The ASEAN Simplified ESG Disclosure Guide for SMEs in Supply Chains (ASEDG) Version 1, was launched this week by the ASEAN Capital Markets Forum (ACMF) on the sidelines of the ASEAN Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

ACMF said in a statement on Friday that the ASEDG is aimed at equipping small to medium enterprises (SMEs) across ASEAN operating within global and local supply chains with a simplified reference guide to report on environmental, social and governance disclosures (ESG) to various stakeholders including customers, financiers and investors.

It streamlines and consolidates various global ESG reporting frameworks, such as the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards and the Global Reporting Initiative Standards, as well as local guidelines and frameworks of each of the ten ASEAN member states into a set of 38 priority disclosures which SMEs can consider tracking and reporting against.

It is further categorized into basic, intermediate and advanced, to cater to the different levels of sustainability maturity of each SME. The disclosures are applicable across all industries with different levels of priority, and SMEs are encouraged to determine the significance and relevance of these disclosures to their companies.

“SC Malaysia as the Chair of the ASEAN Capital Markets Forum (ACMF) is pleased to initiate development of this guide as a valuable contribution to our ASEAN counterparts,

“The ACMF remains committed to fostering sustainable and inclusive growth across the region. We encourage SMEs, investors, and all stakeholders to leverage this guide as a catalyst for meaningful ESG adoption,” said Mohammed Faiz Azmi, Chairman of the Securities Commission Malaysia and the 2025 Chair of the ACMF.

Publication of the ASEDG is one of Malaysia’s Priority Economic Deliverables on “Catalysing Access to Financing for a Climate Resilient and Just Transition in ASEAN”, as 2025 ASEAN Chair.

It also complements ACMF’s ongoing efforts to promote corporate sustainability disclosure, a priority recommendation under the ACMF’s Roadmap for ASEAN Sustainable Capital Markets, by serving as a practical resource tool which SMEs in supply chains can consider using to progress in their sustainability reporting journey.

The ASEDG Version 1 incorporates inputs and feedback from all ACMF members and findings from engagements with multiple stakeholders across ASEAN Member States.

As global sustainability standards, customer demands and ESG compliance requirements evolve, it is important to ensure that the Guide remains fit for purpose.

As such, the ASEDG is a living document which may be revised from time to time to ensure it remains relevant.

This document serves as Version 1 of the ASEDG with further consultations planned across ASEAN Member States over the next six months.

The ACMF is a high-level grouping of capital market regulators from all ten ASEAN jurisdictions, namely Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The ACMF is currently chaired by the Securities Commission Malaysia (SCM).

The ACMF’s efforts in promoting corporate sustainability disclosures are led by its Working Group on Disclosure Standards, chaired by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).

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