and economically meaningful carbon pricing just days before the Climate Summit at the United Nations headquarters in New York. The four investor groups on climate change – Ceres’ Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR), the European Institutional Investor Group on Climate […]
Source: Sustainalytics Press Release, 27 May 2014. http://www.sustainalytics.com/sustainalytics-esg-research-now-available-bloomberg Toronto – May 27, 2014 – Today, Sustainalytics announces that its environmental, social and governance (ESG) research assessments are now available to the more than 320,000 subscribers of the Bloomberg Professional service. As a third-party ESG research provider, Sustainalytics will offer clients that subscribe to both platforms access […]
Thomson Reuters have joined the ranks of information providers for investors to provide extensive sustainability, or Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), data. The Thomson Reuters Corporate Responsibility Ratings (TRCRR) ESG Portal was launched in April 2014. It reviews about 225 key performance indicators and more than 500 data points. The TRCRR ESG Portal “affixes ESG ratings […]
The Business Times, Thursday, August 1, 2013 Paia Consulting was featured in Business Times article reviewing the sustainability reporting scene. The article reported the rapid growth of sustainability reports published, and also highlighted CapitaLand’s savings from their sustainability strategy. Read about the list of GRI reports in Singapore and Malaysia here. Explore our site to […]
Sustainability reporting Sustainability reporting, or corporate responsibility reporting, enables organisations to report on their environmental, social and governance information beyond the scope of traditional financial reporting. Parts of it will be familiar to organisations in Singapore and Malaysia already, such as reporting safety statistics, human resource practices and environmental management systems. Community investments are also […]
27 May 2013 Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the leading global sustainability reporting framework, has released its fourth iteration G4 at the GRI Conference 2013 in Amsterdam. Paia was represented by our Director Carrie Johnson. There are two parts in G4 Guidelines. Users should begin with Part 1, which elaborates on the Reporting Principles and Standard Disclosures, […]
SGX launches An Investor’s Guide to Reading Sustainability Reports 10 May 2013 SGX has released An Investor’s Guide to Reading Sustainability Reports and 10-minutes video featuring Ms Carrie Johnson, Director of Paia Consulting, on Understanding Sustainability from an Investor’s perspective. A quick 6 page document, this guide seeks to help investors focus on the following: – What is […]
On 19 Mar 2013, Singapore Exchange (SGX) announced at RI Asia 2013, the environmental, social and governance (ESG) summit that SGX will move to a “comply or explain” basis for reporting standards.
Rio+20 is a short name for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development that took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil last 20-22 June 2012. The date marks the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro and the 10th anniversary of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) […]
Launched on 14 June 2012 by Mr Teo Chee Hean, Deputy Prime Minister at the National Climate Change Youth Conference in Singapore, the NCCS 2012 outlines Singapore’s strategy and plans to address climate change. The National Climate Change Secretariat developed NCCS in collaboration with the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Climate Change and with inputs from private and public groups. The […]
On 2 May 2012, Singapore Exchange (SGX) & Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) released the new Code of Corporate Governance, which formally incorporates sustainability considerations into governance. 1.1(f) The Board’s role is to consider sustainability issues, e.g. environmental and social factors, as part of its strategic formulation. View the full Code of Corporate Governance here
On 27 Jun 2011, Singapore Exchange (SGX) launched Guidelines to Sustainability Reporting, following a public consultation in Aug 2010 over accountability for conducting businesses in a sustainable manner. SGX’s Malaysia counterpart, Bursa Malaysia, has made CSR mandatory reporting for listed companies four years ago. Hong Kong is also looking at its reporting guide. In SGX […]
Supplementary to the recently launched WWF’s Living Planet Report 2012, WWF and ADB have collaborated to produce a Ecological footprint and Investment in Natural Capital in Asia and the Pacific Report.
Read a quick summary of the Rio+20 here
Summary: National Climate Change Strategy Document 2012
On 2 May 2012, Singapore Exchange (SGX) & Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) released the new Code of Corporate Governance, which formally incorporates sustainability considerations into governance. 1.1(f) The Board’s role is to consider sustainability issues, e.g. environmental and social factors, as part of its strategic formulation. View the full Code of Corporate Governance here
Paia presented a paper on Integrated Reporting at GRI Regional Conference held in Melbourne on 26-28 March 2012.
The journey for sustainability in Asia is young, but sustainability professionals are encouraged by the progress. After SGX released a policy statement and guide to sustainability reporting in June 2011, The Business Times examined the role of sustainability indices and disclosure for investments. Carrie Johnson, Director of Paia Consulting, was invited to share her thoughts […]
The journey for sustainability in Asia is young, but sustainability professionals are encouraged by the progress. After SGX released a policy statement and guide to sustainability reporting in June 2011, The Business Times examined the role of sustainability indices and disclosure for investments. Carrie Johnson, Director of Paia Consulting, was invited to share her thoughts […]
On 27 Jun 2011, Singapore Exchange (SGX) launched Guidelines to Sustainability Reporting, following a public consultation in Aug 2010 over accountability for conducting businesses in a sustainable manner.