25/06/2025

ESG WEDNESDAY | JUNE 25, 2025

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Pan Merchant to undergo digital transformation

ACWA Power forges strategic partnerships in Malaysia KUALA LUMPUR: ACWA Power, the world’s largest private water desalination company, and a leader in energy transition and first mover into green hydrogen, announced the signing of memorandum of understanding (MoU) and strategic partnership agreements (SPAs) with key Malaysian entities during the Asean-GCC Summit held here recently. These partnerships create a powerful synergy between Malaysia’s innovative ecosystem and Saudi Arabia’s energy transition expertise, supporting decarbonisation efforts, and establishing a strategic platform for sustainable development across Southeast Asia. By unlocking unprecedented opportunities in renewable energy, green hydrogen, and advanced water solutions, these collaborations are fully aligned with Malaysia’s National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR), while contributing to Saudi Vision 2030’s objectives for global climate leadership. ACWA Power CEO, Marco Arcelli said: “These strategic agreements represent a significant milestone in ACWA Power’s expansion in Southeast Asia and reflect our commitment to supporting Malaysia and the broader Asean region’s energy transition. “By combining our global expertise in renewables, water desalination, and green hydrogen with the local knowledge of our Malaysian partners, we are not only accelerating the deployment of clean energy solutions but also fostering technology transfer, job creation, and long-term economic growth and social well-being of the local community. “These partnerships are a testament to our shared vision for a sustainable future”. ACWA Power has entered into an MoU with the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) to explore the development of up to 12.5GW of power generation capacity by 2040, with an initial investment value of up to US$10 billion. “This collaboration will play a pivotal role in achieving Malaysia’s goal of increasing its installed renewable energy capacity to 70% by 2050. Further, ACWA Power has signed SPAs and Heads of Terms (HoTs) for Joint Development Agreements with Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB), Terengganu Inc and UEM Lestra to conduct feasibility studies and jointly develop various energy projects relating to floating solar photovoltaic (FPV), combined cycle-gas turbine (CCGT) and large-scale water desalination to accelerate Malaysia’s sustainable energy and water infrastructure development. These agreements build upon ACWA Power’s strong track record of delivering high- impact, commercially viable projects across its global portfolio. With operations in 14 countries and an investment value of US$107.5 billion, ACWA Power continues to lead the global energy transition through strategic partnerships and cutting-edge technology.

employees’

collective

efforts,

“The accomodations we provide to our foreign workers are in compliance with the minimum requirement set out under the relevant regulations and have obtained the Certificate of Accommodation issued by the Department of Labour of Peninsular Malaysia,” it said. It also provides a minimum number of training hours per calendar year for employees to ensure they are continually upskilled through technical training programmes. “We also regularly organise team-building events to foster teamwork and improve the relationship among our employees and encourage interaction with our Key Senior Management team, most recently in Malacca (November 2018) and Kuantan (October 2023),” said Pan Merchant Bhd. “In addition, we sponsor sports events such as Poh Kong’s Ladies Golf Series 2.0 and Touch World Cup 2024. “Apart from the above, we organise annual company-wide offsite session to recognise our “As much as tracking carbon is important, it’s only the starting point,” says Angela Pang ( pic ), Climate Reporting Lead at BSD Consultancy. “The real goal is decarbonisation – making real, lasting changes that reduce emissions. That means setting clear targets and investing in solutions that make a difference over time.” In this evolving landscape,

documents and digital storage to reduce the use of paper.” The solid-liquid filtration solutions provider also plans to optimise electricity and water usage, adopt responsible waste management and automation of processes to reduce or minimise its impact to the environment. “The use of electricity and water are essential in our manufacturing processes. Thus, we use solar renewable energy and energy efficient light-emitting diode (LED) lighting, which are more energy efficient at our plants and offices. “In addition, as part of our efforts to generate clean energy and reduce our carbon footprint, we have installed 391 kilowatt-hour solar photovoltaic systems at our Lahat Plant in August 2024,“ the company said. It added that the company has a rainwater harvesting system in its Lahat Plant that can collect up to 260,000 litres of rainwater. As for its efforts in improving people and society, the company said it endeavours to provide fair wages and good working conditions for its foreign workers in particular. As the world faces increasing pressure to tackle climate change, Malaysia’s building and construction sector must also take faster steps to cut carbon emissions. To stay competitive and future-ready, developers, building owners, and property managers need to embrace a low-carbon path. BSD Consultancy, a regional green building expert with offices in Singapore, Malaysia, and across Southeast Asia, has been helping lead this shift. The firm has worked on over 600 projects, from new townships to large commercial developments, helping buildings become more energy efficient and environmentally friendly. BSD has also played a key role in shaping green building standards in the region. In Malaysia, it helped develop the GreenRE certification. This has helped set clear guidelines for creating greener buildings that use less energy, lower carbon emissions, and reduce their impact on the environment. BSD Consultancy works closely with businesses at every stage of a building’s life – from design and construction to daily operations and retrofits – to help them cut energy use and lower their carbon footprint. BSD offers hands-on support, such as energy audits, carbon footprint assessments, advice on greener building materials, and help choosing the right low-carbon technologies. All solutions are tailored to each client’s needs, business goals, and budget.

o Move is part of initiative to reduce carbon footprint

facilitate planning between departments and to further promote company culture,” it added. The company is also committed to conducting its business ethically and in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations in Malaysia. “We have implemented an anti bribery and anti-corruption policy in accordance with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009 which outlines our Group stance against all types of bribery and corruption,” it said. It has also established a Whistleblowing Policy which is compliant with the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010. “This policy enables stakeholders, including customers, employees, suppliers and the local community, to report any real suspicions or accusations regarding fraud within our Group, alleged unethical actions, or inappropriate business practices conducted by our employees or external parties in their business relations with us,” it said. strategic

PETALING JAYA: Pan Merchant Bhd looks to invest in a company-wide digital transform ation as part of its Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) initiative to reduce carbon footprint. According to the company’s prospectus, it said that to achieve this goal, employees are trained and encouraged to leverage on its digital tools and workplace platforms. “Employees securely communicate and collaborate with internal and external parties via digital tools including video conferencing, email and instant messaging to reduce travel to in person meetings,” it said. “Employees are trained and encouraged to utilise digital Ű BY MAHADHIR MONIHULDIN sunbiz@thesundaily.com PETALING JAYA: Global greenhouse gas emissions hit a record high of 53 billion tonnes of CO ĸ in 2023, mostly due to the continued use of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas. This worrying rise shows a growing gap between climate promises and real action – putting the world off course from reaching the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C. Southeast Asia is especially at risk. If emissions keep rising at the current pace, the region’s economy could take a major hit – with its total GDP shrinking by up to 30% by the end of the century. Malaysia, in particular, faces serious challenges. Today, about 92% of the country’s energy still comes from fossil fuels, which make up nearly half of its carbon emissions. Transport adds another 29% – higher than the global average – and heavy industries like manufacturing and construction continue to be major polluters. At the recent Asean 2025 Summit hosted in Malaysia, regional leaders reaffirmed their commitment to accelerating the energy transition. A key development was the renewed support for the Asean Power Grid – an initiative aimed at linking national electricity grids to enhance cross border energy trade. Malaysia emphasised the need for tariff standardisation and policy coordination as critical enablers. These measures are expected to unlock new export markets for renewable energy and attract large scale green investments.

BSD Consultancy helps businesses cut carbon footprint

organisations, both large and small, must begin aligning sustainability goals with broader business strategies. By integrating carbon data into decision-making and identifying cost-effective low-emission practices, companies can move beyond compliance

and position them selves for long term resilience and growth.

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