SM Investments Corp. has expanded its sustainability push to the country’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), launching a free e-learning bridge course designed to help smaller businesses build their reporting capabilities and align with emerging global standards.

Developed in partnership with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the initiative was introduced at a training workshop for publicly listed companies (PLCs) held at SMX Aura in Taguig.

MSMEs part of large corporations’ supply chains

The program aims to support MSMEs — many of which form part of the supply chains of large corporations — as sustainability disclosure expectations continue to grow in the Philippines and abroad.

The event, titled “Empowering Sustainable Business and Supply Chains: Building Capabilities for Impactful Sustainability Practices Across the Value Chain,” focused on helping PLCs understand the interoperability between GRI Standards and the new disclosure requirements of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB).

Deepen understanding behind the data

“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.”

MSMEs account for roughly 99.5 percent of registered businesses in the Philippines.

SM, which works with over 100,000 MSMEs across its ecosystem, said the course will help smaller enterprises strengthen their operational resilience and meet the sustainability expectations of both regulators and larger corporate partners.

SM Investments will sponsor the free, self-paced program, while GRI will distribute it through its platform partners. The course covers basic sustainability and climate concepts, the value of sustainability reporting, and practical steps for MSMEs beginning their reporting journey.

Private sector crucial role in expanding sustainability reporting

GRI ASEAN Regional Hub head Dr. Allinnettes Go Adigue noted that the private sector has played a crucial role in expanding sustainability reporting in the Philippines. “When we first introduced GRI in the Philippines, who helped us? It was SM,” she said, highlighting years of collaboration that culminated in hosting GRI’s first Sustainability Summit outside Europe and North America in 2018.

What began as an internal effort to strengthen SM’s own sustainability reporting has since evolved into a broader initiative to elevate practices across the country’s business landscape.

“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.”