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About This Report
This is the 7th annual Sustainability Report of TeleChoice International Limited (“TeleChoice” or “the Group”), which details our performance in the areas of environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) for the financial year spanning from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023 (“FY2023”).

Scope
This report covers the Group's ESG performance in Singapore, excluding international operations unless specified. In FY2023, 80% of our revenue stemmed from Singapore and 20% from overseas operations. We intend to include information from our overseas entities where material in FY2024 sustainability report.

Reporting Standards
This report has been prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Standards for Sustainability Reporting (“GRI Standards”). We have used GRI Standards due to their international recognition as a leading standard for sustainability reporting. This report complies with the Listing Rules of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (Rules 711A and 711B) and includes the six primary components: Material ESG Disclosures, Climate-related Disclosures, Policies, Practices and Performance, Targets, Sustainability Reporting Framework, and a Board Statement. In this report, we have further aligned with the Task Force on ClimateRelated Financial Disclosures (TCFD) guidelines. This report also aligns with the relevant United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to underscore our commitment to sustainable development. We have used grid emission factors published by the Energy Market Authority, Singapore to calculate location-based Scope 2 emissions. We have referred to emission factors from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, UK (DEFRA) to calculate Scope 1 emissions.

Reporting Principles
We are committed to transparency and accountability in our sustainability reporting. To ensure that our reports are comprehensive, credible, and comparable, we adhere to the GRI Standards' eight reporting principles: sustainability context, accuracy, balance, clarity, comparability, completeness, timeliness, and verifiability.

Restatements
This report includes the following restatements of previously reported data: Scope 2 emissions for 2021 and 2022 have been recalculated due to revision in grid emission factors by the Energy Market Authority, Singapore. Emissions intensity figures have also been adjusted accordingly. The recalculation has resulted in a minor increase in Scope 2 emissions for 2021 and 2022 although the change is very small and hence not material. Additionally, petrol and diesel consumption figures for 2022 have been revised to address a minor error which does not have a material effect.

Assurance
We have relied on our internal checks to ensure that the reported information is accurate and reliable. In addition, we have completed an internal audit review on identified selected sustainability reporting processes. Seeking external assurance remains under consideration for future reports.

Contact
We welcome stakeholders’ views and questions regarding this report. Contact us at sustainability@telechoice.com.sg.

ESG Performance Summary

Awards

Our consistent commitment to customer service, quality, and excellence continues to earn the Group several awards and recognitions. The following are the awards we have received in the past three years:

2023

  • Huawei - Excellent Delivery Award 2023
  • Huawei Technology Partner of the Year (Data Storage)
  • Huawei - Certificate of Appreciation (Excellent Performance Subcontractor, Project Delivery, Quality and EHS, Huawei IRO XL Project 2023)
  • Ericsson - Certificate of Excellence (Indonesia)
  • Ericsson - Best Support in MS RAN
  • Huawei - Most Valuable TL For IOH Project
  • Nokia: Certificate of Appreciation (Indonesia)
  • IBM - Top Performing Business Partner 2022 (Power and Storage)
  • IBM - Top Performing Business Partner 2022 (Storage)

2022

  • MRO Excellent Delivery Award
  • Huawei – Best Performance Partner IOH IP RAN Non-Wireless Project
  • Huawei – Most Valuable Site Supervisor for IOH Project
  • Nokia - Digital Champion for Indonesia XL Project
  • Nokia - Project Management Champion for Indonesia IOH Project
  • Nokia - Acceptance Champion for Indonesia IOH Project
  • Nokia - Delivery Champion (ATP) For Indonesia XL Project
  • Nokia - Project Communication Champion for Indonesia IOH Project
  • Nokia - Delivery Champion (CO) For Indonesia IOH Project
  • Nokia - CICO Champion For Indonesia XL Project
  • Ericsson - Certificate of Excellence

2021

  • Avaya – Diamond Partner 2021
  • Avaya – Partner Forum Special Recognitions Award 2021
  • Avaya – Top Performing Enterprise Value-Added Reseller 2021
  • ASC – Recording Cloud Gold Partner 2021
  • Genesys – Bronze Partner 2021
  • Huawei Indonesia – Best Partner Project Manager Award
  • Huawei Indonesia – Best Quality Award 2021
  • Huawei Indonesia – Heroes of the Pandemic Award 2021
  • Huawei Malaysia – Annual Contribution Award for RF 2021
  • IBM – Innovation Award (Service) 2021
  • IBM – Top Performing Business Partner (Storage) 2021
  • IBM – Top Performing Business Partner (Systems) 2021
  • NSFocus APAC – Excellent Performance Partner 2021
  • Singapore Corporate Awards – Corporate Excellence and Resilience Award 2020/2021

For a comprehensive listing of awards, please visit our website at https://www.telechoice.com.sg/awards.html

Governance

TeleChoice is committed to high standards of governance, ethics and integrity in conducting its business and managing its material ESG impacts, risks and opportunities in the short, medium and long term.

Sustainability Governance

At TeleChoice, the Board of Directors (the "Board") oversees sustainability issues and provides strategic direction for addressing material Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) impacts, risks, and opportunities. The Board has ultimate responsibility for the Group's sustainability reporting, including its due compliance with the SGX-ST guidelines on corporate governance and sustainability reporting.

In 2023, the Board reviewed and updated the Group's sustainability governance structure. To assist the Board in ES matters, the Board Risk and Sustainability Committee (RSC) was established, comprising Board members. The RSC's responsibilities include overseeing the Group's sustainability strategy and monitoring its goals and performance. It reviews the sustainability framework, focusing on material ESG issues and considers both global trends and regulatory requirements. The RSC ensures ESG factors are integrated into decision-making processes and assesses sustainability-related risks and opportunities over short, medium and long-term, including climate change, resource management, community relations, and employee well-being. In addition to providing regular updates to the Board on the effectiveness of ESG risk management controls, the RSC also oversees the accuracy, transparency, and regulatory compliance of the Group's sustainability reports and disclosures. Other than Ms Wong, who will be completing sustainability-related training by October 2024, all other Directors have completed the training as stipulated by SGX.

Sustainability Management Committee

The RSC is assisted by the Sustainability Management Committee ("SMC"), which comprises senior executives and led by the President and CEO. The SMC develops and executes sustainability strategies, sets targets, evaluates ESG performance, and guides the creation of the sustainability report. A Sustainability Reporting Coordinator ("SR Coordinator") supports the SMC by gathering, verifying, and assessing ESG performance data for reporting purposes. The SMC provides regular updates to the RSC.

Board Statement

At TeleChoice, the Board collaborates closely with the management to offer strategic guidance and oversight in addressing sustainability risks and opportunities. The Board determines the material ESG factors, integrates sustainability issues into the Group's business and strategy, and oversees their management and monitoring. The Board has reviewed and endorsed this sustainability report including the material ESG factors covered in the report.

Management Responsibility

The executive management team at TeleChoice is responsible for implementing the sustainability strategies approved by the Board. This includes regularly updating the Board through the RSC on progress towards ESG goals and targets, as well as overseeing the preparation of sustainability reports for the Board's review and approval.

Sustainability Governance Structure

Regulatory Compliance

Maintaining regulatory compliance is essential for upholding our legal and ethical obligations, protecting our reputation, and avoiding financial and legal consequences. It is crucial in establishing trust and credibility with our customers and stakeholders, while also preventing reputational damage and negative publicity.

At TeleChoice, we are committed to complying with all applicable laws and regulations where we operate. We have implemented necessary measures to comply with relevant regulations, such as data protection laws, sustainability reporting rules, environmental regulations, tax laws, and employment laws. We monitor our legal compliance performance and report incidents of non-compliance.

There were no incidents of non-compliance with laws and regulations during the current or immediate past reporting periods which involved significant financial penalties or non-monetary sanctions.

Conflict of Interest

We have a Conflict-of-Interest policy that applies to key employees of TeleChoice International Limited and its subsidiaries, who have access to sensitive information and/or are in a position to influence decisions in sales/marketing and purchasing activities. The policy requires relevant employees to sign an annual Declaration of Interest and Undertaking once a year. Additionally, immediate disclosures must be made if circumstances exist that could prevent the employee from discharging his/her duties in a professional and objective manner.

Anti-Corruption

Corruption undermines stakeholder trust and hampers economic and societal growth. As a principled business, TeleChoice is committed to maintaining the highest standards of ethics and integrity, and maintains zero tolerance for any form of corruption, bribery, fraud or money laundering. We are committed to conducting our business activities in a manner that is fair, ethical, transparent, and accountable. Our anticorruption policy applies to any act or suspected act of bribery or corruption involving employees, officers, directors, vendors, contractors, business partners of, and any other parties which have a business relationship with any company within the TeleChoice Group.

Our Anti-Corruption Policy outlines the standards and procedures to which our employees, directors, suppliers, business partners and stakeholders must adhere. This policy strictly prohibits the offering, giving, soliciting, or accepting of bribes or corrupt payments, either directly or indirectly, from any individual or organisation, for any purpose. Our policy requires the prompt reporting and investigation of any suspicion of bribery or corruption, ensuring that appropriate measures are taken promptly.

For all new employees, understanding and complying with our anti-corruption policy is a mandatory aspect of the onboarding process. This includes familiarisation with the policy, comprehending its implications, and completing an assessment to ensure thorough understanding.

Anti-corruption Awareness

The Group’s anti-corruption policy is communicated to all employees, directors, and suppliers. All TeleChoice Personnel are required to electronically acknowledge or sign a Declaration Form to declare their acknowledgement of, and compliance with, our anti-corruption policy. To emphasise the Group’s zerotolerance approach to corruption and bribery, we send an annual reminder to all employees, reinforcing the policy’s expectations.

A Corporate Town Hall was conducted on 8 Jan 2024 where the President and CEO communicated and reiterated policies on Corporate Governance, Code of Conduct and Customer Privacy. The session was attended by employees in Singapore and regionally.

There were no confirmed incidents of corruption during the reporting period.

Data Protection and Information Security

In today’s digital age, information security and personal data protection are critical, as data breaches can gravely undermine trust and cause significant reputational and financial harm. We are committed to safeguarding the personal data entrusted to us, ensuring compliance with relevant data protection and privacy regulations.

Aligned with the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) in Singapore, which regulates the collection, use, and disclosure of personal data by private organisation, we have established a Personal Data Protection Policy. This policy is available publicly on our corporate website. In accordance with this policy, we have put in place measures to secure the personal information of our employees, customers, suppliers, business partners and other stakeholders. We have also designated a Data Protection Officer (“DPO”) at the Group level and for each of the three business divisions. Stakeholders can contact our DPOs via mail, email, or phone for any queries or concerns regarding their personal data.

We constantly monitor our information security systems and aim to have zero incidents of personal data breaches. In 2023, there were no complaints concerning breaches of customer privacy, theft, leaks, or losses of personal data or critical information.

Human Rights

At TeleChoice, we are committed to upholding internationally recognised human rights principles and agreements, including the UN Declaration of Human Rights, the International Labour Organization’s (“ILO”) core labour standards, and relevant national laws.

We have a zero-tolerance policy towards child labour and forced labour in our operations and supply chains. Our policies promote a culture of equality and inclusivity, ensuring fair treatment and equal opportunities for all our employees and stakeholders. We respect the rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining and integrate human rights considerations into relevant policies and business practices.

During the reporting period, there were no incidents of discrimination, forced labour or child labour.

Sustainability Approach

TeleChoice is committed to creating a positive impact on the environment, people, and communities while also delivering value to customers and shareholders.

Our corporate values of Fun@Work, Integrity, Value Creation, Excellence, Commitment, and Socially Responsible underpin our approach to ESG issues.

As a leading regional provider in Singapore and Malaysia, we specialise in distribution, fulfilment, and retail managed services for telecommunication companies and major mobile device manufacturers. Our primary role involves facilitating connections between our clients and their consumers via the retail outlets that we operate. We also provide Information and Communication Technology solutions and Network Engineering services to various industries and regions. The success of our business model hinges on fulfilling the service delivery expectations of our telecom partners and mobile device manufacturers, while maintaining high service standards for their consumers. Our people are crucial in ensuring that these objectives are achieved, thus making them our most valuable asset.

In the context of our business, we acknowledge the significance of sustainability in our operations, value chain, and the broader community. We are committed to maintaining high standards of governance and ethics. This involves serving our customers with integrity, reducing our environmental footprint, fostering a fair and inclusive workplace, and aligning our business practices with our corporate values and sustainability principles. Our goal is to positively impact our environment, people, and communities while delivering value to our customers and shareholders.

Material ESG Topics

Within the context of our business, we identify and prioritise significant ESG impacts, risks, and opportunities. To track and report against our targets, we adhere to international sustainability reporting standards, such as the GRI Standards. Additionally, we align these topics with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), demonstrating our contribution to sustainable development.

Our Sustainability Framework

The TeleChoice sustainability framework is structured around material ESG topics, our commitments, and the methods we employ to fulfill them. We have aligned our framework with the UN SDGs to ensure global relevance and impact. We detail our sustainability commitments and the strategies we implement to achieve these objectives in the table below.

Our Sustainability Commitments

Our Sustainability Approach

In line with our commitments, we have developed a 7-pillar sustainability approach. Our approach to sustainability issues is rooted in good governance and focuses on addressing material ESG impacts, risks, and opportunities to build long term business resilience and deliver value to our stakeholders and shareholders.

Our sustainability approach is described in the table below.

Sustainability Policies

TeleChoice is committed to operating in an environmentally, socially, and economically responsible manner. We recognise the importance of sustainability in today's global business landscape and strive to minimise our environmental impact while contributing positively to society.

We have adopted a sustainability policy that has been approved by the President & CEO of the TeleChoice Group. We are also committed to working with our suppliers to ensure that they adhere to similar sustainability standards and promote responsible sourcing practices.

The following commitments are part of our sustainability policy:

Environmental Commitment
  • Energy Efficiency: We will continuously seek ways to reduce energy consumption and implement energy-efficient technologies in our operations.
  • Waste Management: We will strive to minimise waste generation, promote recycling, and responsibly dispose of any waste produced.
  • Carbon Footprint: We will work to measure and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Resource Conservation: We will promote responsible use of natural resources, including water, paper, and other materials, by implementing conservation measures.
Social Responsibility
  • Employee Commitment: We are committed to nurturing a safe, inclusive workplace that fosters diversity, equity, and inclusion. Supporting our employees' professional development and well-being is a priority, as their growth, learning, and advancement are crucial to our success.
  • Community Engagement: We believe in giving back to the communities in which we operate and will engage in philanthropic initiatives, volunteerism, and support programmes that promote community development.
  • Ethical Practices: We will conduct business with integrity, adhering to recognised ethical principles and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. We will also ensure that our products and services are delivered with integrity.
  • Human Rights: We support internationally accepted human rights principles and local regulations. Our policies ban discrimination, forced and child labour. In addition, we respect our employees' right to freedom of association and union, in line with applicable national regulations.
  • Occupational Health and Safety: We foster a safe and healthy workplace to prevent injuries and ill health in and around the workplace by providing necessary resources to mitigate risks.
  • Customer Commitment: We are committed to providing excellent customer experience at every touchpoint and building long-lasting relationships.
  • Data Privacy and Protection: We are also committed to protecting the personal data of our stakeholders and adhere to existing data protection laws.

Stakeholder Engagement

TeleChoice is committed to creating long-term value for all stakeholders.

Engaging meaningfully with key stakeholders is crucial for establishing trust and expanding our business. We focus on building strong, lasting relationships by addressing their needs, expectations, and concerns through our daily business activities. Open and frequent communication, acting with integrity, and fostering personal connections are key as we aim to provide value to our stakeholders.

Our stakeholders include customers, business partners, suppliers, contractors, investors, regulators, government agencies, communities, and employees. These groups are either directly affected by our operations or play a role in our sustainability goals. We prioritise them based on their potential impacts on our business and their involvement in our achieving our business goals. Our commitment is to engage with them in a transparent, inclusive, and meaningful manner, primarily to understand and address their reasonable concerns and expectations.

We employ a variety of methods to engage our stakeholders, including structured engagement, periodic interactions, and ongoing dialogues as part of our regular business activities.

The table below captures an overview of our stakeholder engagement process.

Membership Associations

We actively participate in industry associations relevant to our business interests, such as the Singapore Business Federation. To support the national movement of building a culture of mentoring, TeleChoice has volunteered to be part of Mentoring SG.

Materiality Assessment


TeleChoice is committed to managing its material impacts, risks and opportunities in the short, medium and long term to deliver sustainable value to its stakeholders and shareholders.

At TeleChoice, we are committed to operating with integrity in a sustainable and responsible way, ensuring value creation for our stakeholders and shareholders. Our strategy involves identifying and addressing key sustainability issues that are significant to our business and stakeholders in the short, medium, and long term. We regularly review and assess our material ESG issues to ensure they stay relevant to our business and stakeholders.

Determining Material ESG Topics

In 2023, we undertook a reassessment of our material ESG impacts, risks, and opportunities. This involved our senior management team participating in a materiality workshop, where they examined both actual and potential negative and positive impacts on the economy, environment, and people, including human rights impacts. This latest assessment builds upon our initial detailed materiality assessment in 2017, which culminated in our first sustainability report. In 2022, we revised our material topics in line with the latest GRI Standards (GRI 3: Material Topics 2021), aligning our reporting with current standards.

Our materiality assessment primarily adhered to the 4-step process outlined in the GRI Standards. Our material topics are also aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to emphasise our commitment to sustainable development.

Review and Approval

The Sustainability Management Committee (“SMC”) supports the Risk and Sustainability Committee (“RSC”) and the Board in reviewing and approving our material ESG topics. The SMC conducts a detailed review of these factors, using their knowledge of different business areas, the potential impacts of the Group’s operations, and insights gained from daily interactions with stakeholders. Their reviews take into account the prevalent challenges in the ICT, network engineering and retail industry, the existing business and regulatory landscape, ensuring alignment with the Group’s fundamental values and long-term objectives.

Ultimately, the Board, with assistance from the RSC, finalises the review and approves the material ESG topics.

Stakeholder Engagement

For this report, while external stakeholders were not directly involved, our internal stakeholders, including senior management, leveraged their experience and understanding of stakeholder expectations and concerns to determine the priority material factors for reporting. Both internal and external stakeholders were invited to participate in a materiality survey to share their views on the topics. In addition, an external sustainability expert from a specialised consulting firm verified the relevance and accuracy of the material topics chosen for reporting.

Streamlining Material Topics

Resulting from the latest review, we have included ‘Information Security and Personal Data Protection’ as a material topic due to the importance of data protection and customer privacy. We have determined that ‘Non-discrimination’ is a material topic to emphasise our policy of treating all employees fairly and without any form of discrimination. We have removed ‘Regulatory Compliance’ from the list of material topics to align with the revised GRI Standards (GRI Standards 2021) and reported on it as a general topic. In closely aligning with the GRI Standards, we have moved out ‘customer satisfaction’ from the material ESG topics list although we continue to report on it as an important topic. Based on the review, we have determined that energy consumption is not a material topic as we use mainly electricity for basic lighting and air-conditioning needs in our offices and stores. However, we continue to track and report energy consumption while focusing on reducing our carbon emissions.

TeleChoice do not report on water usage as water is not a core part of our business and we do not control water as a resource as it is centrally managed by the building management. However, we will actively engage employees to reduce water usage.

Based on the 2023 materiality assessment, the following table presents our material topics included in this report:

Customers

TeleChoice is committed to ensuring an excellent customer experience by adopting a customercentric business approach.

At TeleChoice, we are committed to delivering outstanding customer experiences. We understand that exceptional customer service is key to gaining a competitive edge and fostering long-lasting relationships built on trust, transparency, and respect. Our aim is to become a dependable business partner, offering continuous support and added value throughout our customers’ journey.

As a leading regional provider of distribution, fulfilment, and retail managed services for major mobile device manufacturers and operators, it is vital that we focus on providing exceptional customer experiences at every touch point that includes our retail stores, call centres, and various other channels. Our capability to serve customers effectively is fundamental to maintaining and expanding our business relationships with brands that depend on us for customer service and engagement.

Beyond our commitment to high-quality service for our retail customers, we also extend the same level of dedication to our enterprise clients. This commitment is particularly vital for those who rely on us for ICT and network engineering services. We adopt a customer-first approach, emphasising the provision of trusted and reliable solutions, along with upholding high service support standards.

Developing Customer Centric Employees

At the heart of our customer-centric approach are our employees, whom we rigorously train and empower to deliver exceptional service and support. They play a pivotal role in our commitment to resolve issues swiftly and efficiently, proactively exceeding customer expectations at every turn. We recognise that our staff are the primary ambassadors of our brand, and their interactions with customers are fundamental in shaping the overall experience. By equipping them with the necessary skills, knowledge, and autonomy, they are able to make informed decisions that not only solve problems but also enhance the customer journey. This dedication to customer-centricity by our employees ensures a consistently high standard of service, fostering a culture of trust and satisfaction.

Seeking Customer Feedback

Collecting and analysing customer feedback is critical in our pursuit of service excellence. Leveraging the latest technology, customers are able to share their experiences and thoughts with us’ by either replying to an automated SMS or scanning a QR code that will direct them to a dedicated feedback platform. Customers are able to voice their opinions to us easily and conveniently.

Customer feedback is invaluable to us as it serves as a direct line of communication from our customers, providing insights that are critical in shaping and improving our products, solutions, services, and processes. By actively listening to our customers and incorporating their input into our decision-making, we are able to continuously evolve in order to meet and exceed their expectations.

Measuring Customer Experience

Our retail stores employ the Net Promoter Score (NPS) as a key tool to assess customer experiences. NPS gauges the likelihood of customers recommending our products or services to others, based on their overall satisfaction. This tool offers a comprehensive view of how our customers perceive our service quality.

Customers are classified into three categories based on their scores: Promoters (9-10), Passives (7-8), and Detractors (0-6). The Net Promoter Score is calculated by deducting the percentage of Detractors from that of Promoters. Scores between 9 and 10 suggest a high likelihood of customers recommending our brand to friends and family. Our Planet Platinum stores have consistently achieved scores above 9, reflecting exceptional levels of customer satisfaction.

Our NPS score is as follows:

Recognising Employees for Service Quality

We have implemented recognition programs to reward and encourage outstanding customer service among our employees. Our commission structures incorporate the Net Promoter Score (“NPS”) as an extra incentive, motivating our employees to consistently provide excellent customer service.

In addition, in FY2023, our Network Engineering Services division launched the WINNER Awards to recognise employees in the division who exhibit Winning attitude, Integrity, Never give up, Nurturing, Excellence and Respect.

Adhering to International Quality Standards

We are committed to providing exceptional customer service by following stringent industry quality standards. Our quality policy focuses on the continuous improvement of our management processes. Our subsidiaries - NexWave Technologies Pte Ltd, S & I Systems Pte Ltd, and NxGen Communications - are certified under the ISO9001:2015 Quality Management Systems. This certification helps us consistently exceed our customers' expectations with the highest level of performance.

Business Partner Awards

Our commitment to business excellence is reflected in the awards and recognition we have received from our key business partners. Some of the recent awards received in FY2023 are listed below.

  • IBM Top Performing Business Partner 2022 Power and Storage
  • IBM Top Performing Business Partner 2022 Storage
  • Huawei Technology Partner of the Year Data Storage (2023)

People

TeleChoice is committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and supportive workplace.

Our employees play a vital role in our success. Therefore, attracting and retaining talent is crucial for us. Recognising them as our most valuable asset, we focus on providing opportunities for growth, learning, and career advancement. Ensuring job satisfaction and personal fulfillment for all our team members is a key aspect of our human resource management.

Our human resource policies promote the well-being of our employees, creating a workplace culture characterised by mutual respect, trust, teamwork, and open communication. We invest continuously in training and coaching, enhancing our employees’ skills and productivity. This includes investing in employee development, engaging our team members effectively, and regularly reviewing our practices and policies.

Our Employees

In our Singapore operations, we had a total of 301 employees as of the end of 2023. Of these, 89.7% were permanent staff, 8.6% were on fixed-term contracts, and 1.7% were temporary employees. Full-time employees constituted 98% of our workforce. The average age of our employees at the end of 2023 was 44 years.

During the reported period, we did not have workers who were not our employees.

Promoting Diversity, Equality and Inclusion

Guided by the Non-discrimination, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity Policy, TeleChoice aims cultivate a diverse, inclusive workplace that values and respects people from varied backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints. We believe a diverse workforce boosts creativity, innovation, and problem-solving abilities.

We are committed to providing equal opportunities to all employees throughout their employment at the various stages of the employee lifecycle. Decisions regarding recruitment and selection, employment, selection for training and development, career advancement, rewards, and remuneration are made based on merit, skills, qualifications, experience, individual strengths, and the needs of the organisation.

We strive to create an environment where employees of all genders have equal opportunities for success. We ensure that women are well-represented across all levels of our organisation and that our policies foster gender equality and inclusion. In our workforce, women constitute 40% of full-time employees, hold 44% of managerial/ supervisory roles, and occupy 50% of Head of Department positions. Our current President and CEO is also a woman, underscoring our commitment to gender diversity in leadership roles. Our team is enriched by a mix of 9 nationalities of various age groups, reflecting our commitment to multiculturalism.

TeleChoice is in the process of determining the target to be set for percentage of female head of department.

Aligned with the Singaporean government's initiative to rehire retirees, we support keeping them economically active. In 2023, we rehired 16 retiring employees, including 5 women, as part of this commitment.

Ensuring Fair Treatment

Our human resources policies ensure all employees are treated fairly and prohibit any form of discrimination and harassment in the workplace. We are committed to ensuring every employee is treated with respect, fairness, and dignity.

Our Non-discrimination, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity Policy strictly prohibits all forms of discrimination based on race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic.

In Singapore, we have signed the Employer’s Pledge, a programme introduced by the Tripartite Alliance for Fair & Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) to adhere to the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices. We have implemented a Workplace Harassment policy which seeks to provide a harassment-free workplace for employees to carry out their work confidently and productively.

We encourage our employees to report any incidents of discrimination or harassment that they may experience or witness. Multiple channels are available to our employees for reporting, including a whistleblowing procedure and an open-door policy with their supervisors or human resources representatives.

We received one harassment complaint from one employee against another colleague during the reporting period. The complaint was promptly addressed and resolved through counseling with the accused employee.

Managing Talent

Recognising talent management as a vital strategy to build a competitive organisation, we focus on retaining, developing, and managing top performers. Our comprehensive talent management programme encompasses succession planning and a talent review process, overseen by our Talent Management Committee. This committee is headed by the President & CEO, Chief Financial Officer, Vice President of Human Resources, and heads of business divisions.

The Talent Management Framework targets high-potential employees within the Group, offering them developmental opportunities to sharpen both their technical and managerial skills. These opportunities range from acquiring new technical knowledge to leading special projects, managing teams, and undertaking additional responsibilities. This prepares them for larger roles in the future.

Succession planning is a key component of our program. We have launched initiatives to strengthen our succession pipeline, ensuring we have capable individuals ready to step into key positions. In 2023, we engaged an external consultant to assist us with succession planning.

Developing People

We are committed to equipping our employees with the necessary tools, resources, and training for success. Our Human Resource OD & Learning mission, guided by 3 policies, is to enhance employee potential and performance through targeted training, aligning with TeleChoice's business goals. Our employees’ learning journey starts with an orientation program for new employees to introduce them to our organisation and corporate values. Thereafter, we offer continuous learning opportunities through various methods such as instructor-led training, online e-learning, on-the-job training, mentoring, and e-newsletters.

Product training, certification, and the acquisition of advanced technical skills are integral to our annual training program, aligning with our business needs.

We support our employees' career advancement within the organisation, offering opportunities for promotion and growth, along with mentorship. Our goal is to foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement, encouraging employees to embrace new challenges, responsibilities, and to continually develop their skills and knowledge.

Education Tuition Assistance

Our Education Tuition Assistance Program enables eligible employees to pursue further education on a voluntary basis to improve their knowledge and skills applicable to their current role or future progression within the Company. The programme sponsors academic courses which are conducted by recognized institutions of higher learning leading to a Certificate, Diploma, Degree or Master’s Degree qualification.

Training Targets

Our employee training targets are summarised in the table below.

Managing Performance

Our approach is to regularly assess performance to determine employees’ development needs and fair rewards and promotions. Our comprehensive performance management programme is designed to help employees consistently meet their business and personal development goals. It encompasses all our permanent employees, involving managers in setting goals with their staff at the beginning of each year. A formal performance appraisal is conducted at year-end. Managers are also encouraged to maintain ongoing discussions with their employees, offering coaching, guidance, and support to ensure success of their charges.

In 2023, 100% of the employees participated in the annual performance appraisal exercise.

Fostering Employee Engagement

Engaged employees are not only more productive but also contribute significantly to a positive work environment. Our practice is to cultivate a culture that promotes engagement, offering ample opportunities for open communication and feedback, and acknowledging and rewarding employee contributions. To facilitate this, we conduct regular communication sessions across both corporate and business group levels. Employee bonding is also sponsored by the company when criteria, stated in the Bonding Fund Policy, are met.

On her first town hall with the company, Ms Wong also introduced a new culture framework to TeleChoice – CLAP. In addition, the new President and CEO, Ms Pauline Wong, has initiated a monthly conversation with employees, “Coffee with Pauline”, since October 2023. The monthly session will take place either on 2nd or 22nd of each month. Employees are free to sign up for any session and are encouraged to raise any concerns or suggestions.

An in-house employee engagement survey, Get Real Survey, was developed and launched on the same day. The survey aims to gain insights on employee sentiments in 5 categories, Leadership, Culture & Teamwork, Job Security, Job Satisfaction, and Stress & Pace of Work. The objective of this survey is to create a more supportive, engaging, and satisfying work environment.

Providing Employee Benefits

We provide our employees with competitive wages and benefits. Full-time staff are eligible for a range of employment benefits, which are not extended to temporary or part-time employees. These benefits include:

  • Specialist Consultation and Treatment Claim.
  • Flexi-Benefit for General Medical and Dental Care.
  • Bonding Funds.
  • Marriage/Family Care/Examination Leave(s)/Shared Parental Leave/Paternity Leave.
  • Executive Health Screening for employees aged 35 years old and above; and
  • Hospitalisation & Surgery/Personal Accident/Term Life Insurance.

Promoting Employee Wellbeing

We are committed to our employees' wellbeing and have implemented various measures to support it. This includes on-site health screenings to detect early signs of health issues such as hypertension, heart ailments, diabetes, and cancer. Annually, we offer a basic mass health screening, funded by the company, where employees can conveniently have their health assessed through laboratory analysis of blood samples. For those seeking more comprehensive tests, optional add-on packages are available at the employees' expense. Employees who are 40 years old and above are also entitled to have an annual comprehensive health screening sponsored by the company.

In addition to health initiatives, we believe in strengthening cultural ties and building a sense of community among our team. During the Chinese New Year, we celebrate by giving "Hongbao" to our team members. We also observe early work releases on the eves of Singapore's four major public holidays, contributing to our employees' work-life balance and cultural engagement.

Supporting Work-life Balance

A healthy work-life balance is essential as it enhances employee well-being, boosts productivity, and fosters a positive workplace culture. Our employees' well-being and happiness are important to us, and we have implemented policies to support work-life balance. Our work-life balance measures include offering flexible work arrangements, such as work-from-home options.

To support work-life balance, we have implemented a feature in Outlook that alerts employees when they send emails outside their standard work hours. This serves as a gentle reminder of their right to disconnect from work and enjoy personal time, reinforcing our dedication to their overall well-being and work-life harmony.

Attracting Talent

We aim to attract and retain top talent in order to efficiently serve our customers. Our hiring policy focuses on selecting individuals for their merit and capabilities.

In 2023, we hired 77 new employees to our team, with 31% of them being women.

Retaining Talent

Employee retention is essential for maintaining cost efficiency, preserving institutional knowledge, fostering a positive work culture, enhancing customer satisfaction, attracting new talent, and ensuring smooth business operations and growth. Therefore, talent retention is a priority for us.

We strive to minimise employee turnover by fostering a positive work culture, offering competitive compensation and benefits, providing growth and development opportunities, maintaining effective communication, recognising, and rewarding good performance, conducting exit interviews, and continually monitoring and evaluating turnover rates.

Employee Turnover Target

In FY2023, 155 employees left the organisation, comprising 87 male and 68 female employees. Employee turnover rate remained unchanged as compared to FY2022. The 33% turnover rate is primarily due to the higher turnover in the retail outlets which is also a general trend observed in the retail sector in both Singapore and Malaysia. We remain committed to finding ways to improve retention rates across our business.

Our employee turnover targets over a period of time are summarised in the table below.

Our turnover rate figures are detailed in the charts below.

Respecting Employees’ Rights

We are committed to respecting our employees' rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining. We maintain a constructive partnership with the Singapore Industrial & Services Employees Union ("SISEU"), evidenced by a memorandum of understanding to uphold these rights. As of the end of 2023, we had 81 employees actively participating in SISEU.

Occupational Health & Safety

At TeleChoice, the safety and well-being of our employees is our utmost priority. We are committed to maintaining a safe and healthy work environment for our employees and any other stakeholders who might be impacted by our operations.

We have established an Occupational Health and Safety (“OHS”) Management System in line with the ISO 45001 standard, an international standard that specifies requirements for an OHS management system, with guidance for its use to enable organisations to provide safe and healthy workplaces. Our OHS system enables us to identify potential hazards, evaluate the risks, and implement effective measures to control and manage these risks. The OHS management system covers all employees and workers, if any.

As part of our health and safety program, we offer a company-funded annual health screening for our employees. We are committed to protecting employees' personal health-related information and ensuring that their participation in occupational health screenings is not used to influence their treatment in the workplace, whether favorably or unfavorably.

Contractors engaged by us are required to adhere to applicable health and safety regulations and are responsible for hazard identification and mitigation while working within our premises or on our projects.

NexWave Technologies Pte Ltd has attained certification in both the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System and the ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management System. Additionally, in Singapore, our subsidiary NxGen Communications has received the BizSAFE Level 3 certification, demonstrating our steadfast commitment to workplace safety and health.

Health & Safety Management System

Our steps to implement our health and safety management system are as follows:

  • Health and Safety Policy: We have established a Health and Safety policy that outlines our commitment to maintaining a safe work environment.
  • Safety Objectives and Processes: We have established clear safety goals and the methods to achieve them, ensuring alignment with the overall health and safety policy.
  • Health and Safety Committee: A project-based Health and Safety Committee, consisting of representatives from both management and the employee workforce, regularly reviews and monitors the company's health and safety performance.
  • Hazards and Assess Risks: We have implemented processes for hazard identification, risk assessment, and incident investigation. We conduct regular workplace inspections and gather employee feedback to identify hazards. These are assessed using a risk matrix to prioritise and mitigate high-risk areas. In case of incidents, a prompt investigation is carried out to identify root causes and systemic issues. Key findings are reviewed by the management and transparently communicated, ensuring continuous improvement in our safety management practices.
  • Controls to Mitigate Risks: We have developed and applied measures to reduce or eliminate identified health and safety risks.
  • Monitoring and Measuring Procedures: We have implemented processes to regularly monitor and measure the effectiveness of health and safety practices. These procedures include conducting regular workplace safety audits, analysing incident and accident reports for trends, and utilising employee feedback surveys to assess the effectiveness of current safety measures and training programs.
  • Training and Awareness Programs: We educate employees about safety practices and promote awareness to ensure a well-informed workforce. We have established a training program for relevant employees, which includes health and safety awareness and procedures, emergency response, and personal protective equipment (PPE) usage.
  • Employee Participation: Our employees will be part of the safety management system to foster a safety-conscious culture via quarterly meetings.
  • Incident Reporting and Investigation Processes: We have established a system for reporting, examining, and addressing workplace incidents and accidents.
  • Monitoring and Evaluating System Effectiveness: We continuously assess the health and safety management system to ensure its effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.
  • Legal Compliance: We ensure that all health and safety practices adhere to relevant laws and regulations. We regularly review and update our safety protocols in line with the latest legislative changes. We also conduct periodic compliance audits and provide ongoing training to our employees.
  • Continuous Improvement: We regularly refine and enhance the safety management system to adapt to changing conditions and new insights.

Safety Targets

Our ongoing health and safety targets are as follows:

Safety Performance

There were no recordable incidents of fatalities, injuries, or occupational diseases in our Singapore operations in the reported period. Our safety performance covering our employees is presented below. There were no recordable cases of work-related ill health in the reported period.

Environment

TeleChoice is committed to minimising the environmental impact of our business through resource efficiency and conservation.

We are committed to minimising our environmental footprint in our operations. Our main environmental impacts arise from the use of electricity, fuel consumption, and operational waste. The retail outlets we manage utilise electricity for lighting and air conditioning, while our engineering and maintenance vehicles rely on fuel. The majority of our waste originates from packaging in both our stores and warehouses. Our environmental strategies focus on improving energy efficiency, reducing waste, and enhancing recycling efforts.

We have also started assessing climate-related risks and opportunities and their potential financial impact on our business using the TCFD Recommendations as required by SGX Sustainability Reporting rules.

Energy

We track and assess our energy consumption and strive to improve energy efficiency in our operations. In 2023, we used 548,700 of grid electricity translating into an electricity intensity of 128 kWh/m2 floor area. The electricity consumption in 2023 was slightly higher from the figure of 489,489 in 2022 due to increased operational activities taking place in office premises.

Climate Action

As a services provider, our operational GHG footprint is relatively small. However, we are committed to doing our part in efforts to mitigate climate change. Our GHG footprint is mainly from the electricity used in retail stores we manage for our clients and in our offices and the warehouse. In addition, GHG emissions arise from fuel consumption in the maintenance vehicles used by our Personal Communication Solutions and Network Engineering Services Divisions.

Our climate policy commitment includes reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, promoting sustainable business practices, educating, and engaging our employees.

TCFD Report

As an information and communications services provider, our operational carbon emissions are relatively small. However, we are committed to playing our part in efforts to mitigate climate change. Our climate policy commitment includes reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, promoting sustainable business practices, engaging with our business partners, and educating our employees.

We use the Recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) to report on how we assess and manage climate-related risks and opportunities and their potential financial impact on our business. The report follows the TCFD's four-pillar structure of governance, strategy, risk management, and metrics and targets, as presented below.

Governance

We have implemented a governance framework in which the Board oversees climate-related issues, while Management is tasked with the implementation and monitoring of climate strategies. The specific roles of the Board and Management are detailed below.

Board Responsibility

The Board is responsible for ensuring the effective management of climate-related risks and opportunities within the Group, as an integral part of its overall risk management strategy.

To oversee the assessment and management of climate-related risks and opportunities, the Board has established a Risk and Sustainability Committee ("RSC"). This Committee is tasked with reviewing the Group's risk management framework, policies, and processes. It identifies and evaluates key risks and provides guidance and recommendations to enhance the Group's sustainability practices. With the support of the RSC, the Board considers climate-related risks and opportunities when reviewing strategy, action plans, and annual budgets.

The RSC works with management to exchange insights on risk and sustainability-related issues, ensuring clear communication among the Committee, the Board, and stakeholders.

Meetings are held where necessary by the RSC to examine the Group's risk management and sustainability issues, including climate-related risks and opportunities. It provides updates to the Board on matters of risk management and sustainability, emphasising key risks, emerging trends, and strategies for mitigation.

Annually, the RSC conducts a review to evaluate its performance, effectiveness, and compliance with its terms of reference.

Management Responsibility

The management team is charged with the implementation, management, and monitoring of the climate-related strategy, risk management, and the establishment of metrics and targets. The Sustainability Management Committee ("SMC"), chaired by the President, oversees, and tracks the management of ESG impacts, including climate-related risks and opportunities. The SMC consists of Business Unit heads, Chief Financial Officer, Vice President of HR, SR Coordinator and a secretary.

The SMC's responsibilities include evaluating and managing climate-related physical risks and transition risks and their financial impact on business in the short, medium, and long term. The SMC reports to the Board's Risk and Sustainability Committee and provides regular updates on the sustainability performance. SMC meets at least four times in a year to review the Group's sustainability performance.

The SMC undertakes an annual review of its effectiveness, including its role and responsibilities.

Strategy

TeleChoice is a provider of info communications services. We operate in three business segments that consist of managed retail, fulfilment and supply chain services, consultancy and system integration services for enterprise IT infrastructure, and network engineering services to design, build and manage telecommunications networks for fixed and mobile operators.

It is acknowledged that the ICT sector can play a significant role in fighting climate change. According to the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSl), the ICT industry could contribute to a 20% reduction in global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030. This can be achieved by advocating energy-efficient practices among companies and consumers and reducing its own emissions at the same time. This presents a potential opportunity for TeleChoice to explore new ICT services to expand our business into low emission products, services and solutions.

In our business model, GHG emissions mainly emanate from the electricity consumption in our offices and the retail stores we manage for our telecom customers, and in our offices and the warehouse. In addition, GHG emissions arise from fuel consumption in the vehicles used by our various business divisions. Overall, our GHG footprint is relatively small.

Our climate strategy aims to reduce our operational environmental footprint and harness our technological expertise to reduce our impact. Key focus areas include enhancing energy efficiency in our offices, stores, and warehouses, and refining our logistics and supply chain to lower transport emissions. In addition, we are committed to minimising the environmental impact of electronic waste through recycling.

For planning purposes, we consider 0-1 years to be short-term, 2-5 years as mid-term and more than 5 years to be a long-term horizon. Our high-level strategy over these time horizons is described below. The RSC and SMC will continue to review the targets on an on-going basis.

Short Term

We anticipate enhanced regulatory requirements and stakeholder expectations for a comprehensive reporting of GHG emissions. Our near-term strategic approach is to map out, and publicly report, a complete inventory of our GHG emissions covering scope 1, scope 2 and scope 3 emissions across our business divisions, using the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol. Currently, we disclose scope 1 and scope 2 emissions in our sustainability report. We have developed emission reduction targets for the short-, mid- and long-term and the next course of action for the Group is to analyse business processes to determine areas of opportunities to reduce our emissions and achieve the set short-term target.

Medium Term

We will explore options for the decarbonisation of our operations. Scope 2 emissions, arising from purchased electricity, account for about 80% of our combined Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions. We would explore options for switching to renewable electricity to reduce our Scope 2 emissions to zero.

Scope 1 emissions, about 20% of the total, originate from the use of fuel in our service vehicles. We would examine the feasibility of transitioning to electric or hybrid vehicles to minimise the scope 1 emissions.

We will also continue to enhance our capabilities and partnerships to provide low-carbon, energy-efficient network engineering solutions to our telecom clients, including aiding the retirement of outdated network infrastructure to reduce their emissions. We will explore the opportunity to expand our expertise to offer green IT infrastructure solutions to our enterprise customers, assisting them in minimizing their emissions for a more sustainable operation.

Long Term

Our long-term strategy would be to attempt to achieve net-zero emissions for our direct operations and work with like-minded.

Scenario Analysis

We have considered Shared Socioeconomic Pathways ("SSP") based climate scenarios from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's ("IPCC") Sixth Assessment Report ("AR6") and the corresponding Representative Concentration Pathways ("RCP") scenarios from the IPCC's fifth Assessment Report ("AR5") for a qualitative analysis to develop our understanding about the potential impact of climate change over the short term, medium and long term on our business.

SSPs depict shifts in factors such as population, economic growth, education, urbanization, and technological advancement that could influence future greenhouse gas emissions, offering narratives of potential pathways to various levels of warming. These are closely linked with RCPs, the scenarios utilised in AR5, which focus solely on atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. Together, SSPs and RCPs offer a more comprehensive understanding of possible future scenarios.

SSP Scenario Narratives

The SSPs provide a storyline of how the world could reach certain levels of warming, and outline how shifts in population, economy, education, urbanization, and technology could impact greenhouse gas emissions and influence global warming levels, with corresponding RCPs detailed below.

We have referenced the following five SSP climate scenarios from the IPCC AR6 for our qualitative analysis:

Climate-related Risks and Opportunities

Based on the initial qualitative scenario analysis, an overview of our potential financial impacts of climaterelated risks and opportunities is presented below.

Risk Management

Our Board holds responsibility for risk management, determining the nature and extent of significant risks our Company is prepared to take in pursuit of its strategic objectives and value creation. ESG risks, including climate-related risks and opportunities, are taken into consideration in our enterprise risk management and overseen by the Board.

Identifying Risks

Established by the Board in 2023, the Board Risk and Sustainability Committee ("RSC") is responsible for assisting the Board in overseeing risk management and sustainability. The RSC is tasked with evaluating the Company's risk management framework, policies, and processes, identifies key risks, and offers guidance and recommendations to improve the Company's sustainability practices. Previously, the Audit Committee ("AC") assisted the Board in overseeing the Group's risk management and internal controls.

Our Group maintains a Board Assurance Framework, the Group's enterprise risk management framework, guiding the identification, prioritisation, assessment, management, and monitoring of key financial, operational, compliance, IT, and any other material risks. These key risks are deliberated by Management and reported to the RSC. Central to the ERM is a Group-wide internal control system. With the introduction of the RSC, we aim to broaden the ERM's scope to encompass climate-related and other ESG risks. This will include updating our risk register to include climate-related risks.

We have embarked on conducting climate scenario analysis to inform our risk identification and develop appropriate strategies. We also conduct materiality assessments annually, facilitated by an external consultant. This assessment determines the key ESG issues, including environmental risks and opportunities. In 2023, we undertook a reassessment of our material ESG impacts and risks. This involved our senior management team participating in a materiality workshop, where they examined a range of ESG impacts including energy and GHG emissions. This latest assessment builds upon our initial detailed materiality assessment in 2017, which culminated in our first sustainability report, and aligning our material ESG topics with the latest GRI Standards (GRI 3: Material Topics 2021) in 2022.

Managing Risks

The Board, advised by the RSC, sets our Group's risk tolerance and policies, while the RSC oversees the design, implementation, and monitoring of risk management and internal control systems. The Board and RSC are supported by the Management and independent professional service providers, such as external and internal auditors, to ensure the adequacy and effectiveness of the Group's risk management and internal controls.

As part of this process, the Management identifies key risk factors in our business and operations, categorizes them according to financial, operational, compliance, IT, and climate-related risks, and ranks them by importance, likelihood, and potential impact. It then implements internal controls and other mitigating practices. The risk management framework is reviewed, considered, and approved by the RSC at least twice a year and as needed.

Under the RSC's supervision, the Management is responsible for effectively implementing risk management strategies, policies, and processes based on the framework to support the achievement of business plans and goals. Key risks, mitigating measures, and management actions are continually identified, reviewed, and monitored by the Management.

We understand that climate-related risks may pose significant challenges to our business and that of our business partners and customers. These risks are among the main global concerns that could affect our revenue, operations, supply chain, engagement with stakeholders, and communication with investors. Besides physical risks, we might face stricter emission standards, more comprehensive emissions reporting, and higher carbon taxes due to regulatory changes. Considering these risks, reducing our carbon footprint, preparing for the impact on our business partners and customers, and taking advantage of new opportunities arising from the shift towards a low-carbon economy are crucial for our medium to long-term business strategy. Therefore, we are committed to enhancing our focus on ESG communication and climate reporting to effectively manage the expectations of our stakeholders.

Read more about our Risk Management process in the Corporate Governance section. Please refer to Principle 9.

Metrics and Targets

We currently report the scope 1 and location-based scope 2 GHG emissions associated with our operations. We plan to start measuring and reporting our scope 3 emissions next year. We also plan to establish a base year for emissions in 2024 which we will be used to measure and report our progress. Our plans include exploring additional metrics and targets related to our climate-related risks and opportunities to assess our progress towards a low-carbon economy and disclose how they are integrated into our overall business strategy.

Our Carbon Emissions

Total emissions increased is due to increased scale of operations and lifting of Safe Management Measures.

Emission Reduction Targets

Our emissions reduction targets over the short, medium and long term are summarized in the table below.

TeleChoice intends to analyse its business operations and identifies areas where emissions could be minimised or avoided.

Next Steps

We are committed to continuing to build our knowledge and understanding of climate-related risks and opportunities and their potential financial impacts on TeleChoice. Our next steps are summarised below:

  • Conduct further scenario analysis by selecting two scenarios, one of which is consistent with a future well below 2°C, for a more detailed assessment of the potential physical risks and transition opportunities for our business.
  • Continue to enhance climate understanding at the Board and Management levels by implementing ESG and climate-related training.
  • Integrate climate risk assessment and management into the Group Enterprise Risk Management Framework.
  • Develop a roadmap to net-zero.
  • Engage business partners and customers on climate-related risks and opportunities.
Greenhouse Gas ("GHG") Emissions

Our opera onal greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions stem from electricity usage in our stores and offices, as well as fuel used in our vehicles. We keep track of and report these emissions, covering both Scope 1 and Scope 2 categories. The charts below display our energy usage and carbon emissions data.

Waste Management

We strive to reduce, reuse, and recycle waste to minimise our impact on the environment. The main waste from our retail operations includes paper, plastic, and wooden pallets. Additionally, our electronic waste consists of decommissioned office equipment like PCs, notebooks, monitors, and servers.

To further minimise our environmental impact, we have stopped using plastic and paper bags. We now offer reusable non-woven shopping bags and encourage customers to opt for electronic receipts to save paper. In our offices, we promote double-sided printing to reduce paper consump on.

Working with our waste contractor, we have ensured that packaging pallets are recycled and reused instead of being incinerated. In 2023, the total waste was higher compared with the previous year due to wooden pallets waste and increased scale of operations.

We have implemented a process to collect, monitor and review our waste regularly to identify opportunities for reduction. Our waste is disposed of by licensed waste management contractors. Furthermore, in one of our offices, we have increased recycling and waste reduction effort. A recycling and waste reduction initiative was piloted. We will further examine its scalability to the other premises.

Waste Reduction Targets

Total waste in FY2023 was higher as the figure includes 1,200kg of wooden pallets and also due to increased business activity. Our waste reduction targets over the short, medium and long term are summarized below.

E-Waste

We are commi ed to managing our e-waste responsibly to reduce the negative impact on the environment. For e-waste disposal, we will direct customers to StarHub shops which offer in-store e-waste collection. Thee-waste will be handled by licensed waste management companies.

Community

We strive to support local communities to play our part as a responsible corporate citizen.

We focus on community development by aiding groups like the elderly and underprivileged hawkers. We have partnered with organisations including Dignity Kitchen, Dorcas, Lions Befrienders, MINDS Towner Gardens School, and Metta School, working with Community Chest's FUDAI and HeartStrings Walk programs.

In 2023, for six consecutive years, TeleChoice continued its support for Community Chest and its partners by participating in the annual FUDAI event. This collaborative effort between the private and public sectors aimed to spread the festive joy of the Lunar New Year to the less fortunate by donating and distributing FUDAI or fortune goodie bags. Our staff volunteers packed and delivered the goodie bags or FUDAI containing essential food items to beneficiaries residing in the Bedok and Chai Chee estates.

GRI Content Index


TCFD Disclosures

This report is aligned with the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations. The following table indicates our TCDF disclosures.