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Procter & Gamble has hosted its 2022 Sustainability Summit for the Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa (AMA) region. Built on the theme “Hope for our Home”, the Summit explored how corporations, non-profit organisations, governments and the wider community can work together to drive real change, bring hope to the world, and make it a better place to live.

Hosted virtually, the event featured world-renowned Ethologist and Conservationist Dr Jane Goodall, Circulate Capital Ocean Fund chief executive Rob Kaplan, as well as United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador, Dia Mirza, who came together to address key issues surrounding climate change.

At the summit, Dr Jane Goodall debunked the belief that corporations and non-profit organisations are standing at opposite sides. In a fireside chat with P&G Chief Brand Officer, Marc Pritchard, she shared that large corporations like P&G can take positive steps forward, create ripple effects around the globe, and encourage more consumers to take small, sustainable actions in their everyday lives.

“With annual GDP growth seemingly more important than our grandchildren’s future, the time is now to choose what sort of impact we can make. As more and more organizations like P&G drive change and join forces, there is hope. It’s time to get a new mindset and to see things differently. Everything is connected, and every one of us can make a difference”, said Dr Jane Goodall.

During the Summit, P&G also announced regional progress made toward its Ambition 2030 Goals. With P&G President for Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, Magesvaran Suranjan, announcing the following progress made:

• In May 2021, P&G pledged to launch 12 pilot reforestation projects in 12 months for its Forests for Good initiative. P&G has since launched more than 20 pilot reforestation projects in areas including the Jebal Ali Reserve Mangrove Forest in UAE, the Sierra Madre Mountain Range Forest in Philippines, the Embu Region in Kenya, along with other AMA countries including Uganda, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand.

• P&G will continue investments in programs to conserve landscapes, protect species, and improve sustainable farming practices. These include working with the World Wildlife Fund Malaysia and the Emirates Marine Environmental Group in UAE to protect the Malayan Tiger and the endangered Hawksbill Sea Turtle respectively. P&G established a Smallholder Farmers Program across palm plantations in Malaysia since 2018, to help improve sustainable farming practices and the wellbeing of farmers, their families, and communities.

• P&G has declared its commitment to run more than 85% of its plants across AMA on purchased renewable electricity by the end of 2022. To date, P&G has already achieved 87% with its AMA manufacturing sites.

• Apart from 100% of P&G’s manufacturing sites being Zero Waste to Landfill, the company has also celebrated a significant milestone of having its first Zero Waste office in AMA, located in the Dubai site. P&G will progressively have more of these Zero Waste offices across the AMA region.

• P&G has announced support for the Jane Goodall Institute and its flagship Roots & Shoots Program, which encourages and enables youth action to implement projects within P&G and in local communities that help animals and the planet.

Magesvaran Suranjan said: “We are fully committed to making a positive impact in the world and creating a sustainable future for generations to come. By integrating sustainability into the way that we do business every day, all of us at P&G are empowered to make a meaningful difference for our environment.”

P&G AMA’s Executive Sponsor of Sustainability, and Senior Vice President of P&G Japan, Standa Vecera commented: “We’ve already made significant progress over the past 10 years to reduce the environmental impact from our operations, and we know that we can do more. P&G has also set an ambition toward net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 and will continue to step up with science-based targets to guide our efforts in being a Force for Good.”

Circulate Capital Ocean Fund CEO Rob Kaplan, and Actor, Producer and United Nations Environment Goodwill Ambassador, Dia Mirza, also shared their thoughts on encouraging sustainable actions

Rob Kaplan commented, "Nobody can stay on the side line. Sustainability is a team sport. It has to be at the core of both the company strategy and the operations in order to drive meaningful change. By working together there is hope. "

Dia Mirza said: "The Sustainable Development Goals are the North Star and if they are adopted and implemented everywhere we have a genuine chance of solving some of the biggest problems we face within this decade. Brands find a way into so many hearts and homes. If more brands like P&G leverage their power to drive change, there is hope for the planet."

P&G is committed to accelerating action on climate change toward net zero GHG emissions by 2040.

P&G has set a new ambition to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across its operations and supply chain, from raw material to retailer, by 2040 as well as interim 2030 goals to make meaningful progress this decade.