SM Investments Corporation Consultant and Head of Investor Relations and Sustainability Timothy Daniels andDr. Allinnettes Go Adigue, the Head of the ASEAN Regional Hub of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), seal the partnership for the MSME learning course.
SM Investments Corporation has rolled out a new, free sustainability learning program designed to help micro, small, and medium enterprises take their first steps toward meaningful sustainability reporting and responsible business practices.
Developed in partnership with the Global Reporting Initiative, the inaugural e-learning bridge course on sustainability reporting for MSMEs was introduced during a recent training workshop for publicly listed companies held at SMX Aura in Taguig. The initiative reflects SM Investments’ broader effort to extend sustainability capability-building beyond large corporations and into the heart of its supply chain.
The workshop, titled “Empowering Sustainable Business and Supply Chains: Building Capabilities for Impactful Sustainability Practices Across the Value Chain,” focused on helping publicly listed companies navigate the alignment between GRI Standards and the emerging disclosure requirements of the International Sustainability Standards Board. It also served as the platform to highlight how these frameworks can be made accessible and practical for smaller enterprises.
“For us, sustainability is not just about producing reports or complying with requirements,” said Timothy Daniels, consultant and head of investor relations and sustainability at SM Investments. “It’s about understanding what’s behind the data and using that insight to create real business value. This is the same mindset we want to share with our MSME partners.”
MSMEs account for roughly 99.5 percent of all operating businesses in the Philippines, and the SM Group works with more than 100,000 of them across its value chain. Recognizing their crucial role in driving inclusive and sustainable growth, SM and GRI co-developed the bridge course to equip MSME owners, suppliers, and partners with practical, foundational knowledge on sustainability and reporting.
SM Investments will sponsor the self-paced online course, making it freely accessible, while GRI will support its rollout through partner platforms. The program will also be promoted across SM’s extensive MSME network. Participants will learn core sustainability and climate-related concepts, understand why sustainability reporting matters, and gain guidance on how to begin applying these principles within their own operations.
As sustainability reporting increasingly becomes both a responsible business practice and a strategic advantage, SM Investments continues to deepen its collaboration with GRI, a partnership that dates back to 2018.
“When GRI was first introduced in the Philippines, SM was one of the key organizations that helped us build awareness,” said Dr. Allinnettes Go Adigue, head of GRI’s ASEAN Regional Hub. “Their support helped accelerate adoption. With committed private-sector partners like SM, we can continue guiding organizations at every level on their sustainability journey.”
What began as an effort to strengthen SM’s internal sustainability reporting has since grown into a long-term collaboration that has contributed to raising sustainability standards nationwide. In 2018, SM co-hosted GRI’s first Sustainability Summit held outside Europe and North America, underscoring the Philippines’ growing role in the global sustainability conversation.
“Our success as a group is closely tied to the success of our stakeholders, especially MSMEs,” Daniels said. “By investing in capability-building initiatives like this course, we are helping ensure that sustainability becomes a shared practice across industries, not just a corporate requirement.”
