Source: Media Outreach
Winners’ efforts reaffirm that sustainability and business excellence are deeply interconnected
Winners and distinguished participants of the ACES Awards 2025 gather at the InterContinental Bali Resort on November 27, 2025, to celebrate Day One, dedicated to recognizing excellence in sustainability across Asia.
With sustainability positioned as the cornerstone of this year’s programme, Day One of the Awards underscored the region’s rapid shift toward measurable, science-aligned, and transparent environmental and social practices.
“The 2025 Sustainability Award winners represent the strongest examples of responsible leadership in Asia today.
They have demonstrated discipline, transparency, and genuine long-term commitment to measurable environmental and social impact, said Dr Shanggari Balakrishnan, the CEO of MORS Group, organiser of the ACES Awards.
“Their efforts reaffirm that sustainability and business excellence are deeply interconnected, and we applaud their role in moving the region forward,” she added.
This year marked a historic milestone for the ACES Awards, which received 827 nominations from 32 countries, spanning more than 40 award categories.
Following 946 hours of evaluations by the ACES Council, 381 finalists were shortlisted, and 111 winners were recognised across the two-day ceremony.
Celebrating the 2025 Sustainability Winners
This year’s winners demonstrated strong governance systems, measurable reductions in carbon and waste intensity, large-scale circularity systems, water efficiency initiatives, biodiversity protection, and community development programmes.
Notable return winners include Maynilad Water Services, Inc., San Miguel Global Power Holdings Corp., CEBU LANDMASTERS, INC., Takeda Healthcare Philippines, Inc., BDO Unibank, and Danone Specialized Nutrition SEA.
Top winners for Day One included:
- CPC Corporation, Taiwan – Top Sustainability Advocates in Asia (7th ACES win)
- Globe Telecom – Asia’s Best Workplace of the Year (7th ACES win)
- Development Bank of the Philippines – Top Community Centric Companies in Asia (3rd ACES win)
- Foundever Philippines Corporation – Top Workplaces & Community Centric Companies (5th ACES win)
- Henderson Land Development Company Limited – Asia’s Most Sustainable Company of the Year
ESG Pioneer Award
Highlight of the night included honouring one of Asia’s most respected voices in ESG transformation – Dr Jayanthi Desan, Co founder of BoomGrow and Advisor to ACES Council who was presented with the prestigious ESG Pioneer Award.
Recognised for pioneering a company which has brought together climate technology, sustainable innovation and commercial strategy, Dr Jayanthi’s relentless efforts proved that responsible growth and high performance can coexist.
A Benchmark for Responsible and Measurable Leadership
The Sustainability Category, a core pillar of the ACES framework, recognises corporations that demonstrate responsible, data-driven, and future-focused environmental and social leadership.
In 2025, the assessment criteria were strengthened to emphasise science-based targets, verification of measurable impact, circularity programmes, resource stewardship, and alignment to IFRS S1 and S2 sustainability disclosure standards.
With 147 companies shortlisted and 40 winners selected, the category recorded one of its most competitive years to date.
Judges highlighted that participating organisations demonstrated higher levels of reporting transparency, more robust carbon reduction pathways, and deeper long-term integration of sustainability into corporate planning.
Judging Insights: A New Era of Data-Driven Sustainability
The ACES Council evaluated submissions based on strategy clarity, governance strength, innovation, stakeholder engagement, and evidence-backed environmental and social outcomes.
A clear shift toward quantified impact, verifiable emissions pathways, and improved comparability of reporting was observed.
Companies also acknowledged the challenges of navigating multiple ESG frameworks.
However, the introduction of IFRS S1 and S2 has provided much-needed harmonisation, enhancing transparency and reporting efficiency across the region.
Winners distinguished themselves through authenticity, long-term resilience planning, transparent disclosures, and the ability to scale sustainability initiatives beyond compliance.
Setting the tone for ACES 2025
Day One of the Awards concluded with the conferral of the prestigious Visionary’s Gold Centaur, Maestro’s Onyx Centaur, and Virtuoso’s Black and Gold Centaur trophies, recognising companies with multi-year excellence.
The ceremony set a strong tone for Day Two, which spotlights Asia’s leadership and workplace champions.
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