One for the books: (from left) Sime Darby Property group managing director Datuk Azmir Merican, Star Media Group chairman Tan Sri Wong Foon Meng, Nik Nazmi, Star Media Group group chief executive officer Chan Seng Fatt and chief business officer Lydia Wang at the launch of A-EPIC at the Sime Darby Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur. — YAP CHEE HONG/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: The launch of the Asia ESG Positive Impact Consortium (A-EPIC) at the Sime Darby Convention Centre was a resounding success.
The consortium, which comprises three influential media partners – Star Media Group (SMG), Indonesian media group Kompas Gramedia (KG Media), and the Inquirer Group of Companies (IGC) from the Philippines – aims to advance environmental, social and good corporate governance (ESG) awareness across Asia.
Officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Friday, the event saw authorities, policymakers, ambassadors, diplomatic representatives from across Asia as well as representatives from the consortium’s esteemed regional media partners coming together to rally for a unified commitment towards sustainable development and positive impact initiatives in the region.
Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad was also present to show his support.
With a vision to mould a sustainable and thriving Asia through media collaborations, A-EPIC aims to further efforts in promoting progressive environmental, socioeconomic and governance commitments via the delivery of content that informs, inspires, and empowers an audience of up to 123 million people.
The efforts will be guided by a three-pronged strategy focusing on education, engagement, and community, which will be led by each of the group’s brands – StarESG, KG Media Lestari and the Inquirer ESG Edge.
Each country will launch its own local initiative.
This includes the local ESG Positive Impact Awards in Malaysia, the Annual Impact Awards in the Philippines, and the Lestari Awards in Indonesia.
Local winners from these events will compete at the regional level in the inaugural Asia ESG Positive Impact Awards. This will culminate in a regional summit in 2025.
Additionally, the consortium will capitalise on its platforms to launch thought leadership workshops, local summits, and editorial content to raise awareness of ESG principles, increase knowledge-sharing, and highlight success stories, further amplifying the consortium’s mission and activities.
In ensuring the success of these efforts, the consortium also announced that Sime Darby Property Bhd is the Urban Biodiversity Partner for its flagship initiatives.
Urban biodiversity is crucial for environmental health and affects all life forms.
As such, the property developer aims to demonstrate the importance of urban biodiversity through efforts guided by three pillars: avoidance, conservation, and regeneration.
Through the partnership, Sime Darby Property hopes to raise awareness about urban biodiversity and is committed to fostering a harmonious coexistence bet-ween urban spaces and the natural world.
