Most people can still recall a time when SM — then referred to as Shoemart – was a paradise of affordable footwear. Sales Staff, at the time, would call out sizes to someone from “above,” and in spite of the seeming mess of shoe buyers trying on their choices amid a sea of shoes, the store staff always could keep track of everything.

Long have those days gone, and today SM is a veritable empire — a giant in business, a leader in innovation.

Back then, before any of the names in the big leagues were there, SM founder Henry Sy, Sr., fondly called “Tatang” by those whom he worked, built and dreamed with, imagined his business doing more for community and country rather than just for profit.

And whatever initiatives and values he inculcated into his company have borne more than he may have ever thought, his progeny expanding on his dreams and keeping the name alive through the decades.

Today, SM is a leader in sustainable practices.

As the Philippines faces serious environmental challenges due to poor waste management, continued deforestation and air pollution, the country placed 168th out of 180 countries on this year’s result of the Environmental Performance Index (EPI).

Upholding sustainability as its core commitment, this has driven the country’s biggest conglomerate, SM Group, to strengthen its ecosystem of sustainable businesses.

Sustainable investments met with innovative solutions are the key initiatives that SM embodies to foster a greener future and address environmental issues such as climate change, deforestation and pollution. 

One of SM’s sustainability practices involves waste reduction, energy conservation and efficient energy use to reduce, if not alleviate, the impacts of several environmental problems the country faces today.