From local champions to regional leaders

One for the album: The ESG Positive Impact Awards 2024 concluded with a celebratory group photo. Selected winners will advance to the Asia ESG Positive Impact Awards 2025 this November. —GLENN GUAN/The Star

PETALING JAYA — The race towards regional environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership is gaining momentum.

On Tuesday, Star Media Group (SMG) unveiled the winners of its ESG Positive Impact Awards (ESG PIA) 2024 – an initiative supported by OCBC Bank as the main sponsor.

The ESG PIA celebrates companies that are making bold, measurable strides in Malaysia’s ESG landscape – from environmental stewardship and social responsibility to exemplary corporate governance.

Selected winners will go on to represent Malaysia on a regional stage at the prestigious Asia ESG Positive Impact Awards 2025, placing them among South-East Asia’s most forward-thinking and purpose-driven sustainability leaders.

Joining them will be winners from Indonesia and the Philippines – Lestari Awards 2025 by KG Media and The Inquirer ESG Edge Impact Awards 2025 by Inquirer Group of Companies respectively.

These local winners will be announced in the coming months before culminating with the regional awards ceremony in November.

Celebrating excellence: The Most Outstanding winners for ESG PIA 2024 Above Creative Events founder Micky Ng (sixth from left) in the SME to Mid-Tier and Heineken Malaysia managing director Martijn van Keulen (seventh from left) for Large Companies Tier, with (from left) SMG chief operating officer Lydia Wang, group chief executive officer Chan Seng Fatt, Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Ching Thoo, Heineken Malaysia corporate affairs and legal director Renuka Indrarajah, Above Creative Events chief growth officer Nicklas Ng, Human Resources Minister Steven Sim, SMG chairman Tan Sri Wong Foon Meng, OCBC Bank (M) Bhd CEO Tan Chor Sen, and Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry senior director (industry, environmen¬tal, social and governance) Nor Hasnah. —IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star

SMG, KG Media and Inquirer Group of Companies are members of the Asia ESG Positive Impact Consortium (A-EPIC), which was established last year to foster ESG knowledge-sharing, industry collaboration and meaningful engagement across the region.

The Asia ESG Positive Impact Awards 2025 will be held in Malaysia. It will be divided into two main tiers – large corporations and the combined category of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as well as mid-tier companies – across a total of 12 categories.

The 12 award categories are biodiversity conservation, waste management, renewable energy, energy efficiency, diversity, equity and inclusion, relations with local communities, human rights and labour standards, talent management, good health and wellbeing, supply chain management, innovative partnership as well as transformation.

As the urban biodiversity partner of this initiative, Sime Darby Property (SDP) group managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Azmir Merican emphasised the importance of recognising and celebrating organisations that are making a meaningful ESG impact.

He highlighted that celebrating genuine ESG progress serves three critical functions in today’s landscape:

“It validates commitment – amid growing scrutiny, credible recognition provides essential third-party validation, builds stakeholder confidence, and distinguishes true leadership from intent.

“It inspires broader action – by showcasing tangible successes, these awards create powerful case studies that demystify complex challenges and motivate a wider circle of organisations to adopt proven, impactful strategies.

“It reinforces the business case – honouring ESG leaders underscores the direct correlation between sustainable and ethical practices and long-term value creation, proving that responsible business is resilient and profitable business.”

Industry players gathered at the ESG Positive Impact Awards 2024 for an evening honouring excellence in sustainability. —NG KOK LEONG/The Star

Azmir added that celebrating impact goes beyond recognition – it accelerates progress by driving meaningful, lasting change across industries. At SDP, ESG is viewed as a value multiplier, with a commitment to ensure that profit and purpose go hand-in-hand.

Commenting on the significance of the Asia ESG Positive Impact Awards in today’s fast-evolving sustainability landscape, he said the awards are far more than an honour – they are a vital part of SDP’s mission.

“The awards set the standard. In the complex Asian market, these awards provide a clear and essential benchmark for what constitutes meaningful ESG impact.

“This helps us all learn from industry leaders and elevate our collective practices.

“They drive innovation. The awards encourage us to move beyond compliance and actively innovate in green technology and social responsibility. Recognising excellence inspires the entire sector to pursue bolder, more impactful solutions.

“They also build trust. In an age of scrutiny, this recognition serves as powerful, independent validation of our ESG commitments. For SDP, it’s a clear demonstration of our ‘value multiplier’ philosophy, proving that our dedication to strong, verifiable ESG performance is authentic and unwavering,” said Azmir.