Technology Companies Take Top Spots in the 2016 Channel NewsAsia Sustainability Ranking

HONG KONG, Sept. 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Regional broadcaster Channel NewsAsia and its partners, CSR Asia and Sustainalytics, today announced that technology companies took seven of the top ten spots in the 2016 Channel NewsAsia Sustainability Ranking. Wipro Ltd. was ranked number one for its proactive efforts to reduce its energy use and mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The annual Ranking identifies the top 100 companies in Asia with the highest sustainability performance, measured based on a broad range of environmental, social and governance (ESG) indicators. The partners released the Ranking at the 2016 CSR Asia Summit in Kowloon Shangri-La, Hong Kong.

Key findings of the 2016 Channel NewsAsia Sustainability Ranking

• Companies in the technology sector captured the largest proportion of positions (38 of 100) in the Ranking.
• Eighty-two percent of companies in the top 100 are from Japan (33), Taiwan (20), India (16) and South Korea (13). Regulatory oversight of corporate sustainability disclosures is likely the reason for companies in these countries to take leading positions.
• Five Japanese companies have been placed in the top 20 of this year's Ranking, up from only one in the 2015 Ranking.
• The top five companies in the 2016 Ranking are Wipro Ltd. (India), City Developments Limited (Singapore), Lite-On Technology Corp. (Taiwan), Hankook Tire Co., Ltd. (South Korea) and Qisda Corporation (Taiwan).

The 2016 Channel NewsAsia Sustainability Ranking is generated based on specific ESG indicators and methodology developed by Sustainalytics, a leading global provider of ESG and corporate governance research and ratings. From the full list of 100 companies identified, the Ranking highlights the overall top performing 20 companies and the top three businesses per country. A total of 11 territories are covered in this robust research - mainland China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand (more information in Annex 2).  

The Channel NewsAsia Sustainability Ranking is part of the channel's initiative under its larger Corporate Social Responsibility project, Changing Lives. The focus for this year -- Business and Philanthropy in Asia -- highlights the importance for today's businesses to take the lead in propelling social change and progress in Asia. The Ranking urges businesses in the region to find the balance among their economic, social and environmental responsibilities in their operations. 

Ms Hidayah Ong, Head of Mediacorp's News Segment, says, "Amidst the competitive and busy corporate climate in Asia, this Ranking serves to help businesses benchmark themselves against some of the best in the industry. It spotlights companies that are successful in corporate sustainability and urges action from others. We hope that such initiatives play a pivotal role in driving change."

Mr Michael Jantzi, CEO of Sustainalytics, says, "Over the past few years, the consideration of ESG factors has gained significant momentum throughout Asia. This Ranking has added to the dialogue, bringing more attention to the importance of company ESG issues. We congratulate the companies included in this year's Ranking for providing comprehensive sustainability information to their stakeholders."

Mr Richard Welford, Chairman, CSR Asia said, "This ranking enables companies and their stakeholders to benchmark performance with respect to sustainability. Bold and effective leadership -- from business, government and individuals -- is needed to drive the sustainability agenda forward in Asia Pacific. Indices like the Ranking are an important tool to assess which companies are looking to become regional and global leaders."

The Ranking is available online at http://sustainability-ranking.channelnewsasia.com/ (top 20 companies in Annex 1).

CSR Asia Summit 2016

The Ranking is unveiled at the CSR Asia Summit, one of the largest CSR conferences in the region. The Summit brings together a unique mix of business, government and civil society stakeholders to address pressing concerns and understand important emerging trends. 

Channel NewsAsia's Hong Kong Bureau Chief Roland Lim moderates two forums during the Summit. The first, titled "The Asian Corporate Sustainability Leaders" takes a closer look at the Ranking and speaks to leaders from top-ranking companies on their approaches to incorporating sustainability in their business models. The panelists are, Professor Christine Chow, Associate Director of Hermes EOS; Ms Erin Lyon, Executive Director of CSR Asia; and Mr Hardik Sanjay Shah, Sector Manager of Research Products at Sustainalytics. 

The second forum, "Sustainability-Driven Innovation" explores how leading companies can push beyond their business-as-usual protocols and innovation boundaries to reap the benefits of products and services that create social and environmental good. The panelists include Ms Diana Escoda, Asia Pacific R&D Vice President of The Coca Cola Company; Ms Pascale Guiffant, Sustainable Development and Reputation Deputy Director of Suez Environment; and Mr Rory Hunter, Chairman and CEO of Song Saa Resorts.

As part of the channel's outreach efforts in supporting and heightening awareness of sustainable practices, Channel NewsAsia collaborated with KBZ Bank from Myanmar on an exclusive documentary production, Water for Life. The documentary highlights the work of KBZ Bank's foundation in ensuring clean water access for local communities and was telecast on Channel NewsAsia in June this year. The partnership between Channel NewsAsia and KBZ Bank will be displayed at the Summit.

About Channel NewsAsia

Channel NewsAsia Singapore was established in March 1999 by Mediacorp, and is an English language Asian TV News channel. Positioned to "Understand Asia", it reports on global developments with Asian perspectives. Channel NewsAsia brings viewers not only the latest news but also the stories behind the headlines. Based in Singapore, it has correspondents in major Asian cities and key Western ones, including New York, Washington D.C., London and Brussels.  

The channel is complemented by an online presence at channelnewsasia.com, and social media services like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

Channel NewsAsia (International), was launched in September 2000.  It is now viewed in 28 territories across Asia with its satellite footprint stretching across the Middle East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia and Australia.

Mediacorp is a Singapore-based media company with a complete range of platforms, spanning television, radio, newspapers, magazines, digital and out-of-home media.

For more information, please visit Channel NewsAsia's website at channelnewsasia.com.

About CSR Asia

CSR Asia is a mission-driven business creating value for clients and partners in Asia by supporting responsible, inclusive and sustainable business. Our services include sustainability strategy and reporting, and development and community investment. We deliver value through our advisory, networks, events and intelligence. CSR Asia has 6 offices globally and staff members have multidisciplinary expertise across sectors and in local markets. Committed to creating positive change, CSR Asia provides access to a knowledge bank of accessible reports and articles as well as events, forums and training. For more information, visit www.csr-asia.com.

About Sustainalytics

Sustainalytics is an independent ESG and corporate governance research, ratings and analysis firm supporting investors around the world with the development and implementation of responsible investment strategies. With 15 offices globally, Sustainalytics partners with institutional investors who integrate environmental, social and governance information and assessments into their investment processes. Today, the firm has more than 300 staff members, including 170 analysts with varied multidisciplinary expertise of more than 40 sectors. Through the IRRI survey, investors selected Sustainalytics as the best independent responsible investment research firm for three consecutive years, 2012 through 2014 and in 2015, Sustainalytics was named among the top three firms for both ESG and Corporate Governance research. For more information, visit www.sustainalytics.com.

ANNEX 1

2016 Channel NewsAsia Sustainability Ranking: Top 20 performing companies

For the full of list of the Top 100 companies as well as more information about each company, please visit http://sustainability-ranking.channelnewsasia.com/.

ANNEX 2

2016 Channel NewsAsia Sustainability Ranking: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Channel NewsAsia Sustainability Ranking?
The Channel NewsAsia Sustainability Ranking is an exclusive ranking that identifies regional leaders in corporate sustainability. The Ranking lists the top 100 sustainable companies in Asia and highlights the top 20 Asian companies as well as the top three companies in each economy.

Territories covered in the ranking include mainland China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.

Who are the partners involved with the Ranking?
The Ranking is a joint initiative between:

• Channel NewsAsia: an English-language Asian television news channel, reporting on global developments with Asian perspectives;
• CSR Asia: a leading provider of advisory, research and training services on sustainable business practices; and
• Sustainalytics: a leading global provider of ESG and corporate governance research to institutional investors.

How are the companies selected for the Ranking?
The Channel NewsAsia Sustainability Ranking focuses on Asian companies that are publicly listed on major indices, across the 11 key economies listed above. The companies featured among the top 100 were selected on the basis of their performance across a broad range of environmental, social and governance (ESG) indicators tracked by Sustainalytics. These companies rank at the top of their respective industries and among other companies in their region in areas such as environmental initiatives, impact on local communities, treatment of employees and supply-chain management. 

Covering a diverse set of industries, the top 100 companies must demonstrate strong public disclosure on company-wide ESG management and performance. All companies have been screened for their level of complicity in major controversies to determine the degree of severity and their accountability.

Sustainalytics' analysts use a Best-of-Sector™ methodology to compare companies within a given sector to industry best practices. Each company's ESG assessment undergoes a rigorous internal peer review process, before being finalised. 

Can companies review Sustainalytics' assessment of their ESG performance?
As part of the research and due diligence process, all eligible companies were notified by mid-July and given an opportunity to review and verify Sustainalytics' assessment of their ESG performance.  Approximately 40% of the companies responded. Information provided after the ranking was assembled could not be taken into consideration.

Companies interested in learning more about Sustainalytics' assessment of their ESG performance are welcome to contact: rankings@sustainalytics.com.

What sources are used to research a company's ESG performance?
Sustainalytics' research process includes a thorough examination of sources from around the world including: annual reports, financial reports, CSR reports, CSR websites, news releases, online databases, government sources, NGO research and direct communication with key stakeholders. Sustainalytics also monitors roughly 55,000 news sources from around the world and assesses those news items that may be significant from an ESG perspective.

When and how will the Ranking be announced?
The Ranking is launched at the annual CSR Asia Summit on 28 September 2016. CSR Asia will contact the companies about their inclusion in the Channel NewsAsia Sustainability Ranking and address related inquiries.

As the pre-eminent English-language news source in Asia, Channel NewsAsia plays a crucial role in promoting the Ranking within the region and beyond. Channel NewsAsia provides regular programming related to the Ranking, highlighting regional leaders in corporate responsibility, and featuring insights from CSR Asia and Sustainalytics' ESG experts.

How can companies learn more about sustainability?
Following the launch of the Channel NewsAsia Sustainability Ranking, CSR Asia and Sustainalytics will offer support and services to companies who would like to learn more about sustainability research, competitor benchmarking and sustainability market intelligence. To find out more about these services, please visit the Sustainalytics website or contact: marketing@csr-asia.com or rankings@sustainalytics.com.