KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 25): Sunway Malls wants to transform the retail industry to become more sustainable by introducing learning programmes for industry players, and setting up an alliance focused solely on sustainability of the sector.

The company launched the Sustainability Collaboration Alliance Network (SCAN), which is a five-way partnership with the United Nation Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), Jeffrey Sachs Centre on Sustainable Development at Sunway University (JSC), Malaysia Retail Association (MRA), and Malaysia Retail Chain Association (MRCA) on Thursday (Aug 24).

Chan Hoi Choy, the chief executive officer of Sunway Shopping Malls and Theme Parks, said an internal survey conducted by Sunway Malls in 2022 revealed that over 50% of their business partners had yet to commence their sustainability journey.

He added, “Only 46.3% are embarking on Sustainable Development Goals through some forms of practices or policies.”

In his speech, Chan emphasised the importance of building awareness, knowledge and technical capability in sustainability, where businesses and stakeholders need to reduce the cost of transition through a multi-party collaboration to see meaningful progress.

By adopting eco-friendly practices, retail players in the country are expected to reduce carbon footprint, minimise waste and conserve resources. These efforts not only align with global sustainability goals, but also resonate with the growing consumer demand for ethically produced goods and eco-conscious brands, he added.

With the essential stakeholders of mall operators, retailers and sustainability experts under SCAN, Sunway Malls curated a three-tier learning programme, known as ReX (Retail Extended Learning), with the first tier launched on Thursday at Sunway University. 

“The first tier emulates a foundation level, with an overview of the importance of sustainability practices in bite-sized video formats. This comprehensive platform is currently complimentary to the mall group’s business partners, and members of the MRA and MRCA, to pursue on their own time and pace,” said Chan.

“The second and third tiers are intermediate and postgraduate levels, whereby retailers would be encouraged to attend seminars and conferences, followed by a Master programme in sustainable development for those looking to deeply specialise.”

Through the launch of SCAN and ReX, Sunway Malls hopes to set a benchmark, and inspire other retailers to integrate sustainability into their core strategies.

“We strongly believe the retail industry needs to be equipped with the proper knowledge and tools, so informed decisions that promote sustainability can be made diligently. This bold step would not have been possible if not for the foresight and boldness of our two national retail associations, the MRA and MRCA, as well as with the guidance and education on sustainability from the SDSN and JSC,” said Chan.

Sunway Malls is the first among the malls in Malaysia to incorporate a green lease, according to the company, which encourages its retailers and business partners to adopt sustainability practices. The company has also introduced a green procurement programme to catalyse sustainable consumption and production of green technology products and services. 

These efforts are part of Sunway Malls’ strategy towards achieving Sunway Group’s goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.