SUBANG JAYA: Taylor's Education Group (TEG) has institutionalised environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles across its three higher education institutions and seven international schools in Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam.
Chairman Datuk Loy Teik Ngan said this is a coordinated, group-wide push towards climate-conscious learning and campus operations.
“At Taylor’s, we see sustainability as a core responsibility of a future-ready institution. Our efforts are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 13 on climate action,” he said at the Taylor’s ESG Festival, themed “Embedding Impact: From Action to Culture”, held at Taylor’s Lakeside Campus.
Loy added “By embedding ESG into our campuses and daily operations, we are well positioned to strengthen our resilience to climate-related risks, contributing to the global net-zero movement, and nurturing a culture of sustainability in our students, staff, and leadership.
“Sustainability isn't just a target to meet; it's a mindset we nurture, a behaviour we model, and a culture we live every day. Our goal is not just to create sustainable campuses, but to inspire a generation that sees sustainability as second nature, wherever they go and whatever they do.”
Loy shared that initiatives such as 360-degree leadership appraisals and staff welfare improvements which were initially implemented without an ESG label are now recognised as part of TEG's broader social governance framework.
“We realised many things we were already doing like fostering transparency and launching affordable quality education through Lexel International School are in fact aligned with ESG. Knowing this, we can now be more intentional.”
Loy said Lexel within Gamuda Gardens is aimed at providing quality education for families seeking affordable international education.
Taylor’s ESG strategy focuses on three pillars – delivering measurable impact, building sustainable learning environments, and embedding ESG principles into everyday operations.
The first pillar strategy includes the deployment of a centralised impact measurement dashboard, designed to track carbon emissions and sustainability performance across all its institutions.
“This system enables each institution to take ownership of its sustainability journey—using data to guide decisions and track progress,” Loy said, adding that the dashboard also enhances transparency towards the group’s net-zero goals and enables student-led research through “living lab” opportunities.
The second pillar focuses on turning campuses into living examples of sustainability, aligning with Unesco's Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) framework.
Key initiatives include the Green Classroom Initiative, featuring recycled furnishings, natural ventilation, energy-efficient lighting and a no single-use plastic policy; the Sustainable Transport Plan, which aims to electrify shuttle fleets by 2030, expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure, promote carpooling and optimise commuting schedules using transport data; and Net-Zero Energy Campus pilots, such as British University Vietnam's EDGE-certified buildings alongside, solar panel installations, and Taylor's University's thermal energy storage system to reduce peak energy demand.
The third pillar involves operational integration of ESG values through the rollout of a Green Procurement Policy, which prioritises low-emission, ethically sourced products and services.
The festival gathered over 230 participants in a dynamic celebration of climate action, featuring corporate sustainability leaders, student-led initiatives, and social enterprises – marking a bold step in embedding ESG into campus culture and inspiring the next generation of changemakers across Southeast Asia.
