Wilmar scored a perfect 10 for its efforts in safeguarding children’s rights and well-being, which was an increase from its previous score of 9.8.
General Manager of Group Sustainability at Wilmar, Perpetua George, said, “We are heartened by the recognition of our continuous efforts in safeguarding the protection and welfare of children. Wilmar understands that beyond having zero tolerance for child labour and exploitation, it is also critical to ensure the safety and well-being of children are upheld while providing them with access to quality education and an enabling environment for them to thrive. Wilmar also supports the education of more than 10,000 school-going children living in our plantations globally.”
The Global Child Forum recognition comes on the heels of this week’s highlight where Wilmar maintains its inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) World Index3 this year and ranks amongst the world’s most sustainable food companies. This recognition marks Wilmar’s second consecutive year on the DJSI World Index and third straight year on the DJSI Asia Pacific Index.
“We have initiated numerous proactive initiatives like programmes in educating children about identifying and preventing sexual harassment and this goes a long way in empowering children. This acknowledgement from Global Child Forum serves to boost our motivation to continue the right path and will encourage us to further strengthen our efforts,” she explained.
For over a decade, Global Child Forum has been benchmarking companies’ progress and process on children’s rights to help companies have a positive impact on children’s lives,” says Katarina Mellström, the organisation’s Secretary-General. “We recognize the achievements of companies that are leading the way while also encouraging other companies to act in the best 1 interest of a child’s well-being. The benchmark is one such tool that can support companies on their journey.”
Wilmar ranks third amongst the Food Products companies on DJSI World Index and is the only Food Products company from Singapore in this Index. With a score of 75 out of 100, which is an improvement from 70 in 2021, the Group is in the 94th percentile of all Food Products companies reviewed. It achieved a better performance in the categories of Environmental, Social and Governance & Economic.
Wilmar has signed more than 18 Sustainability-Linked Loans, securing over US$2.2 billion of sustainable financing, which remains part of our holistic approach to integrate sustainability principles into the business operations at every level.
