LAZADA has provided additional economic opportunities and pushed for more women participation in its workforce, the e-commerce platform said, citing its first environment, social, and governance (ESG) report.
Launched on Nov. 29, the ESG report has four core pillars, namely: empowering communities, future-ready workforce, responsible stewardship, and effective governance.
“What we have started lay the foundation of our ESG commitments in the Philippines, which contribute to the overall positive impact that we are creating as a group across the region. I am looking forward to strengthening our collaborations with our partners and stakeholders to shape the future of a sustainable digital ecosystem in the country,” Lazada Philippines Chief Executive Officer Carlos Barrera said in a statement.
According to the report, the Lazada group has created 1.1 million economic opportunities within its ecosystem of sellers, digital commerce enablers, third-party logistics partners, and dedicated employees as of March 31.
“Lazada’s commitment is to give back to societies and communities in recovery efforts and building a more resilient society. Lazada works with local stakeholders to develop programs that support women in their journeys to becoming entrepreneurs and celebrates female entrepreneurs who have overcome obstacles to grow their businesses successfully with Lazada,” it said.
“Lazada Philippines launched capacity-building activities and invites entrepreneurs from across the country to participate as the company aims to boost digitization and e-commerce integration of Filipino-owned small businesses. In partnership with ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), Lazada pushes to globalize local Filipino goods and make them more accessible across the region,” it added.
As part of gender inclusivity, Lazada Philippines said that 66% of its workforce are women as of August, adding that the company also launched the “Lazada x For The Women Data Science Scholarship” where data science training is offered to young women aiming for a tech career.
“Since the launch of Lazada x For The Women Data Science Scholarship, 70% of the scholars have been placed in new data science roles, effecting an almost +110% increase in their average monthly earnings. The company also endeavors to develop the skill set of its workforce by implementing skill-building initiatives that provide soft and functional training to employees,” the company said.
“Lazada Philippines established initiatives such as Lazada University, an exclusive education program to empower micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and small business sellers, and the Lazada Learning Festival 2022, the biggest virtual learning festival in Southeast Asia to educate and engage with aspiring entrepreneurs,” it added.
Meanwhile, Lazada said it launched a baseline carbon inventory to look at sources of greenhouse gas emission across its operations. The results of the inventory will be used to back the company’s decarbonization roadmap in the coming years.
The company also plans to partner with independent contractors of electric vehicles as part of reducing emissions.
In addition, Lazada Philippines also introduced LazGoGreen, which is an initiative that addresses the environmental impact of the company’s packaging via plastic recovery and reduction efforts across the country.
“Lazada boosts this effort by collaborating with businesses and communities to create a network of sustainability partnerships to drive the future of plastic production and consumption,” the company said.
It said in March 2020, up to 70,000 alternative packaging pouches were sold, with 35 of Lazada’s sellers adopting plastic alternatives.
“By 2020, the company launched as much as 18 plastic collection sites across the country,” the company said.
Lazada’s ESG report included data from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. It covered operations across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The report also included the operations of its subsidiary, RedMart, in Singapore. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave
