About the Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards
What are the Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards?
The Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards (ASRA) celebrates best practices in sustainability reporting by recognising and honouring Asian leaders in sustainability reporting.
How may award categories are available?
ASRA is offered in multiple categories to recognise the strengths in the key aspects of reporting. Full description about the award categories can be found here.
How long has ASRA been established?
ASRA was inaugurated in 2015 and has evolved into the most coveted international honour for sustainability reporting.
Who are the organisers?
ASRA, a not-for-profit initiative, is organised by csrmatters, a unit of CSRWorks International, Singapore’s trusted sustainability advisory and training firm. CSRWorks promotes excellence in sustainability by closely working with businesses and other stakeholders across the region. Our vision for ASRA is to become the most inspiring recognition of sustainability reporting in Asia. Learn more about us here.
Why have we decided to create the Awards?
Sustainability reporting has been increasingly embraced by organisations, countries and stock exchanges across the world as a key lever of strategic planning and driver of business value. In line with these trends, we created ASRA to honour excellence in sustainability reporting, benchmark against best practices and facilitate peer learning. We also hope that the awards will encourage more organisations to report on sustainability.
How many entries are expected?
We expect a fairly large number of entries from across the region from more than 16 countries as we strive to reach out to as many reporting organisations as possible within Asia. We have witnessed a progressive increase in the number of entries received every year.
Eligibility
Which countries are covered by ASRA?
All companies based in Asia including the Middle Eastare eligible for the Awards. Please write to us for clarification if you have any doubt about your organisation’s eligibility.
Can I enter if I'm a not-for-profit organisation?
Yes. ASRA is open to all organisations including non-profits, social enterprises, academic institutions, public sector organisations, government agencies, municipal councils, and SMEs. Non-profit organisations are entitled to a much lower entry fee.
How do I know if my report is eligible?
Only publicly available sustainability reports are eligible to participate in ASRA. Examples of Reports eligible for ASRA include:
- Annual Sustainability Report
- Annual CSR Report
- Sustainability Report within an annual report
- Integrated Report
- Online Sustainability Report (i.e. Company website or micro-site)
We accept your latest or last published sustainability reports.
My organisation has subsidiaries in different Asian countries cities. Can I still enter under the same organisation name?
For each subsidiary, you may enter into the sameor different categories if it is based in Asia and have their individual reports or disclosures.
My organisation has published more than one report which communicates sustainability. Can I submit both?
Yes, as long as they are published for the same year. Please indicate the categories you are entering each report in.
Can I submit a report or communication in a different language?
Currently, we only accept entries in English. Sustainability reports or communication published in other languages will be accepted only if participating organisations can provide an English translation. Please contact us if you have further queries regarding reports in different languages.
Submitting Entries
Who can submit entries?
Organisations are encouraged to self-nominate for suitable categories by sending their entries in the prescribed Entry Form. In addition, stakeholders may also nominate organisations to us. We will contact the nominated organisation to complete the Entry Form, and make payment if necessary.
When is the submission deadline?
Please refer to the Home Page for the Early Bird and Final Submission Deadlines. Do contact us for a case-by-case evaluation if you are unable to adhere to the Final Submission Deadline.
Can I enter more than one category?
You may enter as many categories as you like. Do submit a separate entry form for each category you enter.
What are the benefits of entering multiple categories?
You increase the chances of being one of the finalists and to win. You also get the chance to benchmark your organisation’s sustainability efforts with other companies in specific categories.
What category should I enter?
Consider the strengths of your sustainability report when choosing the categories. For example, If your sustainability report discloses extensively on carbon emissions, it may be a good idea to submit your report for the “Asia’s Best Carbon Disclosure” category. Do e-mail or give us a call if you are still unsure of the categories to enter.
In addition, organisations are also encouraged to submit entries for the main award categories. These categories are Asia’s Best Sustainability Report (Standalone), Asia’s Best Sustainability Report (Within Annual Report), Asia’s Best Integrated Report and Asia’s Best Sustainability Report (SME). Do note that we will only accept entries into Asia’s Best Sustainability Report (Standalone) if the same report is entered into at least two other categories.
Why do I have to enter my report into two other categories to be eligible for Asia’s Best Sustainability Report (Standalone)?
The rationale behind this policy is that a class-leading report is expected to be very good, if not exceptional in the quality of disclosure in other categories as well. We do not wish for reports to not win in a category it would have otherwise won because it was not entered into that category.
Is there any entry fee to enter the Awards?
ASRA is a non-profit initiative. We charge a small entry fee to cover the administrativeexpenses of organising the awards. The entry fee is inclusive of one complimentary pass for each participating organisation at the Awards Ceremony Gala Dinner event. Discounts are also available for multiple entries to encourage participation. In addition, SMEs and non-profit organisations pay an even lower fee. Learn more about the entry fees here.
How will I know if my submission is accepted?
Upon receiving your application, we will screen your submission for eligibility and send an invoice for the entry fee if they meet the criteria. Upon payment, you will receive a tracking reference for use in future correspondence regarding the Awards. Please note your submission will only be considered when we have received your payment.
The entry form requires a primary contact for all correspondence regarding the Awards. This primary contact should be available throughout the entire process.
Judging
What is the judging process?
Learn more about the judging process here.
Who are the judges?
The judges come from diverse fields such as non-profit organisations, academia, sustainability advocacy, professional bodies, industry networks and the media.
The judging panel is completely independent of the organisers to maintain the highest possible neutrality and objectivity. More information about the judges can be found here.
What is the judging criteria?
Click here to see the judging criteria.
Will the judges explain how they decide on finalists and winners?
- Brief comments: We will ask the judges to explain the rationale of shortlisting or not shortlisting a particular entry. This short explanation, about 2-3 paragraphs, may be shared with the respective participant upon request for free.
- Report Review: Interested organisations may order a detailed review of their sustainability report for a small fee. This additional service is completely optional. Contact us if you would like to learn more about this service.
Are the entries judged by industry sector?
Currently, entries are judged by category irrespective of industry sector.
Are entry forms kept confidential?
Yes. The organisers will ensure that all sensitive information iskept private, and relevant documents are reviewed only by the judges. All results of finalists and winners will be kept confidential until the timeof release.
Finalists
How many finalists will there be?
We expect to have 6-10 finalists for each category. However,this is subject to the number and quality of entries submitted.
When are the finalists announced?
Please refer to the Home Page for the announcement dates. View the complete timeline here.
How will I know if I am a finalist?
We will notify each organisation via e-mail the status of their submission upon the release of results. Names of finalists will also be announced via various social media platforms, press releases and our awards website.
What do I get as a finalist?
All finalists will receive a personalised merit certificate at the Awards Ceremony Gala Dinner event in Singapore. Finalists will also receive a distinct Finalist icon, among other promotional material, for use as a mark of their sustainability excellence.
What will the Award organizer require if I become a finalist?
We recommend that you start making your travel plans to attend the Awards Ceremony Gala Dinner where the winners will be announced. It is important to note that the winners must be present at the awards ceremony in order to receive their award(s).
Our Awards Secretariat will call or e-mail your organisation’s Primary Contact mentioned in the Entry Form should we need more information.
Winners
How many winners will there be?
Each category is expected to have one winner and one Highly Commended recognition. In exceptional cases, there may be joint winners for a certain category or categories.
When are the winners announced?
Winners will only be announced during the Awards Ceremony. Consequently, their names will also be announced on the awards website and through various social media platforms and press releases.
Results of the winners will be kept confidential until then. View the complete timeline here.
What do I get as a winner?
All winners will be presented with an award plaque at the Awards Ceremony as proof of their excellence in sustainability reporting. They will also receive a distinct ‘Winner’ icon, among other promotional material, for use as a mark of their sustainability excellence. Winners are also invited to be featured in SR-LAB, our yearly publication to showcase excellent sustainability reporting by these organisations as inspiring case studies. We will contact winners about SR-LABafter the conclusionof the Awards Ceremony.
Sponsorship
How is ASRA financed?
ASRA will be financed largely by the entry fees contributed by participating organisations and also through sponsorships.
How can I become a sponsor?
Multiple sponsorship opportunities are available. Please contact us here to learn more abouthow you can contribute to ASRA.
Awards Ceremony
When will the Awards ceremony take place?
Please refer to our timeline for more details. We will announce the precise date closer to the day of the event.
What will it cost to attend the Awards Ceremony?
Every participating organisation in ASRA will be provided withacomplimentary pass to the Awards Ceremony. Organisations may also purchase additional passes if they plan to send more representatives. Additional passes are given on first-cum-first-serve basis due to limited availability. Organisations interested in purchasing additional passes should contact ASRA Secretariat to get more information.
Where will the ceremony be held?
The Awards Ceremony will be held in Singapore. The exact venue will be announced in due course.
Is it necessary to attend the Awards Ceremony?
Winners must be present at the awards ceremony to receive their award(s). A no-show may result in the award being given to the next in line finalist.
Every participating organisation is stronglyencouraged to attend as it adds to the significance of the Awards Ceremony. The Awards Ceremony also serves as a platform for sharing of best practices in sustainability communication, which can be useful for organisations in enhancing their stakeholder communication and preparing their future reports.
Will I have to say anything at the ceremony if I am one of the winners?
The winners may be requested to deliver a few words about their reporting experience upon receiving the Awards. They may also be approached by members of the media for comments.
What if I can't make it to the Award Ceremony?
You are strongly encouraged to attend the Awards Ceremony. However, if you are not able to attend, you can collect the finalist’s certificate from our office in Singapore.