Apical Wins Gold For 'Asia's Best Supply Chain Reporting 2021'

SINGAPORE,April 6,2022 -- Apical Group clinched the gold award for 'Asia's Best Supply Chain Reporting 2021' at the Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards (ASRA). Now in its 7th year running,the Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards organised by CSRWorks Internationalis one of the most prestigious recognition for sustainability reporting.

Apical Group's Head of Sustainability,Bremen Yong Kin Kong said,"To drive a transformative and sustainable change in the palm oil sector,active collaboration among all parties – industry partners,customers,palm oil companies,independent smallholders and NGOs among many others is needed. This gold award is a recognition of our various programmes,initiatives and continuous effort to achieve a transparent,inclusive and sustainable supply chain. We are honoured to receive this award by CSRWorks International."

The 'Asia's Best Supply Chain Reporting 2021' category saw 13 companies from various countries/regions including Taiwan,Israel,Thailand,Singapore,Malaysia,India,Philippines and Japan compete for the top spot.

In recent years,Apical has implemented several initiatives to enhance traceability,ensure NDPE compliance,and include more smallholders in its certification programs. For instance,Apical offers robust traceability solutions to suppliers via the Traceability Outreach Program (TOP) and with the SMallholder Inclusion for better Livelihood & Empowerment (SMILE) Programme,smallholders in Indonesia can improve their yields,earn international certification,and improve their livelihoods,among others.

Rajesh Chhabara,Managing Director of CSWorks and founder of ASRA said,"The sustainability report of Apical Group demonstrates its commitment to high-quality disclosure about how it manages material sustainability issues and contributes to sustainable development."

Hosted virtually due to the continuing pandemic,the awards ceremony began with the opening address by the Guest of Honour,H.E. Ms Kara Owen,the British High Commissioner to Singapore. It also featured fireside chat sessions with awards judges.

Winning at the Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards is a significant achievement for companies committed to growing sustainably. The awards follow a rigorous multi-tier evaluation process,where an independent judging panel determines the finalists and winners. Evaluation involves three assessment rounds to select the very best in each award category. In addition to assessing the report quality,the judging process also involves comprehensive due diligence that considers companies' reputation among their stakeholders.

The 2021 ASRA received 585 entries from 14 countries/regions across 17 award categories. After the preliminary evaluations,73 companies from 14 countries/regions reached the finals. The intensely-contested finals produced 30 winners picking up 51 gold,silver and bronze awards.

The awards ceremony was attended by more than 250 senior business leaders and sustainability practitioners from 16 countries. Attendees also included dignitaries from academia,embassies,trade associations and advocacy organisations.

Note to editors:

More comprehensive information on the Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards is available at www.csrworks.com/asra

About Apical Group

Apical Group is a leading global edible oils processor. Its business includes downstream processing into functional and specialty fats,oleochemicals and biodiesel among others,for domestic use and international export. Its operations are located in Indonesia,China and Spain,and include eight refineries,four biodiesel plants,four oleochemical plants and three kernel crushing plants. Through its joint ventures,Apical also has processing and distribution operations in India,Pakistan,Philippines,Vietnam,Myanmar,Brazil,Dubai and USA.

Apical's business is built on an extensive sourcing network in Indonesia with integrated refinery assets in strategic locations. This is reinforced by efficient logistics channels supported by Apical's own infrastructure to deliver to local and international industrial clients comprising of food,feed and fuel brands among others. With its unique business model,Apical has been able to control product quality and address sustainability and food safety concerns,while running highly efficient operations in integrated world-class refineries and downstream processes.

For more information,please visit www.apicalgroup.com

About ASRA

The Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards (ASRA) recognise and honour leaders in sustainability reporting. ASRA has become the most inspiring international recognition for sustainability reporting.

Established in 2015,ASRA provides organisations,large and small,the opportunity to showcase their sustainability leadership,thereby building trust among their stakeholders,adding value to their businesses and attracting responsible investors.

For the full list of winners,visit www.csrworks.com/asra

About CSRWorks

CSRWorks International,a Singapore-based sustainability services firm focussed on advisory,training and thought leadership,has created non-profit Asia Integrated Reporting Awards to identify and honour sustainability reporting leaders. ASRA is organised side-by-side with the Asia Integrated Reporting Awards (AIRA).

International partnerships of CSRWorks include the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI),Value Reporting Foundation,the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB),EcoVadis,CDP and AccountAbility (AA1000).

For more information,visit www.csrworks.com