The Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards (AREA) 2023 proudly recognises 78 ESG champions who are instrumental in driving impactful and sustainable change to create a better Asia. Presented by regional NGO Enterprise Asia, AREA is widely acknowledged as the gold standard for ESG and sustainability practices throughout Asia.
Having assessed over 3,000 ESG programs over the course of a decade, AREA serves as a platform to showcase and provide well-deserved recognition to businesses and organisations that champion sustainability. Ultimately, it aims to inspire more enterprises to integrate sustainable business practices into their strategies. The award-winning initiatives of this year's ESG champions have positively impacted the lives of over 1 million individuals across Asia.
In his welcome speech, Richard Tsang, President of Enterprise Asia, emphasised the importance of nurturing change agents within businesses to achieve true sustainability. These change agents thrive in environments that support and nurture their ambitions. As business leaders, it is our responsibility to foster a culture that encourages and empowers these change agents to flourish. By doing so, we enable the emergence of a new generation of leaders who will challenge conventional wisdom, disrupt outdated practices, and champion sustainable business models.
Since 2011, AREA has been recognising businesses from various industries and honouring their achievements in categories such as Social Empowerment, Investment in People, Health Promotion, Green Leadership, Corporate Governance, Circular Economy Leadership, Corporate Sustainability Reporting, and Responsible Business Leadership. This year, a rigorous judging process lasting five months evaluated over 300 submissions from 19 countries, based on three criteria: relevance, effectiveness and reach, and sustainability.
The Responsible Business Leadership category recognises leaders who are strong advocates for responsible entrepreneurship, promote sustainable practices, and institutionalise the sustainability agenda within their business strategies. This year's recipients include Mr. Lee Shun-chin, Chairman of CPC Corporation Taiwan; Mr. Joseph Huang, Chairman of E.SUN Bank; Mr. Shi-KUAN Chen, Chairman of SinoPac Holdings, from Taiwan; and Vitai Ratanakorn, President and CEO of Government Savings Bank, from Thailand.
Among other notable award recipients are L'Oreal Taiwan and Watsons Personal Care Stores Philippines, Inc. in the Green Leadership category; Fwusow Industry Co., Ltd of Taiwan and HP Inc of Singapore in the Circular Economy Leadership category; Sinopac Holdings of Taiwan and the Philippine National Bank in the Corporate Governance category; Eupe Corporation Berhad of Malaysia, Qisda Corporation of Taiwan, and S&P Syndicate Public Company Limited of Thailand in the Corporate Sustainability Reporting category; and Advanced Micro Devices (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Port Authority Of Thailand, Pertamina Patra Niaga Dppu Sepinggan of Indonesia, and TAU Corporation of Japan in the Social Empowerment category.
Prior to the AREA, the International CSR & Sustainability (ICS) Summit 2023 took place. This year's summit was the first physical summit since the onset of the global pandemic. It brought together over 300 C-suite-level executives, business leaders, and CSR practitioners from 19 countries. The summit, themed "Sustainability as the Great Equalizer," provided a regional platform for thought leaders and CSR practitioners to explore how businesses of all sizes and industries can leverage sustainability to accelerate business growth and contribute to a better world.
At the summit's opening, Tan Sri Dr. Fong Chan Onn, Chairman of Enterprise Asia, expressed that sustainability offers an extraordinary opportunity to create a level playing field, where every business, regardless of size, has the chance to contribute to a better world. He emphasised the collective duty to seize this opportunity, collaborate, and inspire one another.
The summit featured several esteemed speakers, including:
- Alexandra Tracy, President of Hoi Ping Ventures Hong Kong
- CHEM Srey Oeun, Head of the Department of Corporate Affairs at Smart Axiata
- Dr. Alexander Khanykov, Moscow Region Export Center
- Dr. Niven Huang, Head of ESG at KPMG Asia Pacific
- Dr. Puthearath CHAN, President of the Advanced Sustainability Institute (ASI)
- Eugene Kraamwinkel, Chief Executive Officer, Phu Rieng Kratie Amphivath and Dau Tu Saigon Bihn Phouc
- Hon Yan Ting, Cecilia, Senior Manager of Corporate Social Responsibility of Prince Foundation
- Jean-Gaetan Guillemaud, VP Corporate Affairs of Zuellig Pharma
- Kounila Keo, Managing Partner of Mekhala Communications
- Kristen Scharf, Country Manager of A21 Cambodia
- Oeur Sothearoath, Chief Executive Officer of Credit Bureau (Cambodia) Co. Ltd
- Sara Monti, Responsible Business Hub Coordinator of EuroCham Cambodia
- Tomas Pokorny, Chief Executive Officer of Brixie Group & Board Member of Cambodia Assoc of Finance & Technology
The AREA and ICS Summit 2023 are supported by CSRone, ESG Malaysia, EuroCham Cambodia, India CSR, Kuala Lumpur Malay Chamber of Commerce (KLMCC), Malaysia Entrepreneurs' Development Association (PUMM), Malaysian Alliance of Corporate Directors (MACD), Malaysian Business Chamber of Cambodia (MBCC), Singapore-Thai Chamber of Commerce, Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy (TAISE), Taiwan Sustainable Development Goals Exchange Association, and Young Entrepreneurs Association of Cambodia (YEAC). The media partners for the event include Bangkok Post, BusinessWorld, Commercial Times, Dailywire.asia, HKET, and SME Magazine. NagaWorld Hotel serves as the venue sponsor, and Pernod Ricard is the sponsor of the AREA door gifts.
