Our Commitment
Chairperson's Message:
The world continues to be uncertain and disruptive. There is no room to talk about a post-COVID era, because we will continue to encounter various kinds of threats, if not from mutated virus, it will be human conflict. We cannot look to the past to recapture what we once had, but rather we must look forward, to discover and generate new ideas and business practices to create new opportunities for growth and development. We re-norm, re-design, re structure, in view of the threats, and despite them. This adaptive agility in crafting our imagination to experiment with new possibilities is key to corporate sustainability.
In the midst of struggling with isolation and an uncertain future in the travel industry, we did not paralyse and close up our minds. We have emphasised many more hours of learning and development through Zoom and Teams, to create shared purpose, connections and unity. We have developed eight corporate cultures to foster purpose-based business and personal development, by equipping associates with the necessary tools to integrate the needs of work, home, community and self.
We believe wellbeing is not only about enjoying a healthy physical condition, it is about being well in the way we think, feel and act that are aligned with organisational and personal goals. The hours we had spent during the COVID months in bringing our associates together to learn from one another, had been powerful in enhancing their understanding in what they do, for what purpose, and how. More importantly, they know they were not alone. I recall an uplifting quote that the empire of the future is the empire of the mind. Indeed, our greatest resilience is in nurturing well prepared minds, not afraid of change, constantly replenished by new people, experiences and ideas.
After awareness comes acceptance, and now action. Now is the time to discover meaning and relevance in a time when less is more: less exploitation, less excess, less waste; more care, more sharing and more conservations at all levels. Our sustainability is about creating workplace conditions in promoting focus, creative effort, purpose and collaboration; and about how we walk the talk to act as stewards of livelihood, biodiversity and culture. The journey is what matters, and we should all aim to live each day meaningfully and purposefully.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development makes a specific call to tourism to support delivery of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
As we transition to new needs, opportunities and ways of doing business, our new food waste goals are 30% reduction and 50% diversion from landfill by 2025, with 50% reduction and 100% diversion by 2030.
- 532k trees planted since 2007
- 28.6m pieces of plastic removed
- 279k kg of trash removed
- 177 Seedlings mentees since 2007
- 99k hours of volunteering since 2019
As a founding member and signatory of the United Nations Global Compact in Singapore, we commit to upholding the Ten Universal Principles and supporting the United Nations World Tourism Organisation Global Code of Ethics.
Compliance to these environmental, social, operational and governance systems and initiatives is assessed by EarthCheck’s third-party audits, as well as an annual self-audit with remote verification by the regional sustainability coordinators and Banyan Group Foundation.
Frameworks we follow
We employ multiple frameworks for the strategic management of our material risks and to support transparent, standardised and comparable communication of our economic, environmental and social impacts, as well as contribution towards sustainable development.
We communicate, engage and bring together stakeholders to create shared value with groups that our business has significant impact on and those with a vested interest in our operations.
To drive sustainability within travel and tourism, we collaborate with individuals, businesses, NGOs, public and private institutions worldwide.
Our Key Material Topics
In 2017, after internal consultations, we prioritised 14 environmental, social and governance material risks pertinent to our business.
In 2022, external stakeholder opinions were incorporated to define impact scope and develop mitigation strategies for the four greatest material risks from our business, as well as adding diversity; equality and inclusion; and health and wellbeing to our key material topics.
Associate Health, Happiness, Development
We are committed to the happiness, safety, health and wellbeing of our associates by combining wellbeing and sustainability in a single concept.
Guiding all our efforts are 8 wellbeing pillars that encourage associates towards collective action and personal fulfilment, including through professional development and merit-based opportunity and promotion pathways.
