Leaders and key players from the private sector gathered for the 2018 Global Reporting Index (GRI) Sustainability Summit held last October 8 at the Conrad Hotel, Manila. With the theme “Together Towards a Sustainable Philippines”, the summit was aimed at providing a forum for companies to discuss key issues and latest trends on sustainability in business.

The event kicked off with a high-level breakfast meeting among business executives, where they discussed the important role of private sector in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Different sessions featured how sustainability is practiced across different business segments – from financing, manufacturing down to supply chains – and the impact and key challenges of sustainability reporting. Sustainability reporting enables companies to understand their impact on various stakeholders, and informs their decision-making to ensure long-term benefits on economy, society, and environment.

The GRI Sustainability Summit was organized by SM Investments Corp. and Australian Embassy of the Philippines, and supported by the Philippine Business Environment and the Makati Business Club. GRI is the organization behind the Sustainability Reporting Standards which is the first and most widely adopted global standards for sustainability reporting.