Tag: Sustainability

Singapore – Peer-to-peer lending platform MoolahSense in Singapore has announced the launch of its newest platform GreenMoolah, which is focused on accelerating green and sustainable financing in Singapore and the region for SMEs.

This is in response to the growing global demand for green and sustainable financing among regional and local authorities, including businesses, that are scaling up efforts to support the reduction of emissions, yet poses a problem for SMEs who are on the search for affordable loans.

The goal of GreenMoolah is to provide a crowdfunding platform to assist SMEs who have been left out to understand and embark on projects within the environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) framework, as well as to showcase to investors on how sustainable financing can be profitable.

“This not only provides positive contributions to the environment, but also helps investors to embrace the idea of sustainable financing. Such efforts are consistent with commitments under the Singapore Green Plan 2030 to advance Singapore’s national agenda on sustainable development, and places emphasis on the importance of driving high-integrity green finance,” the company said in a press statement.

Leveraging on the GreenTrust Framework, a digital utility spearheaded by MoolahSense as the key underlying technology for interoperability and verification, end-to-end financing for SMEs on the GreenMoolah platform can be instantly authenticated, digitally processed and provenance tracing obtained simply by scanning a QR code that’s embedded into the digital certificates.

For Andrew Quek, investment director at MoolahSense, he believes that most SME owners will want to play their part in the efforts towards sustainability, and yet as business owners, their primary focus would be on profitability. He also added that with limited resources in both manpower and finance, and insufficient related experience, it makes embarking on transformation even more challenging for them

“Through MoolahSense, the green framework we have developed and in the near future digitized with the use of technology like blockchain and IOT, it makes understanding assessments and reporting easier,” Quek stated.

The introduction of the GreenMoolah platform also aims to facilitate the adoption of more sustainable projects within society. With its integration and digitization processes, GreenMoolah is able to reduce the steps needed for applications and at the same time, educate businesses owners on an easy to adopt and transparent process, so that they are able to return and use the GreenMoolah platform in the future.

Sydney, Australia – Out-of-home (OOH) media company JCDecaux has announced that it will be launching its first carbon-neutral product in Australia by early 2022. Said product will be applied to JCDecaux’s Transit network, wherein it will be placing its OOH ads across trams and buses in Australia.

“For JCDecaux, reducing our environmental impact is a priority. In 2022 our plan is to launch the first carbon neutral out-of-home media product across our Transit network – a first for Australia. All parts of the Transit product produced by our in-house printing service GSP Print, will be carbon neutral,” said Steve O’Connor, CEO at JCDecaux.

In order to ascertain the product’s carbon neutral feature, JCDecaux’s sustainability team has analyzed the life cycle for Transit, calculating all the carbon inputs end-to-end.

“We have ambitious plans to offer sustainable media solutions to our clients who are wanting to make more responsible choices. We have bold plans for sustainable solutions and our intention is to make our other products carbon neutral in the future,” O’Connor added.

JCDecaux has long been focusing on improving its sustainability endeavors across its products.The company was the first OOH company to join the RE100, a worldwide organisation that advocates for a commitment to 100% renewable energy. In ANZ, this has made JCDecaux the first media company to commit to this and means the entire network, including offices, will be powered by 100% renewable electricity by 2022.

In 2014, JCDecaux renewed its commitment to sustainable development through the implementation of its Sustainable Development Strategy. Priorities are across three components – environment, social and stakeholder, and include reducing energy consumption, reducing environmental impacts, and strengthening employee commitment toward sustainable development.

The company has also been a certified carbon neutral business since 2015 through Climate Active, an Australian Government organisation that certifies Australian businesses as carbon neutral, and is also working to achieve carbon zero status in New Zealand.

Singapore – Creative agency Superson has teamed up with sustainability consultant and author John Grant to launch a new sustainability marketing capability in Singapore. The agency said the new capability comes at the back of studying the success factors of companies that have made sustainability the heart of their brand.

Grant is the author of the 2007-published book, The Green Marketing Manifesto, and its sequel, Greener Marketing, which was just launched in 2020. His books teach marketers how to employ ‘green marketing’ which is unlearning unsustainable commercial practices in marketing to make way for more sustainable methods.

In partnership with Grant, the new sustainability marketing practice is dubbed as the ‘CUSP’ framework, which stands for Compelling Unique Sustainability Proposition. CUSP is defined as a systematic approach that brings sustainability and branding together, and Superson expects it to work for companies that have an innovation agenda or companies looking to integrate sustainability and responsibility into their brand story.

The agency said that while companies have tried to communicate their sustainability efforts more in recent years, it still tends to be a standalone effort separated from their overall brand communications. Superson attributes this to the lack of a comprehensive framework to start thinking about sustainability as part of the brand.

“The key to successful sustainability positioning is having a strong sustainability program, that’s a must. However, even when foundations are in place, positioning a company’s sustainability efforts as something that makes a difference in your consumers’ lives can be difficult,” said Antti Toivonen, managing partner of Superson Singapore.

Toivonen added, “After working together on a number of projects on sustainability communications, we decided to formalize the CUSP framework we have developed with John and provide this solution more widely to the region.”

With the new framework, Superson said that clients can expect to discover a compelling proposition and a well-communicated brand story deeply rooted in their own sustainability program.

The agency said that Grant has been the perfect partner to team up with as aside from being a leading author on the subject, his extensive track record on the subject boasts an in-depth study of more than 400 case studies and working relationships with MNCs and start-up clients. 

“After working with Superson for nearly a decade, developing the CUSP framework was a natural next step in our working relationship. I look forward to working more closely with clients in Southeast Asia who take sustainability seriously and want to take their communications to the next level,” said Grant.

To mark the launch, an e-book outlining their new sustainability framework, CUSP, has been made available for download on Superson’s website. 

Singapore – Grey Group Singapore’s latest account win is a multi-client approval to create a new Singapore-based sustainability youth incubator. In its development, the agency will be partnering with top organizations for sustainability – organization for wildlife conservation and endangered species, World Wildlife Fund, (WWF); Temasek foundation, the state sovereign fund’s non-profit organization (NPO), and Green Is The New Black, media and events platform for sustainability.

The incubator will host a series of masterclasses and boot camps as well as a 6-month mentorship program to inspire and support the next generation of sustainability doers and creators. The initiative has already started and delivered masterclasses with top speakers from Project Drawdown, an NPO for climate solutions, and abillion, a discovery platform for vegan food and products, among other companies. 

The movement is called ‘We Got This’ and is currently recruiting boot camp applicants.

Lim Hock Chuan, chief executive of Temasek Foundation Liveability, said that the youth today embrace global sustainability issues and digital conversations and that there is a skills gap that needed to be bridged in sustainability advocacy among them.

“Temasek Foundation is happy to be part of the team to bring together like-minded partners to launch #WeGotThis, with a focus on helping our youths to do, try, test, speak up, and build small wins one upon another,” said Lim Hock Chuan.

Konstantin Popovic, CEO of Grey Singapore Group, remarked on the next generation of marketers, “We are welcoming people from all walks of life, and that includes the next generation of marketers. Whether you are in university, an intern or just starting your marketing career – if any aspect of sustainability is your passion, we want you to join.”

The project is working with partners and mentors to identify 50 youth in Singapore and South Korea to launch their own sustainability movement. Support will be provided to young people selected through an intensive boot camp application process in understanding how to use digital media platforms available to talk about sustainability, understanding issues better, and increasing a change towards a more positive future.

The agency’s Executive Creative Director Aaron Phua added, “Our movement is deliberately positive, non-accusatory and truly looking for young (and young at heart) problem-solvers who deserve our support.”

Mumbai, India – The Mumbai-headquartered fast-moving consumer goods company, Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), has just recently launched its first-ever ‘Smart Fill’ machine, an in-store vending model for its Home Care products, playing on the popular sustainability mantra of ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ with their own version – ‘Reuse, Refill, and Reward.’ 

HUL is a subsidiary of Unilever that offers several consumer goods, including food, beverages, and cleaning agents, as well as personal care products, and water purifiers, among others. 

The initiative, which is created in collaboration with global creative commerce company VMLY&R Commerce, aims to offer consumers an innovative option to reuse their plastic bottles by refilling products from HUL’s flagship brands, including Surf Excel, Comfort, and Vim.

As part of the pilot program, the new ‘Smart Fill’ machines have already been rolled out, seeking to expand across prominent retailers and modern trade outlets across the country. To access products from the machine, consumers can either use their old empty bottles or purchase a ‘Smart Fill’ bottle from the store at a nominal price. As an incentive, consumers will be offered a discount on the regular retail price if they bring their own bottles.

Prabha Narasimhan, the executive director for Home Care at Hindustan Unilever and vice president for Home Care at Unilever South Asia, shared that today’s consumers are conscious of the values that their favorite brands hold, and shop accordingly, so not only are they able to make a real impact on the amount of wasted plastic but the consumers are reacting in an extremely positive way. 

“VMLY&R Commerce has helped us take a problem that was truly impacting our customers and solution it into something that helps both the environment and our business,” said Narasimhan. 

Meanwhile, VMLY&R Commerce’s Chief Operating Officer, Shankar Shinde, commented that they are thrilled to partner with HUL on a creative solution that helps combat single-use plastic.

“We’re proud to work with a partner who is taking a stand against industry norms in packaging and offering sustainable solutions. With the aim of making the world a less polluted place for tomorrow’s generation, we are working with HUL to make this an open-source initiative all key retail players are able to offer their consumers,” said Shinde.

Manila, Philippines – In its latest spot demonstrating how we should look deeper into the lenses of sustainability nowadays, insurance company Allianz PNB Life has released a new spot alongside creative agency GIGIL highlighting the symbolism of ‘filters’ and the illusion of seeing our environment from a ‘filtered’ perspective.

The campaign kicks in with what seems to be a normal fun campaign, complete with colorful filters and upbeat music, but the more you look into it, you realize the stark reality these filters hide. From a sewer pipe disguised as releasing ‘rainbow streams’, to factories releasing ‘glittered smoke’ to a crab plastered with a ‘cutesy eye filter’ where in reality, the animal is suffering due to the plastic and mask trash it is pulling.

The thought-provoking film leaves viewers with the message that the world can’t be fixed with a filter, but they can help make it better with a policy from Allianz.

Allianz’s latest campaign truly lives up to its tagline, “Confidence in Tomorrow.” As of 2020, Allianz has already invested over ₱420.2b in renewable energy projects, and protected over 49 million vulnerable people in Asia, Africa, and Latin America through various sustainability initiatives.

In a statement to MARKETECH APAC, Gino Riola, chief marketing officer at Allianz PNB, stated, “Allianz PNB Life strives to build a sustainable future for Filipinos. Through ‘No Filter,’ we want to prove that even though the planet can’t be fixed instantly, we can help make it better. At Allianz, we work together to protect you and the planet.”

Such a statement is also supported by Alex Grenz, CEO at Allianz PNB, who told MARKETECH APAC that beyond readying Filipinos for the future with quality health and life insurance, they wanted to make sure they can look forward to it too.

“From going digital to supporting sustainable businesses, each step by Allianz is always directed towards a safer and greener future,” Grenz added.

Speaking about the creative process of the campaign, Leslie Cua, associate creative director at GIGIL told MARKETECH APAC that they were single-minded in communicating how Allianz is the insurance that cares for us and the planet. She also added that since this is about the environment and sustainability, they wanted something poignant and thought-provoking, yet they wanted to do it in a way that people haven’t seen before.

“By using filters people see on social media and applying it to what’s happening in our environment, we’re able to give perspective and drive that feeling of wanting to do something to make the world better. Since Allianz is serious about sustainability, taking out a policy from the company will really help in protecting our environment,” Cua concluded.

Australia – In celebration of World Environmental Day which was celebrated on 5 June, felix mobile, a strongly-committed environmental-conscious telecom in the country, has put up a mural painting in Melbourne that is very much like a tree – using paint that absorbs CO2 emissions. 

Felix mobile is a telco startup that is certified carbon neutral and is powered by 100% renewable electricity. To double down on its support for the environment, it has made its mission to plant one tree for every active customer in a month.

Done in collaboration with hybrid creative agency Paper Moose, the mural is the centerpiece of felix mobile’s new national campaign, building off its brand platform – ‘The Plan With A Bigger Plan’.

The mural is painted with CO2 absorbing paint made by paint manufacturer Graphenstone. It absorbs as much carbon dioxide as what a mature 250kg tree does in six months. The paint also emits ultra-low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) compared to traditional commercial paints.

Kelly Rollason, the head of sales and marketing at felix mobile, said that they are proud to show the industry that by minimizing your impact on the planet, you in turn are able to maximize brand loyalty. 

“A billboard that consumes CO2 like a tree was the perfect execution to complement our existing efforts as a mobile provider that puts people and planet first,” said Rollason.

Meanwhile, Paper Moose’s Creative Director Jeremy Willmot, said, “It’s so rewarding to partner with a brand that’s not only committed to neutralizing their environmental impact, but are eager to embrace innovative new ways to do it too.”

Furthermore, the telco has announced its commitment to planting an additional 25,000 trees, in aid of their larger goal of 1 million trees planted.

The new campaign follows Paper Moose’s announcement on its imperative to work with more sustainable brands, with its goal to drive a positive and lasting change in the economy. Through a new program for clients, the agency will be donating time and creative resources to selected organizations that are on the mission to decarbonize the planet.

Singapore – Indeed, the gravity of the pandemic has prompted everyone to rethink the climate of everything we’ve come to identify as normal pre-covid, and even without a direct link, at the start of the spread of the virus, the conversation, specifically on sustainability and the health of the environment, has become even louder. 

The most prominent being is how people are theorizing that the halted operations of businesses are what will lead to a drastic reduction in carbon footprint. Interestingly, a new study by booking platform Booking.com is showing that the pandemic has become an influence for people to travel more sustainably in the future. 

According to the latest study, 70% of Singaporeans stated that the pandemic has encouraged them to be even more environment-conscious when traveling. The study finds that in general, people are expressing pressing concern over the environment with 74% of Singaporean travelers believing that people have to act now to save the planet for future generations

Based on the study, Singaporean travelers are determined to extend their daily sustainable commitments, such as reducing general waste and energy consumption, when making their travels. When traveling, about 83% eyes minimizing general waste, with 81% wanting to lessen their energy consumption such as turning off air conditioning and lights when they are not in a room. Meanwhile, a good percentage – 77% – are also willing to look to more environment-friendly modes of transport such as walking, cycling or public transport over taxis or rental cars when traveling. 

The study found that Singaporeans’ desire to take part in the sustainability movement is not only as good as a pledge, with data showing that people are starting to get on the act, and are staying true to their word. 

About 47% of Singaporean travelers revealed that while on vacation in the past 12 months, they have made the conscious decision of turning off their air conditioning or heater in their accommodation when they weren’t there. Meanwhile, 43% of travelers within the same period took their own reusable water bottle, rather than buying bottled water while on vacation, while 30% stated that they did activities to support the local community. 

Truly, sustainable living is becoming a lifestyle commitment, with people bringing their conscious habits outside their homes. This behavior has also become apparent with how people are viewing accommodations. 

The study reported that over half, or 55%, have admitted that they get annoyed if somewhere they are staying stops them from being sustainable, for example, by not offering recycling facilities. A vast majority – 90% – of Singaporean travelers have also expressed desire in staying in sustainable accommodation in the upcoming year, with 59% still believing that in 2021, there simply aren’t enough sustainable travel options available. 

In fact, 77% of Singaporean travelers would be more likely to choose an accommodation if it has implemented sustainability practices, with a similar amount, 75%, thinking travel companies should offer more sustainable choices. 

This comes as a valuable insight for hospitality companies, tourist spots, and travel accommodations as travelers, specifically the Singapore market, are using sustainability as a metric of whether a certain place is worth staying in. Such finding is proving its importance even more as nations are prepping up to ease travel restrictions. 

Nuno Guerreiro, regional director of Booking.com for South Asia, Oceania & Chains, said that the time is ripe for the industry to rebuild with a renewed focus on sustainability, as seen with recent efforts by Singapore to boost its transformation into a sustainable destination.

Singapore is a country that has been doubling down on its efforts on sustainable tourism, announcing in April its allocation of S$68.5m into its Tourism Development Fund for travel businesses looking to test-bed sustainable tourism offerings. 

“Despite travel being on a pause across most Asia-Pacific countries, it’s been inspiring to see awareness of the importance of sustainable travel consistently grow,“ Guerreiro said. 

Australia – To celebrate its 10th year anniversary this year, independent creative agency Paper Moose in Australia has launched its first-ever initiative for its clients called ‘Buy One, Give One’, which aims to drive a positive and lasting change in the economy.

Through the ‘Buy One, Give One’ program, the agency will be donating time and creative resources to selected organizations that are on the mission to decarbonize the planet. This will help them tell their story, have a greater impact, and raise public consciousness. 

All beneficiaries are hand-picked by the agency. An example of an organization Paper Moose is hoping to help is deep tech company Vow Food, which is working to create cultured meats that do not harm the environment. 

Paper Moose’s CEO and Co-founder Nick Hunter shared to MARKETECH APAC that the name and idea of the initiative are not new ones but have been repurposed from other categories and sectors and hopes it’s a simple name that explains what it does on the tin.

“The world has changed and consumers in 2021 expect more from brands. Our impact on communities and the planet is being felt everywhere and people are looking to brands to fix the problem. As part of our new direction, we want to also help facilitate and accelerate that change,” said Hunter. 

Meanwhile, James Sykes, the head of strategy at Paper Moose, commented that the creative industry has helped businesses sell stuff for a long time, but today that same creativity needs to help new technologies flourish, and inventive Australian companies showcase what they’re doing. 

“Our client’s success remains our number one job but it’s time for our agency magic to accelerate deployment of the technologies that will save us,” said Sykes.

Earlier this month, Paper Moose announced the appointment of Sykes as its new head of strategy who is tasked to boost the creative agency’s overall strategy.

Jakarta, Indonesia – To commemorate this year’s World Earth Day, super-app Grab has partnered with Indonesian government officials, strategic business partners, and the private sector, to take #LangkahHijau campaign to the next level.

The #LangkahHijau (‘green steps’) is a campaign first introduced in 2019 by the ride-hailing app in order to supercharge its sustainability efforts. Its mission is to commit to a cleaner and greener Indonesia by introducing three efforts, which are Carbon Offsetting, Electric Vehicle Provision, and Recycling efforts with GrabExpress Recycle.

First off, the new carbon offset feature to reduce emissions allows consumers to carbon offset their Grab rides at a price of IDR200 for two-wheeled vehicles and IDR500 for four-wheeled vehicles. Through Grab’s partnership with Benihbaik.com and EcoMatcher, this contribution will go directly to tree planting in Central Java which is managed by the Bumi Hijau Lestari Foundation, a non-profit organization that focuses on renewing the environment and empowering local communities through reforestation and education. Consumers can participate in this initiative in the Grab application features through the Tree Planting Fund (Plant Tree Fund) starting 20 April.

In terms of its electric fleet, Grab will start piloting the GrabBike Electric Protect vehicle fleet in Jakarta, Bali, and Yogyakarta starting 22 April. Grab said that lessons learned from this trial will form the basis for further expansion of the use of electric vehicles for direct consumers to reduce carbon emissions.

Meanwhile, in terms of its recycling efforts, the super-app shared that it will be adding up to 50 waste bank points in the Jadetabek area and continue to expand to 40 delivery points in Bandung in order to make the activity of recycling easier and more accessible for consumers.

Ridzki Kramadibrata, the president of Grab Indonesia, stated that the company believes that realizing a reduction in carbon footprint and environmental impact also goes hand in hand with creating economic opportunities for local communities. 

“We are constantly looking for ways to reduce our carbon footprint and enhance our environmental sustainability initiatives through various partnerships. Our latest carbon offset program in collaboration with Ecomatcher and Yayasan Bumi Hijau Lestari will provide an opportunity for us to minimize the impact of our business on Indonesia’s environment,” said Kramadibrata.

In addition to the new initiatives, the super-app has also released a virtual exhibition of #LangkahHijau, which can be accessed by the public starting 22 April on the GrabForGood Step Hijau website. The virtual exhibition aims to raise awareness of the small steps consumers can take to protect the environment.

Neneng Goenadi, the country managing director of Grab Indonesia, commented, “We are very grateful for the support that has been given from the government, state-owned companies, private sector partners, and leading EV industry players. We will add a fleet of 1,500 electric vehicles so that more driver and delivery partners have access to electric vehicles on our platform.”