Resources

Sustainability reporting in Singapore 2016

A study by National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School’s Centre for Governance, Institutions and Organisations (CGIO) and ASEAN CSR Network (ACN) revealed that majority of Singapore companies are still not communicating sustainability.

186 out of a total of 502 mainboard listed companies communicate their sustainability practices, with an average level of disclosure of 43.6 points, an increase from 160 companies in 2013.

Of the 186 companies that had communicated sustainability, 24 adapted the GRI framework, an increase from 19 in 2013. Of these 186 companies, 24 companies made materiality disclosures, largely related to areas under the social indicator. 

26 blue chip companies on the Straits Times Index (STI) were found to disclose information pertaining to their sustainability practices in a more comprehensive manner than their non-STI counterparts, with a score of 56.8 against 41.4 in 2013. The study also found that the 17 Government-linked Companies (GLCs) performed better in their level of sustainability disclosure than non-GLCs, with a score of 51.9 against 43.3 respectively.

Only 12.9 percent of companies disclosed information about their climate change efforts and even fewer companies disclosed information on biodiversity management efforts.

SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING BY REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS (REITs)

27 out of a total of 33 Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) on the SGX communicated their sustainability practices, compared to 21 REITs out of 29 in 2013. The overall level of disclosure increased to 43.6%, from 42.4% in 2013. 

Click the picture below to access the report.

sustainability reporting in SG

Sustainability reporting in ASEAN 2016

Singapore companies lag behind ASEAN counterparts in sustainability reporting regulation

A study by National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School’s Centre for Governance, Institutions and Organisations (CGIO) and ASEAN CSR Network (ACN) revealed that companies see the relevance in sustainability but majority struggle to identify its key impact, risks and opportunities.

Based on indicatiors such as governance, economic, environmental and social, Thailand outperformed with a score of 56.8%, followed by Singapore (48.8%), Indonesia (48.4%) and Malaysia (47.7%). The study also revealed that government-linked companies and state-owned enterprises fared better on their quality of disclosures. 

Click the picture below to access the report.

sustainability reporting in ASEAN

CEDAW Impact Collection: Florida International University Library

FIU Library

Susanne Zwingel, Associate Professor, Dept. of Politics and International Relations, INR Graduate Program Director of the Florida International University would like to share an online resource that she has put together with the help of her students: a collection of domestic use of CEDAW, available here: http://libguides.fiu.edu/cedaw_impact

All of these sources document how diverse actors, including governments and civil society organizations, have used CEDAW at home. As you will see, sometimes this use is direct, sometimes more an "ingredient" in broader strategies. The organization of the collection is alphabetically per country, and within each country, the newest sources come first. Some (but not all) of the sources can be accessed directly online. 

ISEAS Perspectives: Cambodia Embraces China’s Belt and Road Initiative

perspective 47

The article discusses the following points:

1) The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a new force shaping the global economic order, serving as China’s grand strategy to project its global influence and leadership role through economic and cultural diplomacy.

2) Cambodia enthusiastically supports the initiative, mainly for economic reasons, especially its infrastructure development and production-capacity cooperation elements.

3) BRI is complementary to Cambodia’s national development strategy as it can strengthen the country’s economic competitiveness by diversifying the sources of growth and expanding its economic horizon.

4) However, Cambodia needs to strengthen its governance to maximize opportunities, and the participation of the private sector in infrastructure projects remains limited. Another challenge is the lack of transparency and local community participation.

ISEAS Perspectives: Trade Facilitation Synergies between WTO and ASEAN Initiatives

perspective 48

This article discusses the following:

1) Simplifying and streamlining trade processes reduces trade costs and increases the potential for trade especially in developing countries.

2) The WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement and ASEAN’s trade facilitation measures both seek to improve trade processes among member states. While the TFA focuses on customs processes, ASEAN’s measures are broader in coverage.

3) The ASEAN Trade Repository, ASEAN Single Window and ASEAN Customs Transit System will benefit from a commitment by ASEAN member states to implement similar measures in the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.  ASEAN member states can utilize the assistance and support of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement in the implementation of their ASEAN commitments.

To read the full article on the ISEAS website, click here.

Analysis of Corruption Risks for Investors in Vietnam by VBF Governance & Integrity Working Group

analysis of corruption risk

This study looks at the risk of corruption in Vietnam, particularly in the private sector where the gifting of gifts, entertainment and other such exchanges have proven to be a difficult grey area to navigate given the competitive disadvantages companies often encounter when attempting to follow ethical guidelines that conflict with local cultural expectations.

This report was done primarily through high profile bi-annual Forums between the business community and Vietnamese leadership and through specialized Working Groups cutting across sectors.

Click here to access the report.

Tackling Integrity Risks in Government Contracts

tackling integrity risks

This Guidebook is designed as a practical methodology to help countries diagnose integrity risks in the public procurement system and processes, as well as to indicate proper actions to mitigate them. In addition, the Guidebook is designed to help governments in the region upgrade their procurement systems during the Second Review Cycle of the UN Convention against Corruption (2017-2021).

Click here to get the full report.

Multinationals as global institution: Power, authority and relative autonomy

REGO large This article aims to inform the long-standing and unresolved debate between voluntary corporate social responsibility and initiatives to impose binding legal obligations on multinational enterprises.