Sustainability’s pocket compass for business
ESGpedia has become one of the region’s leading data and technology platforms, guiding thousands of organizations.
Daily TribuneESGpedia has become one of the region’s leading data and technology platforms, guiding thousands of organizations.
ESGpedia founder and managing director ESGpedia Benjamin Soh helped many companies navigate through sustainability requirements in a world that has an increasing demand for corporate responsibility.
Photograph courtesy of ESGpedia
When Benjamin Soh first thought about ESGpedia, he was not chasing the usual start-up dream but wanted to create a digital platform for ESG or environmental, social and governance information.
The founder and managing director of ESGpedia aims to provide data at the fingertips of every company that wanted to comply with sustainability goals.
“Wikipedia was my inspiration,” the Singaporean entrepreneur said in a recent interview with Straight Talk, an online program of the Daily Tribune.
“Wikipedia made knowledge open to everyone. I wanted to do the same for businesses working on sustainability.”
Soh’s idea is now reshaping how firms across Asia, including the Philippines, handle ESG requirements.
ESGpedia has become one of the region’s leading data and technology platforms, guiding thousands of organizations, from microenterprises to multinational groups, through compliance, carbon tracking and green finance.
Long before ESG became a buzzword, Soh had built a regulated business-to-business fintech that served more than 100 financial institutions, from which he appreciated the need for reliable data sourcing.
As clients began requesting dependable sustainability data on projects like coal power plants, he saw the writing on the wall and shifted focus.
“Financial institutions felt the heat first,” he recalled. “We realized ESG was not a passing trend. It is the future of business.”
He went on to create ESGpedia, headquartered in Singapore and developed with Southeast Asia’s ESG landscape in mind.
The timing was right. Over the past five years, governments, stock exchanges and regulators across the region have introduced ESG disclosure mandates at record speed.
The rules, paired with rising investor scrutiny, created a demand for a tool that could translate raw numbers into clear sustainability metrics.
The change in the disclosure process became apparent in the Philippines. The Securities and Exchange Commission plans to implement mandatory ESG reporting for all listed firms starting in 2026.
Large buyers were asking suppliers and exporters to show sustainability credentials, thus the impact reached deep into the economy.
ESGpedia has stepped in through partnerships with the Department of Trade and Industry, GRI ASEAN, and local market operator PDS Group.
The Sustainable Practices Reporting Kickoff, or SPARK Program, digitized the national ESG template for small and medium enterprises.
With integrated carbon calculators, localized emission factors, and step-by-step guidance, the online form has been well-received.
More than 100 businesses have completed workshops, and over 90 percent now prefer the digital workflow over spreadsheets.
“Digital enablement is key,” Soh said. “We want ESG adoption to feel as simple as using a phone app,” he said.
Soh stresses that real progress must include the base of the economy. In the Philippines, 99.6 percent of registered firms are micro, small, or medium enterprises.
Sari-sari stores, family-owned factories, and provincial logistics operators all count.
“If we are serious about climate targets, the whole supply chain has to act,” he said. “That means every player, not only the listed corporations.”
ESGpedia lets these businesses tap automated carbon calculators and localized guidance that aligns with international standards such as GRI and ISSB while matching the SEC’s SuRe Form.
Clear metrics help them qualify for green loans, attract investors, and secure buyers that now screen suppliers on sustainability.
“The payoff is tangible. Exporters shipping to the European Union face stricter checks on environmental impact. A verified ESG profile can make the difference between winning and losing a contract. Banks are also starting to offer favorable rates to borrowers that present credible sustainability plans,” Soh explained.
At its core, ESGpedia runs on artificial intelligence, big data and predictive analytics.
Companies in sectors like manufacturing, construction, hospitality and logistics use ESGpedia to convert operational data such as utility bills, fuel usage and material inputs into assurance-ready ESG reports and decision-ready dashboards.
The system also supports reduction modeling to help businesses move toward net zero.
The software’s localization engine adjusts for each market. An ESGpedia user, for example, will see grid emission factors that match the country’s power mix.
This reduces guesswork and keeps reports consistent with national guidelines. Companies can also run scenario models that show how switching fuels or adjusting supply routes would change their carbon footprint over time.
Beyond the Philippines, ESGpedia operates in Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand. It powers the Single Access Point for ESG Data initiative with the Sustainable Finance Institute Asia, which aims to streamline disclosures across ASEAN.
The company also collaborates with the UN Global Compact, the ASEAN Green Deal and Project Greenprint of the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
Yet Soh insists on the local character of the projects.
“What works in Singapore might not fit Mindanao or Cebu,” he said, noting that reporting priorities and data availability vary by market.
ESGpedia, thus, offers country specific templates, language support and training materials.
Soh views ESG as an opening for reinvention, not a burden. “Companies think sustainability is a checkbox,” he said. “It is really about trust with investors, customers and employees. Transparency builds that trust.”
He mentors founders and speaks at regional events, repeating that meaningful change is a marathon, not a sprint. Tools like ESGpedia aim to shorten the first mile by turning complicated data collection into a guided digital process.
Early adopters are seeing gains. Firms that complete ESGpedia’s process report faster access to export markets, smoother conversations with lenders, and more precise insight into operational waste. Investors also notice. Global sustainable fund assets surpassed four trillion dollars in 2023, and capital is flowing toward companies that can show concrete progress.
Regulators are moving in the same direction. The Philippine SEC’s 2025 deadline is only the start. Future rules are expected to expand to more sectors, making digital readiness even more valuable. By aligning its platform with both global and local frameworks, ESGpedia positions users to adapt without rebuilding their systems each time the rules evolve.
Floods, heat waves and supply chain disruptions are no longer distant risks and investors are voting with their portfolios.
The real question for Philippine businesses is how quickly they can build the skill to measure and manage their impact.
ESGpedia offers a practical start, turning heavy paperwork into a routine business process.
Among its benefits is contributing to the resilience of communities that benefits from its use.
