SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 3 October 2023 – Today, Microsoft and Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) announced digital sustainability guidelines to accelerate education and awareness among businesses and developers, as they build sustainable applications by design. Created with support from the Green Software Foundation (GSF), the guidelines are part of a global private-public partnership between IMDA and Microsoft that will drive the development of green software solutions by design for a sustainable digital future from Singapore to the world.

According to GitHub, developer communities have grown massively, with over 85 million software development projects kickstarted globally in 2022. Meanwhile, findings from the United Nations indicate that the software industry is responsible for nearly three percent of global carbon emissions – almost similar to the aviation industry. As the carbon footprint of the software industry continues to grow alongside the demand for technology in today’s digital age, carbon-efficient software that minimizes emissions by design is becoming more crucial than ever.

“Nurturing the foundations of a resilient, digitally inclusive future is a shared responsibility. These guidelines represent a collective drive to create a positive impact on the environment, by equipping developers with principles and tools to build applications that are inherently more sustainable. Providing developers with practical means of tracking and reporting emissions ensures that we are not simply embracing sustainability as an aspiration but actively working towards our net-zero targets,” said Jeth Lee, Chief Legal Officer, Microsoft Singapore.

The digital sustainability guidelines provide educational information and actionable insights for businesses and developers committed to reducing carbon emissions through their work and creating long-term sustainable impact at scale.

The guidelines clarify the relationships between hardware and software sustainability principles and measurements. It provides straightforward guidance on integrating energy efficiency, carbon awareness and hardware efficiency into software engineering and development processes. Applying these principles ensures that applications and solutions are energy-efficient and carbon-aware by design. For example, this may include running software testing and updates for an application at a time of day that may draw less power from the grid and consume less embodied carbon.

Beyond the applicability of principles, the guidelines also provides tools and solutions to help businesses and developers track, report and reduce carbon emissions or greenhouse gases (GHG) created during the creation, running and maintenance of any application or solution, reducing the embodied carbon, GHG and carbon emissions in their lifespan. Some of these measurement tools and solutions include the GSF’s Carbon Aware software development kit (SDK) and the Microsoft Sustainability Manager.

“The launch of these guidelines will help advance Singapore’s efforts in becoming a leading digital sustainability hub in this region. Greening the ICT sector is important to IMDA and we will continue to work closely with partners such as Microsoft, Green Software Foundation to enable developers and businesses the ability to understand energy efficiency, carbon awareness and green software development. We will continue to drive a positive change to our environment, in Singapore and beyond our shores”, said Chee Wei Nga, Director, Emerging Technology Office, BizTech Group, IMDA.

“We’re focused on impact-first solutions that give makers of software a clear path forward toward decarbonization and energy efficiency. With the Digital Sustainability Guidelines, practitioners have one more informative resource to produce sustainable outcomes,” said Asim Hussain, Executive Director and Chairperson of the GSF.

The paper will be available from Microsoft here and on the IMDA website and Green Software Foundation.

These jointly developed guidelines were applied through the Singapore GreenTech Challenge where developers co-innovated to develop carbon-efficient solutions. Evercomm, WeavAir and ReClimate emerged as winners of the challenge. In collaboration with IMDA, Microsoft diagnosed problems that industries face and crowd-sourced solutions through IMDA’s extensive network of start-ups, technology providers, and research institutes. Trialed by winners and participants, the Challenge unveiled an array of new principles and tools enabling organizations to better address today’s pressing sustainability issues.

Recognizing the urgent need to drive positive climate change for the world’s carbon problem, Microsoft is committed to becoming carbon-negative by 2030, and removing all the carbon that the company has emitted directly or through electricity use since its inception in 1975, from the environment. For more information on Microsoft’s progress and learnings as it accelerates efforts towards its global net zero goals, view the Microsoft 2022 Environmental Sustainability Report.

To follow Microsoft’s journey to build a resilient, digitally inclusive Singapore, visit the Microsoft Singapore News Centre.
Hashtag: #Microsoft

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In the last six years, India has manoeuvred itself into a more favourable position in the business environment rankings assessed by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), showcasing impressive growth amongst the 82 tracked countries. The roadmap ahead necessitates strategic enhancements in governance transparency and nurturing an ecosystem conducive to business, echoing the core principles of EquitiesFirst financing strategies.

EquitiesFirst Financing: Navigating the Promising yet Challenging Landscape of Indian Investments

This insightful episode delves deep into India’s economic heartbeat, keenly examining the critical initiatives being undertaken to revamp its infrastructure to accommodate a booming economy, a step pivotal in sustaining its position in global business standings. This segment paints a detailed picture of the potential avenues and associated risks, a true embodiment of EquitiesFirst risk management philosophy.

Featuring industry leaders Ben Mathias and Taimur Baig, the episode aims to furnish investors with a balanced view of the prevailing Indian investment environment, unfolding strategies aiding businesses and investors in navigating through the intricacies of the Indian market, a vision grounded in EquitiesFirst equities-based financing expertise.

EquitiesFirst Partnership: Insights and Intelligence from the Experts

In partnership with The Economist Impact, EquitiesFirst fortifies its commitment to offering nuanced and up-to-date insights. This collaboration effort paves the way for investors to traverse the intricate pathways of equities investment opportunities in India.

EquitiesFirst remains a strong player in risk management and equities-based financing, with a proven track record in structuring robust investment strategies. This new episode is another embodiment of our mission to guide investors as they navigate the ever-changing investment environment in the Asia-Pacific region.

Hashtag: #EquitiesFirst #EquitiesFirstHoldings #EquitiesFirstInvestment

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About Equities First Holdings

Founded in 2002, EquitiesFirst is a global investor specializing in long-term equities-based financing. EquitiesFirst’s approach overcomes traditional limitations and redefines the financing experience through providing efficient access to capital for listed companies, entrepreneurs and investors against publicly traded securities. The total value of loans transacted is more than US$4.5 billion as of January 2023.

Headquartered in Indianapolis, USA, EquitiesFirst maintains an international footprint of twelve offices in eight countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Spain, China (Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing), South Korea, Thailand, Singapore and Australia (Sydney, Perth and Melbourne). EquitiesFirst is licensed and/or registered in all jurisdictions where required.

EquitiesFirst is the pioneer of Progressive Capital – a partnership approach to investment, rooted in respect, mutual interest and understanding. EquitiesFirst delivers liquidity solutions that are vital, transformative and move partners forward.

For more information, please visit www.equitiesfirst.com/.

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As part of the Microsoft 365 Copilot Early Access Program (EAP), UOB will begin use of Microsoft 365 Copilot in October 2023. 300 employees across multiple frontline and back-end business functions in the Bank will progressively gain access to the new AI innovation from Microsoft. Staff in functions such as branches, customer service and technology and operations will be able to use Microsoft 365 Copilot to improve productivity, accessibility, and collaboration in a secured manner.

“Generative AI has been at the forefront of emerging technologies and we see tremendous potential in integrating it into UOB’s daily operations. With that, we are proud to be among the first banks in ASEAN to deploy Microsoft 365 Copilot to our employees. In addition to productivity improvements, we hope that this tool can spark creativity and inspire innovation among employees, ultimately further enhancing our customers’ banking experiences,” said Mr. Lawrence Goh, Chief Operating Officer and Head of Group Infrastructure Platform Services, Group Technology and Operations, UOB.

“Microsoft is pleased to be collaborating with UOB to equip its workforce with Generative AI tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot, which we believe will yield an unparalleled agility needed to address changing customer expectations, competitive pressures, and regulatory shifts,” said Ms. Lee Hui Li, Singapore Managing Director, Microsoft.

Introduced by Microsoft in March 2023, Microsoft 365 Copilot combines the power of large language models with business data from users’ calendars, emails, chats documents, meetings and more, and Microsoft 365 apps like Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Teams to turn words into a Generative-AI powered productivity tool.

Participating UOB employees can access Microsoft 365 Copilot for one year once the EAP begins, during which they will receive support from a global Center of Excellence and Microsoft Customer Success team. Workshops are also available to them to ensure a smooth and seamless adoption and onboarding process.

UOB employees can expect to benefit from Microsoft 365 Copilot in several ways:

• Raise productivity and effectiveness: With Microsoft 365 Copilot, employees can transform the way they work, be it effortlessly summarising lengthy documents and email threads on Outlook, transforming raw data into visualisations in Excel, or delivering concise meetings summaries on Teams. This game-changing automation frees up employees’ precious time, empowering them to unleash their creativity and focus on higher-impact tasks.

• Improve accessibility to pertinent information: With Microsoft 365 Copilot, employees will gain the capability to locate and reference information within the Bank in an effortless and convenient manner. It can intelligently identify and retrieve relevant data based on the context of the email or documents that employees are working on. This would foster seamless collaboration among employees across different functions, allowing them to build upon each other’s work more easily and meaningfully.

• Enhance content quality and deliver impactful messaging: By empowering employees with Microsoft 365 Copilot, they can transform existing documents into engaging presentations, make content more concise and suggest suitable tone of voice for messages. This will ensure the Bank maintains a consistent and compelling voice across marketing materials and responses to customers.

UOB understands the potential of integrating Generative AI in the Bank’s daily operations. The Microsoft 365 Copilot EAP will enable the Bank to explore and guide employees through a new way of working with AI, as they create active employee feedback loops that contribute to a broader GenAI strategy for the whole bank. This is part of UOB’s longer-term plans to explore and adopt GenAI technology for meaningful and sustainable business outcomes that can benefit employees and customers, and in keeping with the use of AI in a responsible manner.

Hashtag: #MicrosoftSingapore

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

UOB

UOB is a leading bank in Asia. Operating through its head office in Singapore and banking subsidiaries in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, UOB has a global network of around 500 offices in 19 countries and territories in Asia Pacific, Europe and North America. Since its incorporation in 1935, UOB has grown organically and through a series of strategic acquisitions. Today, UOB is rated among the world’s top banks: Aa1 by Moody’s Investors Service and AA- by both S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings.

For nearly nine decades, UOB has adopted a customer-centric approach to create long-term value by staying relevant through its enterprising spirit and doing right by its customers. UOB is focused on building the future of ASEAN – for the people and businesses within, and connecting with, ASEAN.

The Bank connects businesses to opportunities in the region with its unparalleled regional footprint and leverages data and insights to innovate and create personalised banking experiences and solutions catering to each customer’s unique needs and evolving preferences. UOB is also committed to help businesses forge a sustainable future, by fostering social inclusiveness, creating positive environmental impact and pursuing economic progress. UOB believes in being a responsible financial services provider and is steadfast in its support of art, social development of children and education, doing right by its communities and stakeholders.

Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @Microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

‘SAFE STEPS Kids Climate Change’ promotes climate change awareness to children via Cartoon Network’s beloved characters

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 3 October 2023 – Prudence Foundation, the community investment arm of Prudential plc, has launched SAFE STEPS Kids Climate Change, the latest thematic series of the SAFE STEPS Kids programme. Using well-loved cartoon characters such as We Bare Bears and Gumball, the new series aims to teach children about climate change issues and simple actions they can take to make the planet healthier and safer. The programme was developed in collaboration with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and Warner Bros. Discovery’s Cartoon Network.

The series was officially launched in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 30 September 2023 by Nik Nazmi bin Nik Ahmad (Nik Nazmi), Malaysia’s Minister of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change, and Marc Fancy, Executive Director of Prudence Foundation.

Speaking at the launch event, Nik Nazmi said, “Climate change is an existential issue for both present and future generations. The energy and passion of the young will be crucial in helping the world address its impact. We are pleased to introduce this collaborative effort, which will educate and empower our youth to address and respond to this global challenge by incorporating simple yet impactful actions into their daily lives.”

Marc Fancy shared, “Our foundation approach is very much aligned to our core business, life insurance, which is about protection and taking action before events happen. Climate change affects all, especially the vulnerable populations and children. We believe in grassroot education to children about our climate and protecting our environment as well as create a sense of responsibility of how climate change will affect them throughout their lives.”

Prudence Foundation’s mission is to create a better future for vulnerable communities across Prudential’s markets in Asia and Africa by making them safer and more resilient to life’s risks. Climate adaptation is a key focus area for the Foundation where programmes are developed to protect families, communities and economies from the impacts of climate change.

“By investing in resilience and preparedness we can minimise the risks to communities in the event of a disaster. Through the SAFE STEPS Kids programme, we hope to be able to educate and empower the younger generation to become valuable contributors to combat climate change,” added Fancy.

Alexander Matheou, Regional Director, IFRC Asia Pacific said, “Community-led solutions to climate related risks are at the centre of the work at Red Cross, Red Crescent. And at the core of this are our young people. They are not only valuable stakeholders, but are contributors, agents of change, and innovators in every community and area of work. The SAFE STEPS Kids series is a unique cross-sector collaboration to engage these young people and scale up all our efforts to accelerate climate action.”

Vikram Sharma, Head of Consumer Products – India, Southeast Asia & Korea and Head of Advertising & Partnerships – Southeast Asia at Warner Bros. Discovery, added, “Characters from several of our most popular Cartoon Network originals including The Amazing World of Gumball, Teen Titans Go!, Craig of the Creek and We Bare Bears are instantly recognisable and help make the messages shared through the SAFE STEPS Kids initiative relatable and engaging. Warner Bros. Discovery is proud to partner with Prudence Foundation and IFRC on this important project, reaching millions of kids in the region through Cartoon Network and its social media channels.”

SAFE STEPS Kids reaches more than 20 million households everyday via Cartoon Network in Asia. Launched in 2019, previous themes have covered natural disasters, road safety, first aid, and health.

For more information, please visit https://www.safestepskids.com/

Hashtag: #PrudenceFoundation

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About SAFE STEPS Kids

SAFE STEPS Kids is a multi-platform public-service programme created by Prudence Foundation, in partnership with International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and Cartoon Network.

The programme focuses on providing life-saving information to children via a series of entertaining videos and education materials featuring beloved Cartoon Network characters. SAFE STEPS Kids aims to save millions of lives by educating children from a young age, helping to create a future generation that is well-prepared and resilient to life-threatening situations.

For more information please visit: https://www.safestepskids.com/

About Prudence Foundation

Prudence Foundation is the community investment arm of Prudential plc in Asia and Africa. Its mission is to create a better future for communities by making them safer and more resilient to life’s risks. The Foundation runs regional programmes as well as local programmes in partnership with NGOs, governments and the private sector in order to maximise the impact of its efforts. Prudence Foundation leverages Prudential’s long-term mindset and geographical scale to make communities safer, more secure and more resilient. The Foundation is a Hong Kong registered charitable entity.

For more information please visit: www.prudencefoundation.com

Hashtag: #NTT #Semiconductor #5G

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About NTT Ltd.

As part of NTT DATA, a USD 30 billion IT services provider, NTT Ltd. is a leading IT infrastructure and services company serving 65% of the Fortune Global 500 and more than 75% of the Fortune Global 100. We lay the foundation for organizations’ edge-to-cloud networking ecosystem, simplify the complexity of their workloads across multicloud environments, and innovate at the edge of their IT environments where networks, cloud and applications converge. We offer tailored infrastructure and ensure consistent best practices in design and operations across all of our secure, scalable and customizable data centers. On the journey towards a software-defined future, we support organizations with our platform-delivered infrastructure services. We enable a connected future.

Visit us at services.global.ntt.