EPF launches sustainability commitment to enhance retirement security

Malaysian Reserve

18-06-2025

by FARAH SOLHI
THE Employes Provident Fund (EPF) has launched its Sustainability Commitment agenda, aimed to promote a just transition for Malaysians towards a more inclusive, climate-resilient and secure future.
While its core mandate remains steadfast, the commitment is to assist Malaysians in achieving a comfortable retirement income.
Chairman Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali said preparing for longer life expectancy requires not just policies and programmes, but also fundamental rethinking of how resilience could be built and achieved in all aspects of society.
'From reimagining retirement systems to fostering healthier, more inclusive communities, we must now act with urgency and purpose.
'Retirement security cannot be detached from rising inequality, ecological degradation or economic volatility (and) we must respond with foresight, courage and a collective will to act,' he said during the launch of the commitments at the International Social Wellbeing Conference 2025 (ISWC 2025) today.
Mohd Zuki noted that EPF is aligning its strategies with a broader vision of sustainable and inclusive growth, one that protects not only capital but communities; that builds not only returns, but also resilience.
He said the role of institutions like EPF must now evolve from safeguarding savings to stewarding futures.
'We believe that capital, when directed with purpose, can be a powerful lever for change.'
Mohd Zuki also said sustainability is no longer optional but a strategic imperative. He outlined the three pillars of the commitments, namely environmental action, social impact, and culture and governance.
Environmental action aims to drive climate resilience and low-carbon growth, while social impact focuses on promoting inclusion, equity and community wellbeing. The third pillar, culture and governance, ensures transparency, integrity and accountability in EPF's actions.
'In making sustainability a core part of our DNA, we move from aspiration to action and from intent to impact — this is how we ensure that as our members retire, they do so in a world that is still worth living in,' he added.
The launch of the sustainability commitments reaffirms EPF's role as a national institution committed to the wellbeing of all Malaysians.
In support of these, EPF has also undertaken a strategic refresh of its existing sustainable investment policies to reinforce its elevated ambitions and revised expectations of investee companies.
The revised policies — namely the Sustainable Investment Policy, Climate Change Policy, Workers Wellbeing Policy and Priority Sectors Policy, and Sustainable Investment Stewardship Policy, also reflect EPF's efforts to deepens its stewardship practices and realign with national and global sustainability frameworks.
The commitments launched today reflect EPF's broader alignment with the Madani Economy framework, particularly in supporting efforts to raise the standard of living and promote inclusive growth.
They also align with Malaysia's net zero aspirations and contribute to a more climate-resilient future for the nation.