The Sy family’s flagship, SM Investments Corp., partnered with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) to launch the inaugural e-learning bridge course on sustainability reporting for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

The course was unveiled during a training workshop for publicly listed companies (PLCs) recently held at SMX Aura in Taguig.

The event, titled “Empowering Sustainable Business and Supply Chains: Building Capabilities for Impactful Sustainability Practices Across the Value Chain,” was designed to help PLCs understand the interoperability between GRI Standards and the emerging disclosure expectations of the International

“It’s not just about producing reports and documentation,” said Timothy Daniels, SM Investments Consultant and Head of Investor Relations and Sustainability.

“We want to deepen understanding beyond the stories and behind the data, to empower our colleagues in the industry and now our MSME partners to create real business value,” he added.

MSMEs account for approximately 99.5 percent of operating businesses in the Philippines, and the SM Group works with more than 100,000 MSMEs across its value chain.

To assist these enterprises in becoming catalysts for sustainable change, SM and GRI co-developed the free bridge course to build foundational sustainability and reporting knowledge among MSME owners, suppliers, and partners.

SM Investments will sponsor the free, self-paced online course, while GRI will facilitate dissemination through its platform partners. The course will also be shared across SM’s MSME network.

Participants will gain foundational knowledge of key sustainability and climate-related concepts, understand the benefits of sustainability reporting, and receive practical guidance on how to begin implementing these practices within their operations.

SM Investments continues to strengthen its partnership with GRI, which began in 2018, as sustainability reporting becomes both a responsible business decision and a strategic advantage.

“When we first introduced GRI in the Philippines, who helped us? It was SM,” said Dr. Allinnettes Go Adigue, Head of the ASEAN Regional Hub of GRI.

“They supported us in spreading the word. Within a few years, compliance grew rapidly. With committed partners from the private sector, we can continue supporting your sustainability journey,” she added.

What began as an initiative to strengthen SM’s own sustainability reporting has evolved into a long-term partnership that has helped elevate sustainability practices in the Philippines. GRI’s first Sustainability Summit outside Europe and North America was co-hosted with SM in 2018.

“Our success as a group is deeply connected to the success of our stakeholders, especially the MSMEs who work with us and rely on us,” Daniels said. “Through capability-building programs like this, we extend sustainability beyond our organization, helping ensure it becomes a shared practice across industries.”