Congratulations to Right People Renewable Energy (RPRE) for winning Business as a Force for Good Award Singapore – 2020 Edition. The Jury was particularly impressed by RPRE’s transformation journey, their commitment to climate and their inclusive company values.
RPRE founder Robin Pho GEMBA’17 has guided his family business, transforming from providing manpower to the energy industry, to fighting climate change in Singapore and Indonesia. His company, RPRE, is a registered social enterprise in Singapore, and is the only certified B Corporation in South East Asia doing renewable energy. RPRE has a triple bottom line of People, Planet and Profit, and has an Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) focus. RPRE helps businesses operating in remote off-grid areas switch from fossil fuel energy sources to clean renewable energy, primarily solar and batteries.
Since inception, they have commissioned the largest solar and battery system for an Indonesian dive resort (Gangga Island Resort and Spa), helped Kuhlbarra – Barramundi Asia, the largest sustainable fish farm in Singapore, switch their floating fish farm from diesel generators to 100% solar, and also install solar for zero energy residential homes in Singapore.
Social impact is an important element in their projects. Often the local community including women and children also benefit, with increased employment, increased income, and having access to clean energy in their environment. One project they are working on is with the UNDP, to provide energy to rural fisherman in Indonesia to make ice, so that they can preserve the day’s catch better and prevent fish from spoiling while out fishing. Other projects in the pipeline include the world’s first floating hospital barge in Indonesia, and floating solar systems for island resorts – so that trees are not cut and land does not need to be cleared.
In addition, they have an inclusive hiring policy such as working with the UNHCR to hire Afghanistan refugees in Indonesia and hiring people from disadvantaged backgrounds (such as persons with disabilities) in Singapore.
RPRE has shown thought leadership and leads the way, showing that business can indeed be a force for good.
We would like to thank all participating companies for their time and effort in building businesses which provide societal impact and enrich the world!
2020 Jury: Anne-Ev Juette-Enzmann MBA’01J, Jaz Athenia Chua TIEMBA’16Jan, Jean-Francois Legourd MBA’12D & Laurent Simon TGM F/S’14Jul.