By TMR

MSM Malaysia Holdings Bhd is the second food-based company in Malaysia to commit to the United Nations Global Compact’s Science-based Targets Initiative (SBTi) and Net- Zero Ambition (Business Ambition for 1.5°C). 

The first was its parent company, FGV Holdings Bhd, which aims to limit global warming to 1.5°C and as part of MSM’s initiative to take a step further with its environment, social and governance (ESG) framework. 

The company has within 24 months to submit the science-based emissions reduction targets (near-term targets) set and have them validated and published by the SBTi. 

According to MSM’s group CEO Syed Feizal Syed Mohammad (picture), MSM has begun collecting its data as well as monitoring its carbon footprint trends and greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions since 2018. 

He believes these efforts should proceed, be improved and synchronised through digitalisation to achieve the company’s carbon-neutral plan before 2050. 

“MSM realises its role to mitigate climate change risks, as well as sustainability matters and has taken crucial steps by incepting a dedicated ESG department and a group-wide taskforce with experienced key personnel and external expert support to monitor GHG emissions and inventory, waste generation, resource conservation and various other initiatives and programmes. 

“We shall be closely tracking Scope One and Two related carbon activities to work towards being carbon neutral on an accelerated programme while extending the outreach subsequently into Scope 3 within our business ecosystem,” he said in a statement. 

The company believes that sci- ence-based targets provide a clear pathway for them to reduce GHG emissions to lessen the extreme impacts of climate change and future-proof business growth. 

Other MSM’s greener manufac- turing operations also include solar rooftops, biomass boilers and considering substitutes for fossil fuel by using the B20 fuel mix for logistics. 

These are part of the group’s commitment to combat climate change in all its operations which are mainly MSM Prai Bhd, MSM Sugar Refinery (Johor) Sdn Bhd and MSM Logistics Sdn Bhd.