Alliance Bank Malaysia Berhad has launched the Sustainability Enhancement Programme (SEP) with the support of Bursa Malaysia Berhad, further strengthening their collaboration on advancing sustainability practices among Public Listed Companies (PLCs). This initiative builds upon the success of their Centralised Sustainability Intelligence (CSI) Solution, providing sustainability value-added services to ACE Market PLCs and newly listed companies that adopt Bursa Malaysia’s CSI Solution.

The programme is designed to help businesses prepare for sustainability reporting under the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), particularly as Scope 3 reporting becomes mandatory. By offering tailored ESG solutions and financial incentives, SEP enables companies to align with global ESG standards, identify gaps, and enhance their FTSE4Good ESG Ratings. Strengthening ESG disclosures will allow participating companies to improve their competitive positioning and unlock new growth opportunities in both local and international markets.

As part of its commitment to sustainability, Alliance Bank has pledged RM1 billion in preferential funding for supply chain financing. This initiative aims to encourage sustainability improvements and disclosures among SME suppliers working with PLCs that have signed up for the CSI Solution, further reinforcing the bank’s role in driving sustainability adoption.

Expressing the bank’s dedication to supporting businesses in their sustainability journey, Kellee Kam, Group Chief Executive Officer of Alliance Bank, emphasised the impact of the collaboration with Bursa Malaysia. “Through this collaboration with Bursa Malaysia, we are proud to offer innovative ESG solutions and financial incentives that empower PLCs to enhance their sustainability performance and contribute to Malaysia’s sustainable development goals,” he said.

Under the SEP, participating companies will gain access to ESG digital service value-adds at no additional cost upon fulfilling financing requirements with the bank. These services include a comprehensive FTSE4Good Assessment and Optimisation Report, which identifies gaps, benchmarks performance, and provides recommendations for improvement. To promote ESG disclosure transparency, the programme also offers an AI-powered solution for generating sustainability reports in alignment with IFRS and global standards such as GRI and ISSB. The bank will be working with Sustenyx to implement this solution.

Beyond sustainability reporting, the programme seeks to embed ESG practices within companies’ supply chains. Participating PLCs will have access to tools and resources such as climate assessments, ESG training, and preferential financing rates to facilitate greener operations. These benefits will be available to PLCs that register as adopters of Bursa Malaysia’s CSI Solution and establish a banking relationship with Alliance Bank through financing or deposit placements.

Bursa Malaysia welcomed the initiative, highlighting the significance of the partnership in incentivising sustainability disclosures through financial support. Datuk Muhamad Umar Swift, Chief Executive Officer of Bursa Malaysia, acknowledged the progress made since their MOU was signed in 2021. 

“Alliance Bank’s deployment of preferential funds into supply chain financing for corporates within the CSI ecosystem marks the early realisation of our vision to spur climate action and better sustainability disclosures through attractive financing. We congratulate Alliance Bank for their latest initiative, the SEP, which supports new IPOs and smaller-cap listed companies in embarking on cost-efficient and impactful sustainability reporting aligned with IFRS, leveraging AI and digital innovations,” he said.

The Sustainability Enhancement Programme is set to launch in March 2025, with a series of roadshows and engagement sessions planned to introduce the initiative to targeted companies.

• TAGS:
• Alliance Bank
• Bursa Malaysia
• Kellee Kam
• Muhamad Umar Swift
• Public Listed Companies
• SEP
• Sustainability
• Sustainability Enhancement Programme