SINGAPORE, 8 November 2023 –
OCBC has successfully extended a S$16 million Sustainability Linked Loan (SLL) to global textile and apparel manufacturer, Ghim Li, through a streamlined process on the ESGpedia platform developed by STACS, Asia’s leading Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) data and technology solutions company.
The streamlined process involves digital collection of data on ESGpedia via the ESBN Asia-Pacific Green Deal digital assessment, which is then independently verified by global leader in testing, inspection and certification services, Bureau Veritas (an ESGpedia marketplace partner). The streamlined process arose from the ESCAP Sustainable Business Network (ESBN) Asia-Pacific Green Deal for Businesses program that was launched on ESGpedia in May 2023. It provides a digitalised and simplified self-assessment tool that helps companies report simplified ESG and operational metrics and provides them an automated calculation of their GHG emissions, localised to multiple countries in Asia Pacific.
This enables businesses and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to leverage digitalisation to get started on their sustainability journeys and makes it easier for banks to extend SLLs to businesses more efficiently.
Global issuance of sustainability linked loans have surged in recent years against counterparts like green bonds and loans[1]. The structure of sustainability linked loans linking loan terms and interest rates to pre-established Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) or Sustainability Performance targets offers a dynamic mechanism and layer of accountability to drive businesses towards enhancing their ESG performance.
Sustainability Linked Loan extended by OCBC Bank to Ghim Li, facilitated by ESGpedia
Leveraging the streamlined process on ESGpedia, Ghim Li successfully obtained a S$16 million SLL from OCBC. This will add to OCBC’s sustainable financing portfolio, which stood at S$47.4 billion as at 30 June 2023. It also demonstrates Ghim Li’s commitment to integrate sustainability in its business and operations
As a Silver badge achiever of the ESBN Green Deal digital assessment, Ghim Li has completed the ESBN Green Deal assessment through ESGpedia. To ensure that the data disclosed by Ghim Li (and the subsequent GHG emission figures automatically calculated) is accurate, Bureau Veritas digitally verified the data through ESGpedia. OCBC then worked with Ghim Li to set the sustainability performance targets of the SLL.
Ghim Li will continue to utilise this platform in subsequent years to submit their operational data, so as to monitor their emissions and track their progress on the sustainability performance targets.
Mr Linus Goh, Head of Global Commercial Banking, OCBC, said: “Digitalisation is a critical enabler for businesses in their pursuit of sustainability. We are glad to partner Ghim Li in this Sustainability Linked Loan, working with STACS to leverage the digital solutions on ESGpedia to make it easier to track and measure operational and emissions-related data for sustainability reporting. We believe the shift towards sustainability by SMEs and corporates will accelerate with the increased availability of digital and data-driven tools to support the transition and financing of their businesses.”
Felicia Gan, CEO, Ghim Li, said: “ESGpedia helps to simplify the ESG reporting process and allows for an automatic calculation of GHG emissions to provide Ghim Li with greater insights into our current ESG profile, putting us on the same playing field as other industries so that banks have consistent data across a variety of industries and can measure our Sustainability Performance Targets in Ghim Li’s Sustainability Linked Loan with OCBC.”
Benjamin Soh, Managing Director, STACS, said: “In order to accelerate Asia’s supply chain transition towards sustainable development, the availability of sustainable financing to SMEs and businesses plays a pivotal role. Through ESGpedia, we are delighted to have provided digital solutions to streamline and digitally facilitate the entire process of sustainable linked financing for Ghim Li and OCBC on a one-stop platform. This will help SMEs and banks manage the increasing ESG regulatory requirements and scrutiny today.”
With increasing regulatory requirements across Europe and Asia, SMEs are increasingly expected to manage their GHG emissions through active decarbonisation strategies and energy transition measures. In order to do so, SMEs need access to sustainable financing solutions. Yet, especially in the context of sustainability linked loans, data acquisition remains a key challenge; without an understanding of their carbon footprint and sustainability profiles, both the SMEs and banks are unable to establish Sustainability Performance targets.
ESGpedia’s free ESG starter tools, including the ESBN Asia-Pacific Green Deal digital assessment and an automatic carbon calculator thus provide SMEs with a simple and guided program to better understand their current GHG emissions and gain greater access to sustainable financing.
With more than five million sustainability data points and 115,000+ company profiles overlaid and standardised by its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered engine, ESGpedia allows banks and corporates to access accurate, consistent and comparable data on one registry, for the purposes of sustainable financing, ESG risk monitoring of portfolios, and monitoring the sustainability performance of companies like suppliers.
Michael Ma, Director – Sustainability Development, Bureau Veritas, said: “This partnership with ESGpedia Marketplace, where ESGpedia’s clients can seek external assurance for their ESG data, enhances the credibility of ESG disclosures. Bureau Veritas’ role as an independent verifier supports a more efficient, methodical and trustworthy journey towards more sustainable business and a more sustainable world.”
[1] https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/latest-news-headlines/sustainability-linked-loan-supply-outpaces-green-bonds-and-loans-amid-us-surge-65569374
For further information, please contact:
STACS (www.stacs.io)
Grace Lim, Senior Marketing Manager
Email: [email protected]
Bureau Veritas (https://south-east-asia.bureauveritas.com/)
Donovan Chee, S.E Asia Marketing Head
Email: [email protected]
Ghim Li (https://www.ghimli.com/)
Ze Shin Tan, Corporate Environmental Manager
Email: [email protected]
OCBC (www.ocbc.com/business-banking)
Dawn Sin, Vice-President, Group Brand & Communications
Email: [email protected]
About STACS
STACS (Hashstacs Pte Ltd) is Asia’s leading ESG data and technology company, headquartered in Singapore. Its ESGpedia platform powers the ESCAP Sustainable Business Network (ESBN) Asia-Pacific Green Deal digital platform and the ASEAN Single Accesspoint for ESG Data (SAFE) pilot initiative, and is a technology partner of the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s (MAS) Project Greenprint. With more than 5 million sustainability data points, ESGpedia serves as the Nexus of ESG, digitally empowering the financial sector, corporates, and SMEs to ensure compliance towards ESG regulations and attain their ESG goals. For more information, please visit www.stacs.io.
About Bureau Veritas
Bureau Veritas is a world leader in laboratory testing, inspection and certification services. Established since 1828, the Group has more than 82,000 employees located in nearly 1,600 offices and laboratories around the globe. Bureau Veritas helps its 400,000 clients improve their performance by offering services and innovative solutions in order to ensure that their assets, products, infrastructure and processes meet standards and regulations in terms of quality, health and safety, environmental protection and social responsibility.
Bureau Veritas is listed on Euronext Paris and belongs to the CAC 40 ESG, CAC Next 20 and SBF 120 indices. Compartment A, ISIN code FR 0006174348, stock symbol: BVI. For more information, visit www.bureauveritas.com, and follow us on Twitter (@bureauveritas) and LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/bureau-veritas-south-east-asia/).
About Ghim Li
Since its establishment in 1977, Ghim Li Group is a leader in the textile and apparel industry, specializing in managing a comprehensive supply chain and manufacturing for casual lifestyle knitwear for over 46 years. With a robust output of over 62 million garments annually, the company supports major U.S. and Canada retailers through its one stop shop model. This model encompasses innovative product design, efficient order commercialization, strategic material management, precise production planning and production manufacturing excellence.
Sustainability is a big part of Ghim Li and we have been on our sustainable journey since 2016 and to date has contributed to the enviroment a saving of 26,206.20 MT which is equivalient to 2,699,808.77 gallons of gasoline which through various energy savings, chemical management and waste water management processes. Our factories are also Okeo-tex certified, USCTP, BCI, Cotton leads, GOTS and GRS certified. For more information, please visit www.ghimli.com.
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