ACES Awards 2025 Day One Celebrates Asia’s Leading Sustainability Champions in Bali

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.

Hashtag: #ACESAwards #MORSGroup #Sustainability #Leadership #ACES2025

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MORS Group | ACES Awards

About the ACES Awards
The Asia Corporate Excellence & Sustainability (ACES) Awards recognises outstanding leaders and organisations across Asia that demonstrate excellence in leadership, sustainability, and corporate responsibility. As a premier regional awards platform, ACES highlights companies and individuals that set industry benchmarks and contribute meaningfully to economic and social progress. Through its rigorous evaluation and broad regional reach, ACES continues to showcase best-in-class achievers shaping Asia's corporate landscape.

About MORS Group
MORS Group is a regional business intelligence and advisory organisation committed to advancing leadership, sustainability, and corporate excellence in Asia. Through strategic platforms and recognition programmes—including the ACES Awards—MORS Group supports organisations in elevating performance, strengthening governance, and fostering long-term growth. Its work enables companies and leaders to connect, gain insights, and drive purposeful impact across the region.