THE companies led by businessman Andrew Tan have committed to be carbon-neutral in about a decade by reducing the emissions of its units, while promising to use more of renewable energy in its mixed-use developments all over the country.
“We must start to become more conscious and responsible for the long-term social, economic, and environmental impact of our businesses. As a responsible corporate citizen, our decisions should no longer just be driven by what is good and profitable, but by what is right,” Kevin L. Tan, CEO of Alliance Global Group Inc. (AGI), said during the company’s one-day conference on sustainability.
AGI, Tan’s holding firm, currently employs over 80,000 people in its various businesses across the country.
The company, however, did not provide yet the nitty-gritty of how it will be able to be carbon-neutral by 2030, but outlined the efforts of its units on how to care more about the communities that they serve and the environment.
Its property development arm, which employs about 5,000 people, has promised to use renewable energy and promote ‘plastic neutrality,’ or measuring all the plastic that it has used or produced and offset these by doing other things such as plastic recycling or reusing measures.
It also commits to create around 3 million direct and indirect jobs in its various developments across the country within 10 years.
Liquor arm Emperador Inc., with its vineyard properties in Spain and distilleries in Scotland, vowed to continue utilizing technologies that save water and reduce emission.
These include the use of renewable energy, particularly biomass and solar, for their vineyards and distilleries in Spain, Mexico, and the Philippines; and the use of water conservation methods for irrigation of vineyards in Spain and Mexico. The company also maintains vineyards and forest lands in Spain totaling around 1,500 hectares.
Gambling arm Travellers International Hotel Group Inc. will use more renewable energy such as solar, and employ more local hires in its casino and hotel operations.
Golden Arches Development Corp., which operates McDonald’s Philippines, now advocates the use of reusable cutlery, and the minimized use of plastics through the introduction of paper bags, straws and lids. The company also started rolling out reusable packaging, solar rooftops and pushed the use of ecobricks in some of its stores, as well as reinforced waste segregation system.
“Our collective strength as a conglomerate certainly gives us the ability to make these positive changes happen,” Tan said.