SMLEs told to adopt sustainable practices

SMALL, medium, and large enterprises (SMLEs) should adopt sustainable practices to support the country’s growth, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said.

“Sustainability is about making choices for a long-term impact on the environment, society, and economy,” SEC Corporate Governance and Finance Department Director Rachel Esther J. Gumtang-Remalante said in an e-mailed statement on Thursday.

“We envision that sustainability is not just a matter of awareness but a standard practice of SMLEs,” she added.

Ms. Remalante said this as the commission held the third installment of the SEC Small and Medium Industries and Large Enterprises Embracing Sustainability (SMILEES) Roadshow in Baguio City on Sept. 18.

The roadshow was organized by the SEC in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme, through the Accelerating Green and Climate Finance, a project funded by the Canadian government.

The two previous roadshows were held in Cebu in March and in Davao in June, respectively.

The roadshow seeks to encourage sustainable practices among SMLEs by fostering awareness, capacity building, developing measuring tools, establishing effective monitoring schemes, and giving the participants the opportunity to share and learn from each other about sustainability practices.

“The SEC SMILEES Roadshow aims to embed sustainability concepts among SMLEs while gearing toward a greener capital market and sustainable future,” the commission said.

Following the roadshow in Baguio City, the SEC will be holding the annual Corporate Governance Forum, organized together with the Philippine Stock Exchange in November. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave