India's corporate espionage wake-up call

A fast developing espionage scandal in India has exposed a shocking nexus between corrupt government officials, middlemen and some of the most powerful local corporations. The organised racket of espionage shows how domestic companies owned by influential business families may have gained competitive advantage through illegal means.
The growing list of companies allegedly involved in the scandal now includes India’s top energy companies Reliance Industries, Essar Group, ADAG Reliance and Jubilant Energy, Cairn India - the oil exploration division of billionaire Anil Agarwal’s London-listed Vedanta Resources, infrastructure developer GMR Group and accounting and consulting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers and a bunch of local consulting firms.  At least twelve people have been arrested that include senior executives from the suspect companies. More arrests are expected, investigators have indicated.
Investigators have revealed chilling details of the modus operandi. Local consulting firms would pay bribes to government employees in various ministries to get commercially sensitive secret information about government decisions and proposals. The final recipients of the information were some of the largest domestic companies. The information could be used for lobbying, playing stock markets, gain competitive advantage and even defraud the government by manipulating bids for infrastructure projects.
Government employees involved had fake identity cards and duplicate keys to the offices of ministers and senior bureaucrats. They would re-enter the ministry premises after office hours, make copies of the documents and leave, all this while security cameras would be turned off. They will then pass on the documents to consultants, lobbyists and companies for money.
The investigations started in October last year after the new central government’s newly appointed national security advisor noticed frequent reporting of highly classified details of government meetings by media. He then asked the Research & Analysis Wing (RAW), India’s little known elite intelligence agency, to investigate. A highly secret investigation that involved taping phones of the suspects and monitoring their movements resulted in several arrests in February this year.
Investigators say they have more than 100 hours of taped phone conversations that indicate senior executives of some of the top energy companies in India were actively involved in the espionage. The CEO of Metis Business Solutions, a top energy consultancy in India with an office in Melbourne, is among those arrested. The company’s website, no more accessible, claimed more than 250 clients worldwide in the oil, gas, power and coal industries.
Examples of documents stolen include sensitive information about the national gas grid, national budget input, market sensitive data, confidential plans and minutes of high-level government meetings, government plans for foreign collaborations, planned projects with other countries, foreign investment proposals by multinational companies and disinvestment decisions relating to public sector companies.
Started with the petroleum ministry, the investigations have so far discovered stealing of commercially sensitive classified information from the ministries of finance, commerce, coal, power, defence.

Action promised

The federal government, headed by prime minister Narendra Modi who came to power last year with unprecedented majority by promising that he will fight corruption,  has promised a strict action saying that no guilty will be spared. Reacting to the arrests, Reliance Industries and the Essar Group have said that they have launched internal probes and have promised action.
Prosecutors are, however, going to face likely difficulty in effectively charging the culprits as India does not have a proper corporate espionage law. The Official Secrets Act, India’s anti-spying law dating back to 1923, can be applied only if “obtained or attempted to obtain information which is calculated to be or might be, or is intended to be, directly or indirectly, useful to an enemy.” Prosecutors are therefore charging those arrested under other laws covering “house trespass or house-breaking by night” and “forgery”.
“India Inc is not surprised with the corporate espionage scandal now rocking the petroleum ministry, with many chief executive officers (CEOs) saying documents are regularly leaked from the ministries, tax authorities, banks, and regulators – thus giving competitive advantage to corporates with deep pockets,” Business Standard, a leading local newspaper published from Mumbai, said in a report based on interviews with unnamed CEOs in February.
The government estimates that $1 trillion of investment would be needed to develop India’s infrastructure in the next five years, much of this will have to come from private investors, mostly from foreign investors. There are more than 600 mega infrastructure projects presenting huge business opportunity for local and multinational companies. Ports, oil & gas, telecom, power, railways and airports together account for 69% of the required investment, according to the Planning Commission, India’s central planning body.
The current scandal may unsettle foreign investors already frustrated with India’s antiquated laws, rampant corruption and spectacularly slow and inefficient bureaucracy. India ranks at number 85 in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index 2014, and is at number 142 on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business 2015 list.
Multinational companies eying investment opportunities often find themselves at a disadvantage compared with domestic companies when it comes to bribery. Multinational companies, particularly the ones from the UK and USA, are often bound by tough anti-bribery and corporate espionage laws at home. In India, they have to compete with large domestic companies helmed by influential families who may find bribery and espionage a fair game. The scandal has only reaffirmed their suspicion that India does not offer a fair level playing field.
It’s time to act tough by the government to win foreign investors’ confidence. For Indian companies, it’s time for introspection. Illegal means to gain competitive advantage may dent their reputation, increase regulatory risks and make them a target for international stakeholder action.

Contributed by Rajesh Chhabara, founder of CSRWorks International (www.csrworks.com)

(This article first appeared in Ethical Corporation, April 2015 issue)

Measuring and Reporting Organizational Carbon Footprint

Training Course

Measuring and Reporting Organizational Carbon Footprint

28 April 2015

Singapore

Introduction

This program is designed to offer a foundation course in carbon emissions footprinting (measurement). Participants at this course will learn the essentials of GHG management and carbon performance.   This course will provide the attendees with an excellent knowledge and understanding of the GHG Protocol to facilitate quantification and management of your carbon footprint and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. They will learn how to measure their organization’s carbon footprint using the GHG Protocol. 

Topics covered

• An understanding of greenhouse gas emissions and their effect on climate change.
• Introduction to the GHG protocol for corporate accounting and the GHG protocol for project accounting.
• GHG Reporting Indicators contained in the GRI G4 Reporting Framework and how they relate to the GHG Protocol standards.
• Introduction to GHG inventories (Scope-1, Scope-2 and Scope-3).
• GHG protocol for measuring and reporting corporate carbon emissions.
• Establishing a GHG information management system.
• Creating a user-friendly tool to monthly measure and monitor GHG emissions from the facility/office operations.

Who Should Attend?
This course will be very useful to those in the following functions: GRI Reporting team members, CSR/Sustainability, EHS, energy management and facilities management.

Trainer

This workshop is facilitated by Rajesh Chhabara, founder and managing consultant of CSRWorks International, one of the earliest sustainability consulting firms in Singapore. Rajesh has helped more than 50 organisations across the region to measure and manage their carbon footprint.

Training Style

Training is delivered in a highly interactive and fun style through case studies, activities and real examples.

Date & Time

28 April 2015, Tuesday
9 am – 5 pm (Registration starts at 8.45 am)

Cost

$300 per person for Singapore Compact and SBF-SDBG members
$380 per person for non Singapore Compact and SBF-SDBG members
*Course fees are inclusive of course notes and tea breaks

Venue
Singapore Business Federation
10 Hoe Chiang Road
Keppel Towers, #22-01
S089315

Please contact Diana Chng at diana@csrsingapore.org or (65) 6827 6825 for more details.

(This training is organised by Singapore Compact and Singapore Business Federation (SBF), and facilitated by CSRWorks International)

 

Responsible Business in ASEAN

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a grouping of 10 nations, aims to become a single market in 2015 what will be known as ASEAN Economic Community. The economic integration will see free flow of goods, services, investment, capital and skilled labour among the member states to achieve a single market and  production base. With 600 million consumers and $3 trillion in combined GDP, the new economic block will need a strong framework for responsible business to ensure the initiative results in a sustainable growth for weaker member nations and the communities living there.
ASEAN has several challenges to deal with. To start with, ASEAN is a grouping of very uneven economies. Singapore and Brunei, the two smallest member states in ASEAN are also the wealthiest. ASEAN also includes Cambodia, Lao and Myanmar which are the least developed countries in the world. In between fall the remaining countries that include Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam.
It’s obvious that the capital will flow from the wealthy members to the poor nations in search for growth and expansion as their home markets are very small. While this is a welcome news for the host economies, the key concern is whether the investors will ensure high standards of ethics, human rights and environmental protection.
Singaporean companies perhaps will benefit the most from ASEAN becoming a single market. However, only 20 out of nearly 800 publicly listed companies published a sustainability report in 2014. Singaporean companies have failed in disclosing their economic, social and environmental impacts even though the Singapore Exchange, the local stock exchange, had issued voluntary sustainability reporting guidelines in 2010. Malaysia, where sustainability reporting has been mandatory for the listed companies since 2008, saw only about 20 companies’ report meeting the GRI guidelines.
Singapore has consistently ranked high on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index while Brunei also enjoys a reputation for low tolerance for corruption. In contrast, almost all other countries in ASEAN are notorious for rampant corruption. The question is whether Singapore companies will follow the same anti-bribery standards in other countries that they follow in Singapore. Early this year, two large Singapore companies, Keppel FELS and Sembcorp Marine, were accused of bribery in a major corruption scandal in Brazil involving the state-run oil company Petrobras. Though both companies have denied any wrongdoing, the incident should be a wake-up call for Singapore companies venturing overseas.
Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia and Thailand have significant number of migrant workers. There are ongoing concerns about abusive working conditions for migrant workers and human trafficking in some of these countries. Economic integration will speed up migration. Investments without respect for a firm commitment to protecting human rights will be red flags for activists.
Indonesia, already at the centre of rainforest destruction by palm oil and paper pulp companies, is an environmental hot-spot. More investment flowing into the country by companies without environmental integrity will result in continued deforestation, and displacement of local communities. Several of the palm oil and pulp companies accused of forest destruction in Indonesia are based in Singapore and Malaysia.
The good thing is that ASEAN leaders seem to be aware of the risks of ignoring corporate responsibility. The ASEAN Intergovermental Commission  on Human Rights (AICHR) was established in 2010 and ASEAN Human Rights Declaration was issued in 2013. A study by AICHR has recommended ASEAN Member States to adopt rules and regulations to deal with adverse impacts of business practices and encourage businesses to implement and internalize corporate social responsibility values, including respect for human rights.
Human Development, Social Welfare and Protection, Social Justice and Rights, Ensuring
Environmental Sustainability and Narrowing the Development Gap between member countries have been included as goals in the ASEAN Socio Cultural Community Blueprint.
The most important initiative however is the establishment of ASEAN CSR Network in 2011, modelled on CSR Europe, to promote corporate social responsibility within the region. The Network recently organized ASEAN Next Gen CSR Forum in Bali  attended by about 250 delegates including business leaders. Addressing the forum, the ASEAN Secretary-General, Le Luong Minh said there were many opportunities for businesses to contribute positively through sincere corporate values and principles.
There is work ahead for the ASEAN CSR Network. Brunei, Cambodia and Lao have not yet joined the ASEAN CSR Network and they don’t have any signatories to the United Nations Global Compact Principles.
Without an aggressive responsible business agenda, ASEAN Economic Community will find it hard to deliver on goals included in ASEAN Socio Cultural Community Blueprint.

-by Rajesh Chhabara,

Founder of CSRWorks International (www.csrworks.com)

 (This article first appeared in Ethical Corporation, March 2015 issue)

Singapore Companies Laggards in Sustainability Reporting

Sustainability Reporting Guidelines issued by the Singapore Exchange in 2010 have fallen on deaf ears as indicated by the findings of the latest study of sustainability reporting practices of listed companies in Singapore.
The second edition of much awaited study report about Sustainability Reporting in Singapore among Singapore Exchange Mainboard listed companies has been released. The report, carried out by Singapore Compact for CSR and NUS Business School, paints a grim picture of sustainability reporting among Singapore companies. The study covered 537 companies listed on the Singapore Exchange to gauge the level of their sustainability reporting. Here are the key findings:

1. Only 19 companies issue a proper sustainability report using GRI guidelines. The 2011 Study had found 11 companies with GRI-based reports.
2. Companies in the Manufacturing, Services and Commerce sectors are the biggest laggards.
3. Only 160 companies had some kind of mention of sustainability in their annual report or the website.
4. Environmental issues were the most neglected aspects by those with any sustainability information.
5. Only 17 companies made any reference to Climate Change.
6. Only 22 companies made a reference to material issues.
7. Only 32.1% companies from the high impact sectors, categorized so by the Singapore Exchange, provided some information about their sustainability practices. These sectors include Agriculture, Air Transport, Chemicals & Pharmaceutical, Construction, Food & Beverages, Forestry & Paper, Mining & Metals, Oil & Gas, Shipping and Water.

Study findings are not surprising for sustainability professionals. Sustainability has a very low buy-in at the CEO level in Singapore. CEOs don't see much value in sustainability agenda. The SGX guidelines expect listed companies to disclose their sustainability performance but are voluntary. In the absence of regulatory requirement, a vast majority of companies have chosen to ignore the guidelines.
Christopher Ang, Executive Director of Singapore Compact, says: “More companies need to communicate and report on their sustainability activities to gain a deeper understanding of their exposure to social and environmental risks, and demonstrate corporate transparency and accountability. Such insights can also help companies find growth opportunities and generates trust with their stakeholders, while providing drivers for companies to formulate long-term strategic visions and resilient business models.”
Associate Professor Lawrence Loh, one of the researchers and Deputy Head, Department of Strategy & Policy, NUS Business School says: "Companies should see that it is in their own interests to report on sustainability. Increasingly, many stakeholders, including investors, are expecting companies to go beyond mere engagement and to also communicate their commitment to sustainability efforts. Being sustainable is the most fundamental assurance for the long-term survivability and viability of the companies."
Good advice. Hope CEOs are listening!


See the full report here.

Will Aviva Explain Reckless Increases in MyShield premium?

I am shocked to receive a premium demand for my MyShield policy from Aviva which is significantly higher than the prior years. I bought the policy in July 2012 and paid a premium of $481.46. In 2013, I was asked to pay $800. This year, the amount has been increased to $1129.63. Should I expect to pay $1500 next year? And $1900 the year after? Where will this stop?

Can anyone at Aviva explain the basis for these reckless increases in premium every year for a healthy man with no claim history?

There have been regular reports of insurance companies in Singapore arbitrarily increasing medical insurance premium for hapless customers. Is there any authority or agency in Singapore which can rein in these companies? Is there any regulation here to control these companies' behaviour and to ensure customers are not taken to ransom?

I have written to Aviva. Will share the reply here if they reply at all. Keeping my fingers crossed.


Update on 1 Aug 2014 at 7.20 PM: Aviva has not bothered to reply to my email yet which was sent to their "customer care" email address.

Training Course: Sustainability Reporting for HR

After the two hugely successful sustainability training courses (Managing and Reporting Supply Chain Sustainability and Transitioning to GRI G4 Reporting) that we launched in collaboration with Singapore Compact for CSR, the next one is designed for the Human Resources professionals. Here are the necessary details:

Sustainability Reporting for HR

 Introduction

More and more companies are opting to report their economic, social and environmental performance through annual sustainability reports. A sustainability report is increasingly seen as a critical instrument in building trust and credibility among internal and external stakeholders.

Sustainability reporting is a complex process requiring organisation-wide collaboration to deliver a report that is truly engaging and effective. Input from the Human Resources Department build a significant part of the report. About one-third of a typical sustainability report is devoted to employee related issues. This is not surprising as nearly 38 per cent of the performance indicators included in the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G4 Guidelines for Sustainability Reporting is Human Resources Management aspects. This underscores the importance of strategic participation of HR leaders in the reporting process instead of being passive providers of data at the end of the year.

More importantly, a good understanding of workplace-related sustainability issues and how they are reported will help HR leaders in employer branding. HR leaders can use sustainability reporting metrics to boost employee engagement, employee motivation, recruitment and retention of talent, work-life balance, team work, and leadership development.

This course is designed to introduce HR leaders and managers to sustainability reporting requirements and to prepare them for playing a strategic role in their organisation’s annual sustainability reporting process.

Training Style

Training is delivered in a highly interactive and fun style through case studies, activities and real examples.

Duration

One Day

Who Should Attend?

The workshop will be very useful for the entire Human Resource team, Sustainability Directors and Managers, Sustainability Steering Committee members and Sustainability Reporting Team members. Companies which aspire to be a leader in people excellence will find this workshop equally useful.


Training will be facilitated by Rajesh Chhabara, founder and managing consultant of CSRWorks International, one of the earliest sustainability consulting firms in Singapore. Please click for more information about the trainer.
To register, kindly download the registration form and send the completed form to ester@csrsingapore.org This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or diana@csrsingapore.org

Conflict between business and community, and the role of government

Whenever there is a conflict between business and community, the state is expected to intervene with a regulation to address the situation. Almost every piece of business law is a result of this underlying notion of the state's responsibility.
If businesses don't want to attract regulation, they have to voluntarily resolve the conflict guided by the principles of ethics, integrity and responsibility. Unfortunately, voluntary action by businesses is rare as there are so few visionary business leaders. So regulation is the only answer to protect the community (and the environment) from the greed and recklessness of businesses. Even in the enlightened Europe, a legislation is in the works to make sustainability reporting by large companies mandatory. A necessary but unpleasant move for which businesses can blame only themselves.
A high level discussion coming up next week. Looking forward to participate as a speaker.

Supply Chain Sustainability Workshop

Singapore Compact is organising a brand new workshop on Managing and Reporting Supply Chain Sustainability on May 8, 2014.


Here is more about the workshop:


Managing and Reporting Supply Chain Sustainability
Supply chain responsibility is rapidly becoming a strategic sustainability issue for an increasing number of companies. Managing social and environmental impacts and ensuring good governance in supply chains can prevent reputational and regulatory risks.
Sustainable procurement practices can also bring several benefits to organisations. These may include higher efficiencies and continuous improvement in productivity, quality and reliability of value chain partners. Implementing sustainability principles in supply chains helps companies to offer more sustainable products and services to customers. A responsible supply chain can win investor confidence and can help companies meet stakeholders’ expectations.
Recognizing the significance of Supply Chain Sustainability, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has included new disclosure requirements in their latest GRI G4 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. Reporting companies now urgently need to assess their value chain, review their procurement practices and take actions to meet the emerging reporting requirements.
This course is designed to help organisations to implement effective supply chain sustainability strategies and to meet the new GRI G4 reporting requirements.

Topics Covered

§ An Introduction to Sustainability
§ Global and Regional Trends in Supply Chain Responsibility
§ The Business Case of Supply Chain Responsibility
§ GRI G4 Reporting Guidelines and Responsible Procurement
§ Supply Chain Mapping for Identifying Material Issues
§ Setting and Realizing Sustainable Procurement KPIs
§ Sustainable Procurement Implementation Roadmap
§ Supplier Screening, Audit and Monitoring. Best Practices
§ Motivating and Influencing Suppliers to embrace sustainability

Who Should Attend?

The workshop will be very useful for the entire Procurement team, Sustainability Directors and Managers, Sustainability Steering Committee members and Sustainability Reporting Task Team members. The workshop is particularly valuable for sustainability reporters who are transitioning to the GRI G4 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines, and also for new reporters as the workshop is aligned with the GRI G4 Guidelines on supplier responsibility. Companies which aim to be a leader in supplier responsibility will find this workshop equally useful.

Date & Time

8 May, Thursday 2014
9 am – 5 pm (Registration starts at 8.45 am)

Fees

S$300 (For SC, SDBG, ACCA, SNEF members)
S$380 (For non-SC members)
Course fees are inclusive of course fee, notes, lunch and tea breaks.

Trainer

This workshop is facilitated by Rajesh Chhabara, founder and managing consultant of CSRWorks International, one of the earliest sustainability consulting firms in Singapore.

Training Style

Training is delivered in a highly interactive and fun style through case studies, activities, group discussions and real examples.

Venue

Singapore Business Federation
10 Hoe Chiang Road
Keppel Towers, #22-01
S089315
For enquiries, please contact Diana Chng at diana@csrsingapore.org or (65) 68276825.

Training Course on Transitioning to GRI G4 Sustainability Reporting

Singapore Compact for CSR has announced a training on Transitioning to GRI G4 Reporting. The training will be on 24 April 2014 in Singapore. Here is the course outline:

Transitioning to GRI G4 Sustainability Reporting

Introduction
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) published their GRI G4 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines in May 2013. GRI also announced that sustainability reports based on the older versions of G3 and G3.1 will not be accepted after 31 December 2015.
The G4 Guidelines contain significant changes and new requirements. Therefore, it is crucial for reporting companies to start early to avoid embarrassing mistakes and failure in meeting the deadline. Early adopters will also have an edge over their peers, will gain stakeholders’ respect and reap a number of benefits the G4 framework offers.
This course is designed to help reporting organisations to make a smooth transition from G3/G3.1 by adopting a practical approach.

Topics covered

• Main features, concepts and requirements, and advantages of the GRI G4 Guidelines.
• Understanding new requirements relating to Report Level Criteria, Materiality, Organisational Boundary and Defining Report Content.
• New Standard Disclosures and Performance Indicators.
• Addressing value chain disclosure requirements and indicators required by G4.
• G4 and External Assurance: What has changed?
• Changes in the GRI Content Index.
• Four-Step-Approach to Easy Transitioning to GRI G4.

Date and Time
24 April 2014
09:00 AM- 05:00 PM (Registration starts at 8.45 am)


Who Should Attend?
Sustainability practitioners and reporters who have previously published reports using GRI G3/G3.1 guidelines and now need to switch to G4 guidelines. The workshop will be very useful for Sustainability Directors and Managers, Sustainability Steering Committee members and Sustainability Reporting Task Team members in reporting organisations.


Fees 
S$300 (For SC, SDBG, SNEF members)
S$380 (For non-members)
Course fees are inclusive of course fee, notes, lunch and tea breaks

For more information or to register, please refer to the attachments or contact Diana Chng at diana@csrsingapore.org or 68276825.

 (Disclosure: This training will be delivered by my firm CSRWorks International, and I will be the facilitator.)

Personal Data Protection Act
Expect More Paper Wasted?
The Personal Data Protection Act in Singapore comes into force on 2 Jan 2014 partially, and then on 2 July completely. To make it short, the Act prevents companies to use individuals' phone numbers for making unsolicited telemarketing calls including sending messages and faxes.

Will unscrupulous companies and their marketing agents turn to alternative methods to reach out to people to sell? Will they resort to sending more junk mail to your post box now? Junk mail by post or couriers is not covered by the Act.

More junk mail to our post boxes or slid under the door would mean higher consumption of paper. Much of this paper is an absolute waste. Not sustainable.

By the way, it is worth having a look at the main provisions of the Act whether you are a business or an individual in Singapore. Know your rights, and obligations! Here is the link

EU Parliament's CSR Resolution

The EU Parliament has adopted a new CSR Resolution. The economy is still shaky. A number of companies are using this as an excuse to go slow on embracing sustainability. The EU Parliament has however gone ahead to take CSR to the next level. Commendable! Hope other countries follow the lead.
Here is the summary of the EU CSR resolution.

Sustainable Apparel Manufacturing Standards

You are welcome to join the LinkedIn Group: Sustainable Apparel Manufacturing Standards to participate in the discussions:)

We are in the process of developing a framework for Sustainable Apparel Manufacturing in an industry-led initiative. All stakeholders are welcome to join the process.

CSRWorks looking for experienced CSR consultants

CSRWorks is looking for more hands, and heads, to keep pace with increasing work. We are looking for a few consultants/associates. Get in touch if you have any of these:

• Experience in developing GRI reports


• Experience in providing independent assurance for CSR reports


• Experience in developing sustainability standards and indicators


• Experience in green manufacturing principles and implementation


• CSR training


• Community Investment (intern/research opportunity)

It's important that you have some prior experience.
Write to me if you think you fit any of the profile. Send you mail to: rajesh.chhabara@csrworks.com

Watch what Singapore CEOs say about CSR

CSRWorks' first editions of CSR Videos will be released during the International Singapore Compact CSR Summit on Sept 5-6 at Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel.

CSRWorks partnered with Singapore Compact and Apostrophe Films to produce these videos. The videos are based on my conversations with Singapore's top seven business leaders and CEOs.
This edition includes three videos. Two of these are based on interviews with CEOs and business leaders respectively. The third video is on Singapore Compact itself.

Participating companies include NTUC Fair Price, Senoko Power, Power Seraya, City Developments Ltd, Keppel Land, Asia Pacific Breweries and Cerebos.

In the coming days, we would also release seven videos for each of the individual CEO and business leader.

All the videos will soon be available on http://www.csrworks.com/ which is currently being revamped. Videos will also be available on Singapore Compact website.

Singapore Sustainable Fashion Competition

Singapore's first sustainable fashion competition successfully ended yesterday with a grand finale organized at lush green Hort Park.

The competition which has been underway since April this year was jointly organized by Singapore Workforce Development Agency and the Textile and Fashion Federation (TAFF). A total of 44 fashion designers participated in the competition.

I have been closely involved with this competition from the beginning that included conducting workshops for the participating designers to help them understand deeper sustainability issues in the fashion value chain. It was gratifying to see the seven finalists presenting their sustainable fashion collection in the grand finale fashion show. These finalists have already received prominent coverage in Urban, The Straits Times' fashion magazine on Friday.

Mr Teo Ser Luck, Minister of State (MOS) for Ministry of Trade and Industry was the Guest of Honour at the grand finale of the competition today.

WDA’s Chief Executive, Mr Wong Hong Kuan said: “The transformation of the textile and fashion industry has presented opportunities for the workforce to continue to build their knowledge and capabilities in this field. WDA will continue to develop new programmes in emerging skill areas with the industry to provide a pipeline of skilled talent to ensure that the industry continues to stay relevant and competitive to enjoy sustainable growth.”

Early in the morning, I joined four other judges to decide the winners. Three winners were selected. Two of them will travel to Paris Fashion Week in a few weeks as their prize in addition to cash booty of $1500 each.

The third winner will represent Singapore in a regional round in Hong Kong organized by the Society of Dyers and Colourist (SDC) award, a United Kingdom, London competition, called the SDC International Design Competition 2011 that shared the same vision of sustainability.

GRI's own annual report published

Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) sets standards for sustainability reporting. So it's own annual sustainability report evokes lot of interest. GRI has just published its fifth Sustainability Report covering the fiscal year July 2009 - June 2010.

A must-read analysis of the GRI annual report by my colleague Elaine Cohen here.

GRI Sustainability Report can be downloaded here.

GRI's own report released

Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) has released its own Year In Review report for the year 2009-2010. See the report here.

Introduction to the GRI report is written by my colleague and reputed sustainability expert Elaine Cohen.

DyStar aims to become carbon-smart company

A significant amount of environmental impact in the apparel & textile industry comes from the use of dyes, colors and chemicals. So dyes and colors manufacturers have an important role to play in promoting sustainability in the textile supply chain by developing and introducing eco-friendly chemicals. Equally important is for them to reduce their own carbon and water footprint.

DyStar Group, a top manufacturer of eco-friendly dyes for the textile industry, has taken the lead by releasing it's first carbon footprint report.

The company says "the report will serve as the baseline for measuring future progress in reducing DyStar’s carbon emissions and is a key component of what will be DyStar’s first Sustainability Report which is due to be published in Q4 2011."

Announcing the release of the report Steve Barron, CEO commented, “We are today taking the first few steps on the journey towards sustainability. As a responsible company we acknowledge that we have a critical role to play in mitigating climate change by introducing products and services that reduce carbon emissions of our customers, and by reducing our own carbon footprint.”

Barron says that Carbon reduction teams are being established at each of the major production sites to drive down the carbon intensity of the manufacturing operations and to set DyStar on the path to becoming a carbon-smart company.

India's corruption international issue

India has today arrested prominent anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare. So this is the state of democracy in India. Those opposing corruption are promptly arrested, beaten, harassed and discredited.

India's perverse corruption law (yes, there is one that no one abides by) even allows swift arrests of those who pay bribe. The only ones who get off scotfree and left to plunder the nation's assets are the ones who receive bribes and breed bribery.

How do you expect companies to oppose corruption in this kind of country? Companies are just helpless and silent victims of 66 years of humiliating corruption.

International intervention is needed to save hapless people of India from the corrupt alliance between politicians, bureaucrats, and criminal gangs.

State of sustainability in Singapore

Interesting stuff on the state of CSR in Singapore in The Business Times (10 Aug), the main business daily of Singapore.

I had the opportunity to share my views for the story. I have always believed that Singapore companies have the potential to lead sustainability in Asia:)