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Singapore, 6 February: Golden Agri-Resources clinched Asia’s Best Supply Chain Reporting at the 2017 Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards (ASRA). Golden Agri-Resources was also finalist in three other categories: Asia’s Best Environmental reporting, Asia’s Best Online CSR Communication and Asia’s Best Stakeholder Reporting.

Anita Neville, Vice President Corporate Communications and Sustainability Relations Golden Agri-Resources said: “We are very proud of this award. GAR has been reporting on its sustainability journey since 2011. In 2014, we innovated to report our sustainability progress in much more detail and in different forms, online and via social media. We are very happy that this effort has been recognised. Sustainability reporting is important to our business not just as a means to communicate our performance against commitments but also to inspire our partners and stakeholders to take part in this sustainability journey.”

An impressive 69 companies from 15 countries made it to the final round of the 2017 Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards. ASRA 2017 attracted nearly 450 entries from 16 countries for 16 award categories. An independent judging panel decides the finalists and winners following stringent criteria. The judging process involves multiple rounds of screening and evaluations to identify the very best in each category. Finally, comprehensive due diligence is carried out to assess finalists’ reputation among stakeholders, and the findings are considered to determine the winners.

The event, hosted by the British High Commissioner in Singapore H.E. Mr Scott Wightman at Eden Hall, was attended by senior business leaders and dignitaries from diverse fields including non-profit, embassies, trade associations, advocacy organisations and academics.

Rajesh Chhabara, managing director at CSRWorks International and the creator of the Awards, said: “The quality of sustainability reporting is a key measure of an organisation’s ability to create, protect and sustain long-term value for shareholders and stakeholders. Golden Agri-Resoruves win at ASRA 2017 demonstrates the company’s leadership in sustainability reporting and a deep sense of commitment to responsible business.”

Hosted in Singapore, ASRA is the highest recognition for sustainability reporting in the region. To encourage more Asian companies to embrace sustainability reporting, CSRWorks International, a Singapore-based sustainability firm, has created the Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards. The awards are CSRWorks International’s not-for-profit initiative and are part of its corporate responsibility programme.

Following a global trend, several stock exchanges in the region now require listed companies to produce sustainability reporting, mainly to meet investors’ demand for non-financial disclosure. ASRA winners are setting a new benchmark in sustainability reporting excellence which in turn will inspire more companies to raise the bar.

The winners received a specially designed plaque framed with recycled wood. The winner of the top honours, Asia’s Sustainability Report of the Year, won an exclusive golden plaque. All finalists received a merit certificate printed on FSC certified paper sourced from sustainable forests. In addition, the winners and the finalists will be authorised to use the privileged Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards Icons for branding purposes.

Note to editors:
More comprehensive information on the Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards is available at www.csrmatters.com

About Golden Agri-Resrouces Ltd. (GAR)
GAR is one of the leading palm oil plantation companies with a total planted area of over 486,000 hectares (including plasma smallholders), as at 30 June 2017, located in Indonesia. It has integrated operations focused on the production of palm-based edible oil and fat. Founded in 1996, GAR was listed on the Singapore Exchange in 1999 with a market capitalisation of US$3.4 billion as at 30 June 2017. Flambo International Limited, an investment company, is currently GAR’s largest shareholder, with a 50.35 percent stake. GAR has several subsidiaries, including PT SMART Tbk which was listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in 1992.

GAR is focused on sustainable palm oil production. In Indonesia, its primary activities include cultivating and harvesting of oil palm trees; processing of fresh fruit bunch into crude palm oil (CPO) and palm kernel; refining CPO into value-added products such as cooking oil, margarine, shortening and biodiesel; as well as merchandising palm products throughout the world. It also has operations in China and India including a deep-sea port, oilseeds crushing plants, production capabilities for refined edible oil products as well as other food products such as noodles. For more information please visit https://www.goldenagri.com.sg

About the Awards
The Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards (ASRA) recognise and honour sustainability reporting leaders in Asia. The Awards celebrate best practices in sustainability reporting. The vision for ASRA is to become the most inspiring recognition for sustainability reporting excellence in Asia. The Awards are open to all types and sizes of private, public and non-profit organisations in all sectors which produce a sustainability report in Asia. An independent panel of distinguished judges evaluates the entries to select the winners. www.csrmatters.com

About Organisers
The Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards are organised by csrmatters, a unit of CSRWorks International, Singapore’s leading boutique-style sustainability advisory, research and training firm with an unbeaten track record more than 12 years. CSRWorks collaborates with businesses and other stakeholders to promote excellence in sustainability reporting across the region. Rajesh Chhabara, Managing Director of CSRWorks, has launched ASRA as a not-for-profit initiative to give organisations, large and small, the opportunity to showcase their sustainability efforts, thereby building trust among their stakeholders, adding value to their businesses and attracting socially responsible investors. www.csrworks.com

ASRA Supporting Organisations
The Awards are supported by diverse organisations representing governments, NGOs, academia, media and professional sectors keen on encouraging responsible business practices and sustainability disclosure in Asia. The supporting organisations include the British High Commission Singapore, Embassy of Sweden in Singapore, the High Commission of Canada, the British Chamber of Commerce, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Vietnam Business Council for Sustainable Development (VBCSD), Sasin Centre for Sustainability Management, AVPN, and CSRone among others.

For more information contact:
Claudia Li, Project Manager
Email: [email protected]

For more information on GAR, contact:
Wulan Suling, Corporate Communications
Email: [email protected]