MANILA: The Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) is partnering with 11 organisations from the business, civic, education and environment sectors in support of a regional media collaboration promoting sustainability.
A memorandum of understanding was signed on March 22 between PDI and the various groups, which will be forming a network of thought leaders and experts under the Inquirer ESG Edge initiative.
ESG stands for “environmental, social and governance,” basically a measure of how a business impacts society and the environment, and its level of transparency and accountability.
The Inquirer ESG Edge represents PDI’s participation as one of the three founding members of the Asia Sustainability Impact Consortium, which also includes Malaysia’s Star Media Group and Indonesia’s Kompas Gramedia.
The consortium is considered the first cross-border alliance of its kind and can collectively reach 123 million people across the region.
Inquirer contributions to the consortium may include not only ESG-related reports or commentary but also forums, campaigns and community projects.
“We aspire to educate and engage the public and key stakeholders on the importance and urgency of adopting ESG best practices and creating a community that will provide insights and lead or guide discussions on ESG matters and practices,” Inquirer president and chief executive officer Rudyard Arbolado said as he formally welcomed the partners gathered for the signing at the company office in Makati.
The consortium has adopted a three-pronged strategy – education, engagement and community building – to achieve targets laid out for the next three years, according to Kat Dalusong, Inquirer vice-president for advertising and group head for sales.
The Inquirer ESG Edge partners are:
> Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP)
> Philippine Business for Education (PBEd)
> World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines
> Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development Inc (PCEPSDI)
> Center for Conservation Innovations PH Inc (CCIPH)
> Foundation for the Philippine Environment (FPE)
> Environmental Studies Institute
> PhilinCon
> Allianz PNB Life
> British Chamber of Commerce
> League of Corporate Foundations (LCF)
Asked what she expects out of the partnership, WWF Philippines executive director Trin Custodio said: “In reaching out to the business sector, our global economy is ripe for a transition to a green/blue/circular one.
“ESG is a framework for reporting impacts, and there are so many different frameworks [...] This information and exchange of best practices will be helpful for making sure the objectives are achieved.”
FPE institutional development lead Joan Arbolado added: “By joining this consortium, we hope to strengthen our impact and engage broader stakeholders together to drive action towards positive environmental change and a more sustainable future.”
For Gino Riola, chief marketing officer of Allianz PNB Life, “Sustainability is in our DNA as a leading insurer in this space. This consortium allows us to partner with like-minded institutions and amplify our advocacy through the media’s strong reach.”
CCIPH president Neil Aldrin Mallari said: “We want to create public demand for nature conservation.
“Businesses should invest in nature and we need to measure net positive impacts,” he said.
“We want to reach more people, including the youth, and inculcate the importance of green skills and contributing to nation-building through environmental efforts,” said Cherry Basbano, PBEd communications manager.
“More than getting something out of this, it’s about us giving our expertise on environmental projects to the consortium so we can do more for sustainability,” added Kristine Rivadelo, PBSP operations director.
Rainielle Borican, business development and communication officer of PCEPSDI, saw the initiative as a new vehicle for the group’s eco-labeling campaign.
“We are looking forward to promoting each other’s advocacies, especially on avoiding greenwashing,” he said. — The Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
