Its disheartening to read about polluted rivers and oceans buts it worse when the cause of pollution is by some unscrupulous company discarding toxic waste into these waterways. Where has the sense of looking after our environment gone, organisations have for too long raced for profits on the expense of the environment. This has to stop before its to late.
ACCA Malaysia, is on mission to advocate doing business sustainably to corporations, an ardent and long-time champion of sustainability, the accountancy association has kicked off the ACCA #MyGoZero campaign in conjunction with Global Ethics Day to remind organisations as well as individuals that sustainable business practices are rooted in the ethical actions taken to promote zero waste across three key areas – the environment (Planet), society (People) and the economy (Profit). Together, these three pillars of sustainability pave the way forward for a balanced existence between economic prosperity and a healthy, balanced ecosystem.
“The relationship between economic growth and environmental degradation is often fraught with tension, hence one of the core methods to help conserve global societal and ecological ecosystems is waste reduction. For the sake of our future, and for the generations that will come, we must take action to break this cycle and I would like to call upon all Malaysians to make a positive impact to their lives, businesses and the world by beginning their journey in sustainability with the ACCA #MyGoZero campaign,” said Edward Ling, Country Head of ACCA.
This 3-month long ACCA #MyGoZero campaign is a multi-pronged effort in contributing to the community in three areas:
· Adding VALUE in reducing waste through a collaboration with NGOs to encourage the use of reusable face masks during this pandemic;
· Building KNOWLEDGE in sustainability with free educational webinars, featured articles and Professional Insights reports;
· Rallying social SHARING via multiple digital platforms with local business leaders and entertainment personalities – to spread messages, tips and experiences on embracing a zero-waste lifestyle.
The partnership with Conscious Goods and Dignity for Children in this campaign aims to provide support to the women and children from the B40, Orang Asli and refugee communities in Malaysia, especially during this time of need.
Recognising that sustainability is important for every individual, ACCA #MyGoZero campaign aims to engage with ACCA students, members, businesses, stakeholders as well as the public at large. “Sustainability must become part of every company’s DNA; as the Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated, it is important to build sustainable organisations that can withstand global upheavals. For businesses, this encompasses a wide range of initiatives, from investing in green technologies and enforcing policies that protect our collective resources, to nurturing employee development and implementing guidelines that prize efficiency and prevent waste, and more,” he added.
“As financial professionals, we are well-placed to support organisations in the areas including environmental stewardship, creating value in a responsible and ethical way, and providing stakeholders with the relevant counsel for them to make informed decisions. This ACCA #MyGoZero campaign is ultimately a call for organisations to lead by example and instil a corporate culture of sustainability today, in order to secure a better future,” added Ling.
