Asean CSR

Sustainable consumption and production is highlighted as a component of the ‘Sustainable’ elementSustainable consumption and production is highlighted as a component of the ‘Sustainable’ elementand characteristics in the ‘ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Blueprint 2025’ (ASEAN Secretariat,2016). The ASCC blueprint forms one of the four pillars identified in ‘The ASEAN 2025: Forging AheadTogether’ work plan endorsed by ASEAN Leaders at their 27th Summit in 2015. This study identifiedcarbon footprint for consumer goods, energy efficiency and recycling as key contributors to managingthe environment and scarce resources for a sustainable future.

This report reveals that while some progress is made, much remains to be done. It is clear that thecomplexities and difficulties in implementing, executing and monitoring a coherent set of guidelines,policies and laws are not easy. The establishment of ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) provides a goodindication that it is possible to manage complex issues and problems and provides a reference forsimilar task force such as this to be established for the efforts in reducing carbon footprint andincreasing recycling efforts for a sustainable future.

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A joint study on Sustainability Reporting in Singapore by the ASEAN CSR Network (ACN) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School’s Centre for Governance, Institutions and Organisations (CGIO) was conducted to understand the sustainability reporting practices among the five ASEAN countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

During the period under review, unprecedented developments in some countries, suggesting a turning point in current sustainability reporting landscape, was witnessed.

The study finds an overall disclosure rate of 59.2% for all five ASEAN countries, with Malaysia taking the lead.

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A joint study on Sustainability Reporting in Singapore by the ASEAN CSR Network (ACN) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School’s Centre for Governance, Institutions and Organisations (CGIO) found that recent changes to Singapore Exchange (SGX) reporting requirements and increasing stakeholder awareness have brought about a new focus on sustainability disclosures.

This study seeks to understand how these changes have impacted the companies in Singapore. Five key insights around the uptake and maturity of sustainability disclosures have been identified.

In addition, the study found a 3% increase in percentage points in the level of disclosure since 2016, with 61.5% of companies adopting recognised frameworks.

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Background

The unanimous endorsement of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2011 represented a watershed moment in efforts to tackle adverse impacts on people resulting from globalization and business activity in all sectors. They provided, for the first time, a globally recognized and authoritative framework for the respective duties and responsibilities of Governments and business enterprises to prevent and address such impacts.

The Guiding Principles clarify that all business enterprises have an independent responsibility to respect human rights, and that in order to do so they are required to exercise human rights due diligence to identify, prevent, mitigate and account for how they address impacts on human rights.

Working Group report on human rights due diligence

In its report to the 2018 UN General Assembly, the Working Group on Business and Human Rights  highlights key features of human rights due diligence and why it matters; gaps and challenges in current business and Government practice; emerging good practices; and how key stakeholders — States and the investment community, in particular — can contribute to the scaling-up of effective human rights due diligence.

Human rights due diligence in practice is a major focus of the 2018 UN Forum on Business and Human Rights.

Download the Working Group report on human rights due diligence to the 2018 General Assembly here.
Download the key documents to the report here.

Reproduced from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.