Tropicana trains staff to counter greenwashing as ESG scrutiny grows

PETALING JAYA (July 13): Tropicana Corp Bhd held an internal anti-greenwashing workshop last Friday (July 10) aimed at equipping employees to identify and prevent misleading sustainability claims, as the developer seeks to strengthen the credibility of its ESG communications amid evolving disclosure expectations.

It said in a statement on the same day that the session, titled “From claims to credibility – anti-greenwashing essentials”, was co-hosted by Tropicana’s ESG team and the United Nations Global Compact Network Malaysia & Brunei (UNGC), with 23 persons-in-charge from various departments across the group taking part.

The workshop comes amid broader scrutiny over the quality and credibility of sustainability disclosures, as regulators, investors and civil society place greater emphasis on evidence-backed ESG reporting. Sustainability reporting expectations for listed companies have continued to evolve, while greenwashing — the practice of making environmental claims that are exaggerated, unverifiable or misleading — has become a growing area of focus across capital markets.

For listed property developers, the ability to substantiate ESG-related claims has become increasingly important as stakeholders assess sustainability performance alongside traditional business and financial indicators.

Measure, verify, calculate, communicate

The workshop centred on helping participants understand what constitutes greenwashing and how to avoid such practices in day-to-day communications.

Participants were guided through the principle of “Measure → Verify → Calculate → Communicate”, a four-step internal framework designed to support sustainability claims being backed by credible data, measurable evidence and verifiable facts before they are used in public-facing materials, including ESG disclosures, annual reports and marketing communications.

The session also highlighted the responsibilities of listed companies in maintaining accurate sustainability disclosures and ensuring public statements align with applicable requirements.

The overarching message reflected the workshop’s theme: moving away from aspirational sustainability messaging towards evidence-based, transparent and governable claims that are better able to withstand scrutiny from regulators, investors, customers and civil society.

External reference point for ESG governance

The collaboration with UNGC provides an external sustainability governance reference point for Tropicana’s ESG initiatives.

The UNGC is a global corporate sustainability initiative that promotes responsible business practices across areas including human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.

ESG rating and sustainability framework

The workshop forms part of Tropicana’s broader sustainability efforts. The group recently achieved a four-star FTSE4Good Bursa Malaysia Index rating, which Tropicana said reflects continued progress in strengthening ESG performance and sustainability disclosure practices.

The rating is aligned with the group’s wider focus on improving ESG performance and disclosure quality, areas also addressed through the anti-greenwashing training.

Tropicana frames its ESG strategy around three pillars — People, Planet and Partnership — alongside its eight unique development DNA principles, which guide how sustainability considerations are integrated into township planning and product development.

Outlook and governance focus

Tropicana has been listed on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia since the early 1990s and traces its origins to 1979. The group operates across property development and management, property investment, recreation and resort, and investment holding.

Its lifestyle and hospitality offerings are consolidated under platforms branded as T360 and T Journey.

Looking ahead, Tropicana has indicated that it will continue rolling out sustainability-related engagements and internal initiatives as part of its broader ESG governance programme. The group has not specified the number, format or timing of future workshops at this stage.

The anti-greenwashing session indicates a greater emphasis on strengthening internal ESG governance processes supporting sustainability disclosures.

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