Vietnam’s Baoviet wins Asia’s top sustainability reporting award

Hong Kong’s Hang Lung Properties clinches multiple awards

Singapore: Vietnam’s leading state-owned financial-insurance group Baoviet Holdings clinched Asia's Sustainability Report of the Year award at the just concluded 2016 Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards (ASRA). Baoviet also bagged Asia’s Best Integrated Reporting award.

Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Baoviet's Deputy Chief Operating Officer
and Head of Corporate Strategy and General Affairs Division receiving the top
award from the British High Commissioner in Singapore H.E. Mr. Scott Wightman. 

Hong Kong’s leading real estate operator Hang Lung Properties emerged as the biggest winner as it cornered three awards including Asia’s Best Sustainability Report (Stand-alone) award.

Other top winners at the 2016 ASRA included Singapore’s major telco StarHub, India’s textiles group Arvind, Singapore’s eco-hotel Siloso Beach Resort and Japan’s leading consumer products company Suntory Group.

Winners of the 2016 Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards were announced and honoured in an exclusive awards ceremony-cum-gala-dinner event in Singapore on 28 November 2016. The event was hosted by the British High Commissioner H.E. Mr. Scott Wightman at his official residence Eden Hall. Sweden’s ambassador in Singapore H.E. Mr. Håkan Jevrell was present as the Special Guest.

Awards in 16 categories were presented by the High Commissioner Mr. Wightman, the Ambassador Mr. Jevrell, and Ms. Camilla Fenning, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Head of the Climate and Energy Network for South East Asia at the British High Commission Singapore.

The event was attended by the finalists of ASRA 2016, and dignitaries from diverse fields including business, non-profit, embassies, trade associations, advocacy organisations and academics.

The winners received a specially designed plaque framed with recycled wood. The winner of the top honours, Asia’s Sustainability Report of the Year, received an exclusive golden plaque. All finalists received a merit certificate printed on FSC certified paper sourced from sustainable forests. In addition, the winners and the finalists will be authorised to use the privileged Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards Icons for branding purpose.

Printed edition of Sustainability Reporting: Learn from Asia’s Best, a special publication featuring the 2015 ASRA winners, was released at the event.

To encourage more Asian companies to embrace sustainability reporting, CSRWorks International, a Singapore-based sustainability firm, has created the Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards. The awards are CSRWorks International’s not-for-profit initiative, and is part of its own corporate responsibility programme.

“International recognition for sustainability reporting will help ASRA winners attract socially responsible investment,” said Rajesh Chhabara, managing director at CSRWorks International. He added, “A surge in investment by socially responsible investment (SRI) funds in Asia will spur long term sustainable growth led by businesses which respect the environment, people and communities and are yet profitable.”

Please see below the complete listing of winners.

The 2016 ASRA Winners

Asia's Sustainability Report of the Year
Winner: Baoviet Holdings, Vietnam

Asia's Best Sustainability Report (Stand-alone)
Winner: Hang Lung Properties, Hong Kong
Highly Commended: Olam International, Singapore

Asia's Best Sustainability Report within Annual ReportWinner: StarHub, Singapore

Asia's Best Integrated Report:Winner: Baoviet Holdings, Vietnam
Highly Commended: YES Bank, India

Asia's Best First Time Sustainability ReportWinner: Arvind Limited, India

Asia's Best Sustainability Report (SME)Winner: Siloso Beach Resort, Singapore

Asia's Best Online CSR CommunicationWinner: Suntory Group, Japan

Asia's Best CSR Communication within Annual ReportWinner: Salcon Berhad, Malaysia

Asia's Best Materiality ReportingJoint Winners: Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (KAHRAMAA), and Arvind Limited, India

Asia's Best Stakeholder ReportingWinner: Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (KAHRAMAA)

Asia's Best Environmental ReportingWinner: Hang Lung Properties, Hong Kong

Asia's Best Carbon DisclosureWinner: PT Pertamina (Persero), Indonesia

Asia's Best Supply Chain ReportingWinner: HP, Asia Pacific, Singapore

Asia's Best Community ReportingWinner: Singtel, Singapore

Asia's Best Workplace ReportingWinner: Trina Solar, China
Highly Commended: YTL PowerSeraya, Singapore

Asia's Most Transparent ReportWinner: Hang Lung Properties, Hong Kong

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More comprehensive information on the Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards can be viewed at: www.csrmatters.com

About ASRAThe Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards (ASRA) recognise and honour sustainability reporting leaders in Asia. The Awards celebrate best practices in sustainability reporting and communications. The vision for ASRA to become the most inspiring recognition of sustainability reporting excellence in Asia. The Awards are open to all types and sizes of private, public and non-profit organisations in all sectors who produce a sustainability report in Asia. An independent panel of judges with distinguished background judge the entries to decide the winners. www.csrmatters.com


About Organisers
The Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards are organised by csrmatters, a unit of CSRWorks International, Singapore’s leading boutique sustainability advisory, research and training firm with a successful track record more than 10 years. CSRWorks closely collaborates with businesses and other stakeholders to promote excellence in sustainability reporting across the region. Rajesh Chhabara, Managing Director of CSRWorks, has launched ASRA as a not-for-profit initiative to give organisations, large and small, the opportunity to showcase their sustainability efforts, thereby building trust among their stakeholders, adding value to their businesses and attracting socially responsible investors. www.csrworks.com

Supporting Organisations
The Awards are supported by diverse organisations representing governments, NGOs, academia, media and professional sectors keen on encouraging responsible business practices and sustainability disclosure in Asia, including the British High Commission Singapore, Embassy of Sweden in Singapore, the High Commission of Canada, the British Chamber of Commerce, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Vietnam Business Council for Sustainable Development (VBCSD), Sasin Centre for Sustainability Management and Systainability Asia among others.