Sustainability is often thought to be just about saving energy and reducing plastic use, but it encompasses much more. Poni Divers have been leading the conversation beyond just the ocean. It’s estimated that 90% of coral reefs will be gone by 2050, which for Mother Nature, is just a blink away. We are witnessing an increase in extreme weather events, including more frequent forest fires, increasingly devastating floods, and rising sea levels. The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030, Brunei’s Wawasan Brunei 2035, and Net Zero 2050 highlight the global push for environmental responsibility. However, local businesses often struggle to find practical solutions to meet these goals.
Poni Group and other local ecopreneurs have risen to the challenge with innovative solutions. Poni Divers, a small dive center founded in 2009, started their ESG Journey with Brunei’s first International Coastal Cleanup in 2011, the first ghostnet cleanups in 2013, and the first coral program in 2014. By 2023, Poni has engaged over 8,000 youths in ocean conservation, launching several innovative programs, including the Brunei Reef Ball Program. This initiative has planted over 1,200 corals and deployed 190 reef balls, creating artificial reefs that support marine life. To start your own Eco Journey or your workplace’s ESG Journey, find an environmental cause that you or your workplace can be passionate about or, simply join Poni to save our ocean!
In 2024, Poni Group launched Ocean Week Brunei in partnership with the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism, a collaborative event bringing together businesses, government and the public to celebrate and protect the ocean. The event featured reef building and coral planting workshops, a conference and a youth forum. It’s set to return this year with new topics like ocean careers and ocean media, offering opportunities for businesses and individuals to participate or pledge support for ocean protection.
Beyond ocean conservation, Poni Adventures has also expanded its focus to ‘people sustainability’, organizing corporate team building, HR workshops, and even Corporate Family Days for up to 1,200 participants since 2012. These workshops emphasize mental health and well-being, both important components of a sustainable workforce. To get your workplace started on their ESG Journey, the first step is really just everyone to first learn about SDG, and then to get an ESG Committee in place. And for that, Poni Adventures have just launched their SDg team building workshops with their Singaporean SDG educator partner, TERRA and are collaborating with UN Global Compact (UNGC) to provide ESG training for company personnel.
Poni Group’s efforts also include expanding its marine engineering division. Poni Marine, to offer environmental consultancy services. For businesses looking to be more environmentally friendly, their services can assess and mitigate environmental impacts, both at sea and on land. To help local businesses reduce their carbon footprint, Poni’s new innovation hub, ASTARI, has partnered with Jejakin from Indonesia to provide AI-driven tools for automated carbon emission measuring, reporting and offsetting through activities like coral or tree planting. With EGB Engineering from UK, ASTARI also consults on longer-term process changes or machinery upgrades for alternative fuels. To climate proof your business, ASTARI also works with EarthSight International from Canada to predict and prepare for natural disasters like wildfires or flooding with AI-driven satellite data analysis. However, before diving into ESG efforts, it’s often best to start with a materiality assessment to develop your own ESG roadmap for your workplace and this is something that you can start on together with ASTARI.
Poni Group is dedicated to empowering a sustainable future. But building a future for everyone goes beyond just reducing your plastic use, it’s about getting yourself, your friends and your workplaces onboard and looking at these ESG solutions from all angles. Are you ready to kickstart your ESG Journey and build a sustainable future?
