69 ESG champions recognised at Asia Responsible Enterprise Awards 2026

Held at the InterContinental Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the awards ceremony brought together leading enterprises and business leaders committed to shaping a regenerative, resilient, and inclusive future.

Presented by Enterprise Asia, the AREA continues to be widely regarded as the gold standard for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and sustainability practices in Asia, recognising organisations that demonstrate innovation, accountability, and long-term value creation through sustainable business practices.

Richard Tsang, president of Enterprise Asia, stated, “The future will be defined not by the technologies we create, but by how we choose to apply them. The organisations recognised today have shown that innovation can be a force for regeneration, resilience, and inclusion. By leveraging technology responsibly, they are creating lasting value for businesses, communities, and the environment, setting a powerful example for the next generation of leaders.”

Since 2011, the AREA has recognised organisations across categories including Social Empowerment, Investment in People, Health Promotion, Green Leadership, Corporate Governance, Circular Economy Leadership, Corporate Sustainability Reporting, and Responsible Business Leadership. Reflecting the evolving ESG landscape, the AREA introduced two new categories this year–Responsible Digital Practice and Sustainable Investing. Recipients were selected from over 350 organisations through a rigorous judging process based on relevance, effectiveness and reach, and sustainability.

Honoured under the Responsible Business Leadership category are Simon Chen, chairman of ADATA Technology Co., Ltd.; Joseph N.C. Huang, chairman of E.SUN Financial Holding Co., Ltd.; and Shi-Kuan Chen, chairman of SinoPac Financial Holdings Company Limited; in recognition of their visionary leadership and commitment to sustainable business practices.

Notable awardees include Ajinomoto (Malaysia) Berhad, Thailand’s Osotspa Public Co., Ltd. and Bricolage Philippines INC. (MR. DIY Philippines) under the Green Leadership category; while industry leaders such as Taiwan’s Cathay United Bank and Japan’s Panasonic Holdings Corporation are recognised under the Social Empowerment category. Recipients under the Investment in People category include Standard Chartered Bank Taiwan and Vietnam Electric Cable Corporation, while Suntory Beverage and Food (Thailand) Co., Ltd. and Taiwan’s Syntec Technology Co., Ltd. were among the awardees honoured in the Health Promotion category.

Award recipients recognised for their commitment to transparency and accountability include Taiwan’s CTCI Group, Thailand’s Government Housing Bank, and Vietnam’s ROX Group under the Corporate Governance and Corporate Sustainability Reporting categories.

In the Circular Economy Leadership category, Taiwan’s Far Eastern New Century Corporation and Oriental Union Chemical Corporation were among the recipients of the accolade. Thai Life Insurance Public Co., Ltd. and Taiwan Business Bank were among the inaugural recipients recognised under the newly introduced Responsible Digital Practice and Sustainable Investing categories, respectively.

AREA also presented the Emblem of Sustainability to organisations demonstrating long-standing commitment to sustainability excellence. The Silver Emblem of Sustainability, awarded to organisations recognised by the AREA for five years or more, was presented to Asia Cement Corporation, while the Gold Emblem of Sustainability, reserved for organisations honoured for 10 years or more, was presented to Thai Life Insurance Public Co., Ltd.

Prior to the awards ceremony, the International CSR & Sustainability (ICS) Summit 2026 convened over 300 C-suite executives, business leaders, and sustainability practitioners from across the region. The summit explored how digital transformation and emerging technologies can accelerate ESG adoption, drive systemic change, and unlock sustainable growth through thought leadership and cross-sector knowledge exchange.

Chairman of Enterprise Asia, Tan Sri Dr. Fong Chan Onn, said, “The promise of technology must be inclusive, and its benefits must be equitably distributed across sectors, communities, and economies. By harnessing innovation responsibly, businesses can drive meaningful progress, unlock new opportunities for sustainable growth, and create lasting positive impact for both people and the planet.”

The summit featured distinguished speakers including Dr. Niven Huang, managing director of KPMG Sustainability Consulting, Taiwan; Dr. Surina Ismail, chief sustainability officer of Group Sustainability at IOI Corporation Bhd; Nguyen Cong Minh Bao, co-founder & managing partner at Green Transition Consulting & Training, country manager of GRI in Vietnam and national representative of Travelife in Vietnam, alongside other leading sustainability experts from across the globe.

The AREA and ICS Summit 2026 are proudly endorsed by the Malaysian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, and supported by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Malaysia, CCI France Malaysia, Climate Governance Malaysia, CSROne, Danish Chamber of Commerce Malaysia, EuroCham Malaysia, Green Transition, Myanmar Business Executives Association, Singapore-Thai Chamber of Commerce, and Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy; with PR Newswire as the official news release distribution partner; Dailywire.asia and Commercial Times as media partners, and NIVEA Malaysia as the door gift sponsor.

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