Girl Scouts honoring women leaders at event in Reading

GAR's Sustainability Report 2024 Shows Company, Customers and Communities Growing Together with Purpose

Yahoo

30-05-2025

Yahoo

GAR's Sustainability Report 2024 Shows Company, Customers and Communities Growing Together with Purpose

SINGAPORE, May 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Golden Agri-Resources (GAR) today published its Sustainability Report 2024, covering a year that saw the company establish the scale and scope of its climate ambitions while continuing to deliver on core commitments to tackle deforestation, enhance traceability and promote thriving, resilient agricultural communities. GAR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Franky O. Widjaja, explained how the company's sustainability foundations have helped GAR to navigate a year of global challenges, from economic shifts and evolving regulatory demands to extreme weather conditions. "The world is changing, and so is the future of agribusiness," he said. "At GAR, sustainability isn't just a part of our business strategy; it is our business strategy. We believe that sustainability leadership starts with action; with choices that reflect our values and shape a better future." For the first time, GAR has published a double materiality assessment, addressing both the company's impact on environmental and social issues and how these topics may influence GAR's operations, long-term resilience, and financial performance. In addition to preparing the company for upcoming reporting requirements, this assessment validates GAR's priorities for action on sustainability. Widjaja continued: "As extreme weather and regulations intensify, investing in responsible agriculture matters more than ever. Our 2024 theme of Growing Together with Purpose reflects a year of evolution for GAR's sustainability policies and practice. Over the past year, we have set bold targets for emissions reduction by 2030 and developed a new sustainability framework, Collective for Impact, that provides a clear path forward for the next stage of our sustainability journey – a journey we're taking together with partners, suppliers and smallholders." Notable developments include: Launching Collective for Impact Since 2015, the GAR Social and Environmental Policy (GSEP) has been the foundation of the company's sustainability commitments, implemented in its own operations and across the company's palm oil supply chain in Indonesia. Now, GAR has launched a new framework, Collective for Impact, marking the next phase of its sustainability ambitions. Covering three key areas: Sourcing Responsibly, Caring for our Planet, and Empowering People, this new business strategy extends beyond GAR's Indonesian palm oil supply chain to include its entire business and value chain, operationally and geographically. Anita Neville, GAR's Chief Sustainability and Communications Officer, described how this framework builds on the company's existing initiatives to address critical areas for action. "It has never been more urgent to act on climate change, eliminate exploitation, and protect natural ecosystems," she said. "We know that what got us here will not necessarily get us where we want and need to go," she continued. "Collective for Impact strengthens our resilience, creates long-term value and builds trust to keep us ahead of global expectations. This is not just a sustainability vision; it is a business strategy that touches every part of GAR." Advancing Net Zero Commitments In 2024, GAR set bold 2030 targets to cut absolute emissions as a milestone on its pathway to net zero emissions by 2050. The company will cut Forest, Land, and Agriculture (FLAG) emissions by 30% and non-FLAG emissions by 42% from its 2022 baseline. Last year, GAR reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions from its direct operations by 3% through continued implementation of No Deforestation, No Peat and No Exploitation (NDPE) policies, coupled with energy efficiency initiatives and increased renewable energy use. However, GAR's total emissions increased by 7% year on year, from 32.7 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2023 to 35 million tonnes in 2024, driven by a 10% increase in Scope 3 emissions. These supply chain emissions account for 79% of GAR's total carbon footprint, underscoring the critical role of ongoing supplier engagement and collecting first party emissions data; two core pillars of the company's Scope 3 reduction efforts. Leading in Transparency and Traceability GAR has continued to map its Indonesian palm oil supply chain and has now reached 99.5% Traceability to the Plantation (TTP). The company is intensifying efforts to address the final 0.5% of TTP, addressing variability within its supply chain and extending its partnerships with smallholders to implement traceability while supporting them to improve yields and livelihoods. Elsewhere, the company has successfully expanded its traceability commitments to its other commodities, implementing 100% Traceability to the Mill (TTM) for soy, sugar, sunflower and coconut globally. The company has also launched the blockchain-powered SmartTrace system, giving users a window on the full journey of a palm oil product from plantation to purchase. Together with satellite monitoring, mapping, and supplier transformation initiatives, GAR is continuing to ensure responsible production across its supply chain, helping customers to prepare for the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and future regulations. Action for Communities GAR's Bright Future Initiative continues to help communities build better livelihoods. In 2024, the company supported 189 projects, and empowering 113 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) with skills from farming and technology to operations training, helping them grow and reach new markets. About Golden Agri-Resources Ltd (GAR) GAR is a leading fully-integrated agribusiness company. In Indonesia, it manages an oil palm plantation area of more than 500,000 hectares (including plasma smallholders) as of 31 March 2025. It has integrated operations focused on the technology-driven production and distribution of an extensive portfolio of palm-based products throughout its established international marketing network. Founded in 1996, GAR was listed on the Singapore Exchange in 1999 and has a market capitalisation of US$ 2.6 billion as of 31 March 2025. Flambo International Limited, an investment company, is GAR's largest shareholder, with a 50.56% stake. In addition, GAR's subsidiary, PT SMART Tbk was listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in 1992. As an integrated agribusiness, GAR delivers an efficient end-to-end supply chain, from responsible production to global delivery. In Indonesia, its primary activities include cultivating and harvesting oil palm trees; the processing of fresh fruit bunch into crude palm oil (CPO) and palm kernel; refining CPO into value-added products such as cooking oil, margarine, shortening, biodiesel and oleo-chemicals; as well as merchandising palm products globally. GAR's products are delivered to a diversified customer base in over 110 countries through its global distribution network with shipping and logistics capabilities, destination marketing, onshore refining and ex-tank operations. GAR also has complementary businesses such as soybean-based products in China, sunflower-based products in India, and sugar businesses. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Golden Agri-Resources

Teens need more chances to experience awe. Here's how to do it

Yahoo

27-05-2025

Yahoo

Teens need more chances to experience awe. Here's how to do it

EDITOR'S NOTE: Deborah Farmer Kris is a child development specialist and the author of 'Raising Awe-Seekers: How the Science of Wonder Helps Our Kids Thrive.' Find her at Parenthood365. My teenage daughter recently convinced me to take her to an art exhibit in Boston. The traffic was a predictable nightmare, over an hour to travel 15 miles, and we had to park almost a mile away. But when your teenager wants to do something with you, you do it. When I saw my daughter's face light up as she roamed the galleries admiring the art-inspired floral displays, that stress melted away. As we left the museum, we talked about the upside of the crowds — people were going out of their way to look at beautiful art in the midst of a world torn by war, political division and very real worries They were also making time for awe. I have spent the past four years researching how the emotion of awe can support our children while writing my first book for adults, 'Raising Awe-Seekers: How the Science of Wonder Helps Our Kids Thrive.' That awe my daughter and I experienced is an emotional superfood. Wonder supports our mental, physical, and emotional well-being, according to research out of the University of California, Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, a research center focused on the psychology, sociology, and neuroscience of well-being. Awe prompts us to be kinder and humbler. It quiets mental chatter, increases curiosity and helps us feel connected to other people. It has even been found to reduce biomarkers of stress and inflammation. 'Don't underestimate the power of goosebumps,' as awe researcher and University of California, Berkeley distinguished psychology professor Dacher Keltner likes to say, It's easy to talk about young kids and wonder — how a 3-year-old's eyes grow wide when they find a robin's nest. But I'm even more interested in how this emotion can support today's teenagers. We know that too many teens are stressed-out, overprogrammed, lonely and screen saturated. But they are also at an age where their rapid brain development and heightened emotional sensitivity prime them to feel wonder. Here are three ways to help your teens tap into this protective emotion, and they might reawaken your sense of wonder as well. Young teens are in the throes of identity formation. The activities that bring them joy in fifth grade may all get thrown out the window by eighth grade. Over the course of two years, my oldest child dropped scouting, horseback riding and piano. After some experimenting, she found her way to community theater, art and a local track club. I had signed her up for Girl Scouts and piano years earlier, but adolescence is the time for them to figure out which hats fit them best. Even though it's normal and necessary, this period of rapid change can be confusing to both parents and teens. I used to teach middle school and often heard parents lament, 'I hardly recognize my kid anymore.' How about we replace that lament with 'radical curiosity?' Harvard University psychiatrist Dr. Robert Waldinger introduced me to the phrase as a mindful parenting practice. Look at your child and ask yourself, 'What's one thing about this kid I haven't noticed before?' It can be anything, he told me — even the new way they are parting their hair. Radical curiosity also helps us tune into what brings them wonder, especially when that seems to change every month. What lights them up this month? When we notice their curiosity, we can nurture it. A fascination with 'The Lord of the Rings' books and movies leads them to try a Dungeons & Dragons club. If their face brightens when working with small children or animals, perhaps there's a volunteer opportunity you can help them find. Notice what makes your teens say 'wow' — what gives them goosebumps or expands their minds in beautiful ways. That's how to learn more about who they are right now and who they might become. When we pay attention to our kids' sources of awe, we validate their experiences and invite them to keep exploring. The best part about awe is how ordinary and accessible it is. It doesn't require expensive equipment or a fancy family vacation. In fact, Keltner describes awe as an 'everyday emotion' that we can access during a morning walk or while cheering on the home team. Over the past 20 years, researchers have examined what types of experiences elicit awe. People around the world reported feeling this emotion while exploring nature, enjoying art and music, and contemplating big ideas. Perhaps surprisingly, the most common source of everyday wonder came from observing other people being kind and brave. We are inspired by human goodness. Another source of awe that particularly resonates with teens is collective effervescence. That's the feeling that comes from working with others toward a common goal — the electricity that you feel cheering with a crowd, passing the soccer ball to your teammates during a big game or singing with a choir. For our kids, it's the feeling of belonging to something bigger than themselves. Knowing these sources of awe is a useful mental framework for parents and teens, and it can help us seek out meaningful experiences. Where can we see art in our community? What music currently brings my kids joy — and can I have it playing in the car when I pick them up? How can we become more connected with our local community? What club or sport might be worth trying? What neighbor needs our help? What are some 'good news' moments we can share with each other? How can we all get outside this weekend, for even a few minutes? Teens are astute anthropologists of human behavior. If we want them to feel more of this amazing human emotion, we must become awe-seekers and awe-sharers ourselves. I don't mean we need to approach this in a canned way – no teen wants to hear mom's daily 'good news minute.' Instead, look for ways authentically share those small moments of wonder that you stumble upon. Here's something that has worked for me. Since diving into the research on awe, I've started to follow more nature photographers and artists on social media. The more I choose to follow these types of accounts, the more the apps' algorithms work in my favor. Makeup tips have been replaced by ridiculously beautiful birds. Inspired by these photos, I started a practice I call 'something beautiful every day.' I look for one beautiful thing — a flower on my walk, a song or story, a picture or quote — and I text it to a dear friend who lives 2000 miles away. Sharing amplified my feelings of wonder and helped me feel connected across the miles After a few months of this practice, I thought, 'Why not send these to my teen, too?' Now I often text my daughter my daily photo, quote, story, song or goosebump-inducing reel. And guess what? She started to send me more art, photos and adorable videos of ducks and baby sheep. It's a beautiful counterbalance to other headlines and images that cross my screen, a reminder of the everyday beauty we can find in this messy world. I underestimated how valuable this medium of communication would be for our parent-child relationship — these daily windows into what we each find wonder-ful. Screen time is a never-ending parenting dilemma. As psychologist and HEC Paris business professor Craig Anderson told me, most of the apps we use are not designed to make us feel awe. Nor do they prioritize our well-being, he said. Instead, 'they're designed to keep us in front of the app.' If you want to feel the benefits of 'noticing things like the flowers blooming or the light filtering through the leaves on the trees,' Anderson said, 'your attention can't be wrapped up in a phone.' To which I add, if we can purposefully use a bit of our screen time as a tool for sharing beauty with our teens — and others we love, perhaps we can change our internal algorithm and bend it toward awe. Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN's Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being.

CNN

27-05-2025

CNN

Teens need more chances to experience awe. Here's how to do it

EDITOR'S NOTE: Deborah Farmer Kris is a child development specialist and the author of 'Raising Awe-Seekers: How the Science of Wonder Helps Our Kids Thrive.' Find her at Parenthood365. My teenage daughter recently convinced me to take her to an art exhibit in Boston. The traffic was a predictable nightmare, over an hour to travel 15 miles, and we had to park almost a mile away. But when your teenager wants to do something with you, you do it. When I saw my daughter's face light up as she roamed the galleries admiring the art-inspired floral displays, that stress melted away. As we left the museum, we talked about the upside of the crowds — people were going out of their way to look at beautiful art in the midst of a world torn by war, political division and very real worries They were also making time for awe. I have spent the past four years researching how the emotion of awe can support our children while writing my first book for adults, 'Raising Awe-Seekers: How the Science of Wonder Helps Our Kids Thrive.' That awe my daughter and I experienced is an emotional superfood. Wonder supports our mental, physical, and emotional well-being, according to research out of the University of California, Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, a research center focused on the psychology, sociology, and neuroscience of well-being. Awe prompts us to be kinder and humbler. It quiets mental chatter, increases curiosity and helps us feel connected to other people. It has even been found to reduce biomarkers of stress and inflammation. 'Don't underestimate the power of goosebumps,' as awe researcher and University of California, Berkeley distinguished psychology professor Dacher Keltner likes to say, It's easy to talk about young kids and wonder — how a 3-year-old's eyes grow wide when they find a robin's nest. But I'm even more interested in how this emotion can support today's teenagers. We know that too many teens are stressed-out, overprogrammed, lonely and screen saturated. But they are also at an age where their rapid brain development and heightened emotional sensitivity prime them to feel wonder. Here are three ways to help your teens tap into this protective emotion, and they might reawaken your sense of wonder as well. Young teens are in the throes of identity formation. The activities that bring them joy in fifth grade may all get thrown out the window by eighth grade. Over the course of two years, my oldest child dropped scouting, horseback riding and piano. After some experimenting, she found her way to community theater, art and a local track club. I had signed her up for Girl Scouts and piano years earlier, but adolescence is the time for them to figure out which hats fit them best. Even though it's normal and necessary, this period of rapid change can be confusing to both parents and teens. I used to teach middle school and often heard parents lament, 'I hardly recognize my kid anymore.' How about we replace that lament with 'radical curiosity?' Harvard University psychiatrist Dr. Robert Waldinger introduced me to the phrase as a mindful parenting practice. Look at your child and ask yourself, 'What's one thing about this kid I haven't noticed before?' It can be anything, he told me — even the new way they are parting their hair. Radical curiosity also helps us tune into what brings them wonder, especially when that seems to change every month. What lights them up this month? When we notice their curiosity, we can nurture it. A fascination with 'The Lord of the Rings' books and movies leads them to try a Dungeons & Dragons club. If their face brightens when working with small children or animals, perhaps there's a volunteer opportunity you can help them find. Notice what makes your teens say 'wow' — what gives them goosebumps or expands their minds in beautiful ways. That's how to learn more about who they are right now and who they might become. When we pay attention to our kids' sources of awe, we validate their experiences and invite them to keep exploring. The best part about awe is how ordinary and accessible it is. It doesn't require expensive equipment or a fancy family vacation. In fact, Keltner describes awe as an 'everyday emotion' that we can access during a morning walk or while cheering on the home team. Over the past 20 years, researchers have examined what types of experiences elicit awe. People around the world reported feeling this emotion while exploring nature, enjoying art and music, and contemplating big ideas. Perhaps surprisingly, the most common source of everyday wonder came from observing other people being kind and brave. We are inspired by human goodness. Another source of awe that particularly resonates with teens is collective effervescence. That's the feeling that comes from working with others toward a common goal — the electricity that you feel cheering with a crowd, passing the soccer ball to your teammates during a big game or singing with a choir. For our kids, it's the feeling of belonging to something bigger than themselves. Knowing these sources of awe is a useful mental framework for parents and teens, and it can help us seek out meaningful experiences. Where can we see art in our community? What music currently brings my kids joy — and can I have it playing in the car when I pick them up? How can we become more connected with our local community? What club or sport might be worth trying? What neighbor needs our help? What are some 'good news' moments we can share with each other? How can we all get outside this weekend, for even a few minutes? Teens are astute anthropologists of human behavior. If we want them to feel more of this amazing human emotion, we must become awe-seekers and awe-sharers ourselves. I don't mean we need to approach this in a canned way – no teen wants to hear mom's daily 'good news minute.' Instead, look for ways authentically share those small moments of wonder that you stumble upon. Here's something that has worked for me. Since diving into the research on awe, I've started to follow more nature photographers and artists on social media. The more I choose to follow these types of accounts, the more the apps' algorithms work in my favor. Makeup tips have been replaced by ridiculously beautiful birds. Inspired by these photos, I started a practice I call 'something beautiful every day.' I look for one beautiful thing — a flower on my walk, a song or story, a picture or quote — and I text it to a dear friend who lives 2000 miles away. Sharing amplified my feelings of wonder and helped me feel connected across the miles After a few months of this practice, I thought, 'Why not send these to my teen, too?' Now I often text my daughter my daily photo, quote, story, song or goosebump-inducing reel. And guess what? She started to send me more art, photos and adorable videos of ducks and baby sheep. It's a beautiful counterbalance to other headlines and images that cross my screen, a reminder of the everyday beauty we can find in this messy world. I underestimated how valuable this medium of communication would be for our parent-child relationship — these daily windows into what we each find wonder-ful. Screen time is a never-ending parenting dilemma. As psychologist and HEC Paris business professor Craig Anderson told me, most of the apps we use are not designed to make us feel awe. Nor do they prioritize our well-being, he said. Instead, 'they're designed to keep us in front of the app.' If you want to feel the benefits of 'noticing things like the flowers blooming or the light filtering through the leaves on the trees,' Anderson said, 'your attention can't be wrapped up in a phone.' To which I add, if we can purposefully use a bit of our screen time as a tool for sharing beauty with our teens — and others we love, perhaps we can change our internal algorithm and bend it toward awe. Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN's Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being.

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GAR's Sustainability Report 2024 Shows Company, Customers and Communities Growing Together with Purpose

Teens need more chances to experience awe. Here's how to do it

Teens need more chances to experience awe. Here's how to do it

Girl Scouts honoring women leaders at event in Reading

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Try Our AI Features

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GAR's Sustainability Report 2024 Shows Company, Customers and Communities Growing Together with Purpose

Teens need more chances to experience awe. Here's how to do it

Teens need more chances to experience awe. Here's how to do it

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