At ACR, our motto, In Asia. For Asia., is not only our business pledge to the region, it promises also our same firm commitment as a responsible corporate citizen who is dedicated to make a positive impact on improving the quality of people’s lives.
Our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) approach is firmly aligned with our business philosophy of creating sustainable corporate and social value to our stakeholders. We believe that enhancing the security and stability of Asia, particularly in the Asian insurance and reinsurance markets, is a core contribution that ACR can make in benefiting the Asian society. With a clear focus on integrating CSR further into ACR’s people culture and our core business processes, we seek to continue influencing positively the communities in which we operate.
Since its establishment in 2010, the cross-functional CSR Committee has been overseeing the further development and integration of CSR within ACR and its people. The CSR Committee has also appointed CSR Champions in its overseas offices to facilitate and lead CSR initiatives in their respective locations.
With strong support from the ACR management, the CSR Committee undertakes various projects designed to improve ACR’s efforts in benefiting communities, preserving the environment and contributing to sustainability both in the short and long term within Asia.
ACR Emerging Risks Roundtable
ACR held its inaugural Emerging Risks Roundtable in 2013 as a pilot initiative to promote industry dialogue on emerging risk issues. This first forum, entitled, Towards Food Security, focused on the threats and solutions to food security issues. The forum brought together a group of select risk management experts, policy influencers and (re)insurers from the public and private sectors, with the aim of adding to the understanding of the growing concern about food security and explore sustainable solutions to it.
Beyond Social Services – Fully-subsidised Family PA Secure Cover
With most low-income families in Singapore unable to afford insurance, ACR collaborated with SHC Capital Ltd and Beyond Social Services on a pioneering initiative to provide fully-subsidised personal accident and medical covers, up to limits agreed. Terms of the covers have been enhanced since the programme was introduced in 2011 and extended to benefit some 400 families or more than 1,000 individuals.
Red Pencil Foundation – Drawing Therapy for Children
ACR contirbuted in 2013 to the Red Pencil Foundation, a Singapore-based humanitarian group, that focused on rehabilitation efforts of children in Sumatra, Indonesia, suffering from trauma. Specifically, the group provides art therapy programme for the children’s healing.
Habitat for Humanity – Batam Build Projects
ACR members took part in a house building projects in Batam, Indonesia, organised by non-profit housing organisation, Habitat for Humanity, and sponsored by the Singapore Reinsurance Association. The initiatives saw our colleagues physically contributing to house-building efforts for low-income beneficiaries identified by the NGO.
Forest Research Institute Malaysia – Kepong Botanical Garden
ACR’s associated companies in Malaysia got together again in 2013 to do their part in sustaining nature’s growth. A total of 50 saplings were planted at the Kepong Botanical Garden, Malaysia, which is managed by Forest Research Institute Malaysia.
Global Environment Centre – Rehabilitation of Raja Musa Forest Reserve
ACR’s associated companies put to action their commitment to forest rehabilitation in Asia, by having its staff physically plant 100 saplings in the swamps of the Raja Musa Forest Reserve, Malaysia, in 2012. To protext the growth of the new plants, ACR’s associated companies also sponsored the Global Environment Centre for the care of the saplings.
Aide et Action International – Educational Toys for Children
ACR collected seven boxes from educational toys from an internal company drive and brought them to more than 100 children in Cambodia. This effort constitued part of a project by Aide et Action International (AEAI).
World Wildlife Fund – Conversation Programmes
ACR supports World Wildlife Fund-Hong Kong’s efforts to developing conservation solutions in Asia that equally benefit Asian people, economies and the environment.
Aide et Action – Early Childhood Care and Education project
ACR supported the construction of a kindergarten building in Guangxi Province, Lijiang, China as the hardware for implementation of an early learning scheme for rural disadvantaged children. The official opening of the kindergarten was officiated by two ACR employees in June 2012. ACR also supported Aide et Action’s project in Pinglue Village in Guangxi Province, China, in 2013.
Wu Zhi Qiao Bridge Building Project
ACR collaborated with Wu Zhi Qiao (Bridge to China) Charitable Foundation on a bridge-building project in Xingyan Village (兴仁村), Yongsheng County of Lijiang. Construction of the bridge was completed in 2012 with recycled materials being used in the project. An ACR employee representative was also on site to contribute to the success of the project.
UNICEF – Awareness and Fund-Raising on HIV/AIDS
ACR employees from our Hong Kong branch office participated in the UNICEF Charity Run in 2012, to raise funds for UNICEF’s efforts in HIV/AIDs prevention works in over 150 countries.
Nanyang Technological University – Village Rebuilding Project
ACR collaborated with Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University on the Ning Er – Wang Cheng Po Village Rebuilding Project in Yunnan, China, following an earthquake that destroyed homes and buildings in the area. The project, which concluded in 2009, harnessed advanced building technologies so that the new houses of the villagers can better withstand seismic occurences.
Operation Smile—Reconstructive Surgery for Children
ACR supported the mission of Operation Smile, which provides reconstructive surgery for children born with facial deformities. Through donations raised during a company fundraiser in 2012, ACR partially funded the children medical charity’s first initiative in Kerala, India, in 2014, which benefited 64 children and their families.
ACR has on many occasions provided assistance to the victims of natural disasters.
Disaster Relief in the Philippines
Following the catastrophic devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, ACR contributed towards the purchase of two water filtration systems that was sent to the Philippines through Mercy Relief. In an outpouring of support, ACR staff from offices across Asia also generously donated to the company’s fundraiser for the acute relief phase of Mercy Relief’s efforts in the Philippines.
East Asian Monsoon Relief
ACR supported Mercy Relief’s efforts in the 2012 East Asian Monsoon through a contribution of 120 food and hygiene packs to the Philippines. The relief packs were distributed to displaced households in urban poor communities in Metro Manila, which were affected by the torrential rains during the year.
Thailand Flood Relief
ACR lent a helping hand to the victims of the 2011 floods in Thailand by donating an inflatable rescue boat to Mercy Relief and an outboard motor to help transport relief supplies to the affected areas, which were inaccessible by land vehicles.
Japan Quake and Tsunami Relief
A joint effort between ACR and its employees after the Tohoku earthquake and ensuing tsunami in 2011 helped raise approximately US$40,000 to support Mercy Relief’s Japan Quake and Tsunami Relief efforts.
Pakistan Flood Relief
In 2010, ACR donated US$5,000 to support Mercy Relief's Pakistan Flood Relief efforts. The majority of the donation was pledged for the purchase of a water purification unit system, which was sent to HANDS, an organisation operating a camp for 1,000 displaced persons in Sukkur City.
ACR believes that education is fundamental to the development and progress of our society and have supported the following initiatives:
- ACR, in conjunction with Beyond Social Services, provides a series of educational community talks to equip financially disadvantaged persons in Singapore with basic insurance knowledge and inform them of relevant government assistance schemes that may be available to them and their families.
- ACR participated in the CDL-Singapore Compact Young CSR Leaders Award 2013 as one of 10 Singapore-based case study companies. The competition required tertiary student participants designing and incorporating CSR principles into their proposed plans on how a business can achieve both operational excellence and sustainability.
- ACR lent its support to the establishment of the Yale-NUS College, Singapore, which will see its first intake of students in 2013.
- ACR supported the new JY Pillay Global Asia NUS Programme, held in conjunction with Yale University, in Singapore.
- ACR sponsored the PSB Academy’s Endeavour Award, launched in 2011, which provides students meeting a social responsibiliity and means test the financial support for an education at PSB Academy.
- ACR jointly organised a painting award with NAFA, themed "Connecting People For People's Future", as part of ACR’s commitment to give back to the society through education and training.
ACR channels a significant amount of its CSR efforts internally as a means to inculcate a socially responsible mindset amongst our employees. Through our Employee Volunteer Leave Scheme and regular CSR staff briefings, we seek to encourage stronger CSR awareness and raise participation levels of CSR activities among all our employees across Asia. Examples of ACR staff involvement include:
- The adoption of the elderly charity Lion Befrienders Service in Singapore;
- Staff blood donation drives;
- Supporting the Dining in the Dark programme by the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped for beneficiaries with sight disabilities; donation of used laptops to the hearing impaired through the Singapore School for the Deaf, and the less privileged through Beyond Social Services;
- Supporting Dignity Kitchen for beneficiaries who are mentally and physically challenged, and who are socially disadvantaged;
- Supporting the Yellow Ribbon Foundation through efforts like Dining Behind Bars.
At ACR, we evidence a strong commitment to the ideals of corporate responsibility and sustainability.
Caring for our community
ACR’s dedicated CSR efforts are reported in our annual reports.
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