Senior company executives attend Curtin Malaysia’s ‘Pathway to ESG Accreditation’ workshop

Miri – 13 October 2022 – Senior executives of Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (PETROS), Sarawak Oil Palm (SOP), Sarawak Energy Berhad, Jaya Coastal Transport Sdn Bhd, Sing Kiong Hong Dockyard Sdn Bhd recently attended a ‘Pathway to ESG Accreditation’ workshop at Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia)

They included senior communications specialists, general managers, a sustainability and conservation manager, electrical engineer, and technical manager. Joining them were a number of academic and professional staff of the university

The workshop, jointly hosted by Curtin Malaysia’s School of Pre-U and Continuing Education (SPACE) and Faculty of Engineering and Science, was designed to introduce industry practitioners in Sarawak to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) accreditation, and the benefits of attaining ESG accreditation to boost their organisations’ credentials.

Facilitating the workshop was Dr. Asif Iqbal Siddiqui, a sustainability expert from the John Curtin Institute of Public Policy, Faculty of Business and Law at Curtin University in Perth, and Curtin Malaysia’s ESG expert Dr. Yong Leong Kong. Also present was Philip Thomas, Director for Global Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Curtin Global, who was visiting from Perth.

In addition to talks by Dr. Siddiqui and Dr. Yong, the workshop also included an online keynote lecture titled ‘Introduction to Planetary Health and Climate Emergencies for Businesses / Decarbonising the Economies’ by Curtin University Sustainability Policy (CUSP) Institute Director and researcher Prof. Dora Marinova.

According to Dr. Siddiqui, investing in ESG accreditation is increasingly critical to industries in Malaysia as the country places greater emphasis on sustainability and corporate responsibility, particularly the impact on the environment and society.

For companies, ESG accreditation is a rigorous credential that signifies their ESG knowledge, skills and experience, as well as a global symbol of excellence in sustainable policies, investment and business criteria to help them become sustainable complaint.

Curtin Malaysia, Curtin University’s largest global campus and hub in ASEAN, is a key contributor to the University’s strategic growth of sustainability education in the region. In collaboration with Curtin University in Perth, it is offering professional education in corporate sustainability and sustainable development through SPACE and the Faculty of Engineering and Science, leveraging Curtin’s acclaimed portfolio of international academic resources and expertise.

Further ESG accreditation workshops will be held in locations throughout Malaysia and ASEAN. The workshops are part of a Curtin executive training programme on corporate sustainability around ESG risk and opportunities as they unfold in Malaysia and ASEAN. Experts from Perth will visit countries and run workshops in ASEAN with the aim of engaging leaders and decision-makers in key private and public sector organisations to prepare them for fulfilling their obligations towards regulators, investors and the communities in which they operate.

Director of SPACE, Dr. Fidella Tiew, said Curtin has an excellent sustainability track record and is fully committed to sustainability, and thus is well positioned to carry out the programme in the region.

“Furthermore, Curtin hosts a large number of experts, including several internationally reputable academics and researchers, who are working to solve various sustainability challenges faced around the world in partnership with industry, government and communities.

Meanwhile, Dr. Siddiqui, who is the lead academic for the programme, said the workshop participants should be able to demonstrate better understanding of the concept and measures of sustainability, corporate sustainability and ESG performance management after attending the workshops.

Information on Curtin Malaysia can be found on its website at www.curtin.edu.my, or look for Curtin Malaysia on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn or Tik-Tok.

The participants and facilitators during the workshop

Group photo of participants and facilitators at the end of the workshop