JG Summit and its businesses move toward a more sustainable future
CEBU, Philippines — JG Summit Holdings, Inc.strengthens its efforts towards a more sustainable future by adopting a holistic approach to achieving long term business succession addressing environmental concerns and societal needs. The conglomerate’s stronger strategies and focus on sustainability is highlighted in its 2021 Sustainability Report.
One of the largest and more diversified Filipino conglomerates, publicly listed JG Summit is the holding company for an array of businesses with substantial interests in food manufacturing and agro-industrial and commodities (Universal Robina Corp); real estate and hotel (Robinsons Land Corp); air transportation (Cebu Pacific Air); banking (Robinsons Bank); and petrochemicals (JG Summit Olefins Corp).
JG Summit Holdings President and CEO Lance Y. Gokongwei said that amid the health crisis,the conglomerate has accelerated its strategies in different core businesses as they embrace the new normal.
“We looked at our ecosystem and synergies across the conglomerate and proactively embedded a strong emphasis on sustainability, leadership and people development – all these to address the ever-changing needs of our stakeholders and emerge as a stronger business post pandemic. We remain optimistic that we are well-positioned to thrive as we head into a more sustainable future,” said Gokongwei.
In its recently released Sustainability report, JG Summit laid out its holistic Sustainability Agenda aligned with its core values as well as its priorities to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) based on its identified five focus areas, namely: Climate Action, Resource Efficiency and Circularity, Employee Growth and Well-Being, Shared Success, and Better Choices. This agenda is well-integrated in the conglomerate’s five-year business strategy and mirrored by its adaptive operations.
Climate Action Agenda
For its efforts on Climate Action, JG Summit has established its Corporate Governance and Sustainability Committee and has oversight on the conglomerate’s Sustainability Performance. The group is expanding low-carbon operations and strengthening its climate-related risk management. It manages its greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions through operational efficiency improvements and adoption of renewable energy.
To date, RLC has installed rooftop solar panels in 24 of its Robinsons Malls, which can generate 30.79 megawatts in total and prevent the release of over 18,887.47 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Similarly, URC’s Branded Consumer Food manufacturing plants in Canlubang and in Thailand boast onsite rooftop solar panels which generated 3,490.83 megawatts-hour of renewable energy in 2021.
Meanwhile, Cebu Pacific is currently modernizing its fleet and improving fuel use by refleeting with Airbus A330neo (New Engine Option) aircraft which consumes 25% less fuel than previous generation aircraft.
Resource Efficiency and Circularity
JG Summit’s approach to Resource Efficiency and Circularity is to optimizethe use of water, plastic, and other materials in its resource-heavy businesses like food manufacturing and air transport.
Following the strategies under the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Water” program, URC conserved a total of 11.5 million cubic meters from 2018 to 2021. Meanwhile, JG Summit’s banking unit Robinsons Bank has saved 13.5 metric tons of paper in 2021 promoting paperless banking through its RBank Digital App.
Employee Growth and Well-Being
As part of its efforts to ensure Employee Growth and Well-Being, JG Summit continuously invests in its employees’ professional growth and well-being through numerous programs in the workplace.
More than 1,000 JG Summit employees have access to about 16,000 courses, content, and live sessions as part of the JG Summit Executive Development Program. To ensure not just career development but also the overall well being of employees amid the pandemic, the conglomerate provides vaccination and telehealth services among its workforce.
Shared Success
For JG Summit, distributing equitable economic value to its key stakeholders is what the Shared Success focus area is all about. While growing its businesses, it also creates value for its stakeholders.
Among these stories of shared success is URC’s partnership with local farmers. In 2021, URC donated 133.8 tons of Granola potato seeds to around 700 farmer beneficiaries in Bukidnon, Davao del Sur, and the Cordillera Administrative Region. This initiative guaranteed each farmer earn an average net income of Php 135,000 per planting cycle and helped them become more self-sufficient.
Through its RBankMo app, 1,980 new new bank accounts were opened, allowing customers to go through different bank transactions without venturing far from their homes.This was made possible by partnering with Premiumbikes Corporation (PBC), the country’s leading motorcycle dealerships, with its more than 100 branches becoming RBankMo outlets.
Better Choices
Providing Better Choices as a focus area is the conglomerate’s way to sustain the consistent delivery of quality and sustainable products and services across its businesses. Being highly diversified, JG Summit takes pride in providing better choices across a wide range of industries.
Today, consumers can enjoy these better choices in the form of healthier options from URC as it shifts to non-PHO (partially hydrogenated oils) formulations for some of its snack and candy brands, such as Nips, Wiggles, Chooey Toffee, Cloud 9, and Wafrets. URC targets to eliminate the use of PHOs by 2022.
Meanwhile, Cebu Pacific launches CEB Super which allows customers to buy-and-fly all they can within one year to domestic destinations at a competitive price of Php 99 one-way base fare per pass.
In addition, RLC provides its tenants with greener choices through its innovative and sustainable plans. Giga Tower, RLC’s newest office building, is a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold-certified for Building Design and Construction for its world-class standards in design, construction, and operational efficiency by consuming 9.5% less electricity compared to designs with standard features.
Despite the disruption of the pandemic, JG Summit continues to seek opportunities to keep its sustainability journey on course. “Amid the challenges, the conglomerate will continue to deliver shared business success and a positive impact on society and the environment, not just in the present, but for the years to come,” Gokongwei concludes.
To learn more about the JGS Sustainability Agenda, visit https://www.jgsummit.com.ph/annualreport2021/how-to-win/sustainability
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