Manila, Philippines – ECC International (ECCI), a leading consulting firm in sustainability, risk, and governance, joined industry leaders and subject matter experts at the CRIF Forum Philippines 2025, held on July 17 at the Hilton Hotel Manila.
With the theme “Innovate with Trust. Transform with Data,” the forum brought together over 100 attendees, including key decision-makers from the banking, financial services, telecommunications, manufacturing, and public sectors, to explore the evolving landscape of digital trust, regulatory transformation, and sustainability-driven innovation.
As part of the forum’s ESG panel, Mahesh Krishnamurthy, Director for Projects, ECCI Group, shared insights from the firm’s regional work on ESG strategy and disclosure frameworks.
The panel was moderated by Giorgio Costantino, Global Head of Transformation Services at CRIF, who provided a European perspective on emerging regulatory standards such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and how they are reshaping expectations globally.
Elevating ESG: From Compliance to Strategic Value
In his remarks, Mahesh emphasized the shift underway in the Philippines—from voluntary reporting under the “comply or explain” model to mandatory disclosures, as anticipated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) by 2026.
“Compliance is just the start of the journey. ESG has evolved far beyond a regulatory checkbox—it’s now a powerful driver of innovation, resilience, and long-term business value,” said Mahesh
“What distinguishes leading organizations today is not whether they report, but how deeply they embed ESG into core strategy and operations. This emphasizes establishing strong governance, maintaining credible and verifiable disclosures, and continuously tracking performance against clear sustainability goals. Transparency isn’t measured by size of the enterprise alone—it’s defined by purpose.”
Supporting SMEs on the ESG Journey
The panel also addressed the gap in ESG readiness between large enterprises and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). While acknowledging that larger companies often have greater access to tools and talent, Mahesh made the case for leveling the field through assurance and capacity-building.
“Transparency and accountability aren’t reserved for big players. What levels the playing field is credible third-party assurance—it transforms ESG from internal effort into verified impact,” he said. “At ECC International, we’ve worked with different organizations ranging from large multinationals to MSMEs to embed ESG into core operations—whether through materiality mapping, governance alignment, or GHG disclosures.”
The Role of AI and Data in ESG Transformation
Looking ahead, Mahesh highlighted the role of AI and emerging technologies in accelerating ESG maturity.
“AI can help organizations extract ESG data faster, identify risks buried in unstructured information, and benchmark performance over time,” he explained. “But beyond automation, AI should serve as a learning tool—not just for companies, but for regulators and society as a whole.”
He added that responsible use of AI must go hand-in-hand with data privacy and ethical governance to build trust in both ESG disclosures and digital systems.
About Us
ECC International (ECCI) specializes in sustainability, organizational excellence, and performance improvement. With over 25 years of experience across Asia, ECCI supports companies in navigating complex ESG requirements, strengthening governance structures, and embedding sustainability into core business strategy.
Through its Corporate Sustainability and Governance (CSG) practice, ECCI works with organizations to design and implement ESG reporting frameworks, conduct climate risk and materiality assessments, and build internal capability for long-term impact. The firm has partnered with leading enterprises—multinationals and SMEs alike—to move beyond compliance and toward credible, data-driven ESG performance.
