Samsung Electronics Awarded 'Community Care Company of the Year' at 2016 Asia Corporate Excellence and Sustainability

Students learning essential skills required in the digital age at one of the Smart Learning Centres in Thailand (Source:PENDING)

BY DANIEL YOO (INFO@KOREAITTIMES.COM): SINGAPORE, Nov. 18, 2016 -- Samsung Electronics has been named "Community Care Company of the Year" at the 2016 Asia Corporate Excellence and Sustainability (ACES) Awards. Samsung has clinched the highest accolade in this award category, in recognition of its excellence in community outreach and sustainability efforts -- a testament to Samsung's continued commitment as a global citizen to inspire and create a positive difference around the world.

Students learning essential skills required in the digital age at one of the Smart Learning Centres in Thailand

"Samsung is honoured to be recognised for our community care efforts once again and it gives us tremendous pride to be awarded the highest accolade for this category this year. We strongly believe that success goes beyond tangible business achievements, and giving back to the communities that we operate in has always been an integral part of our brand philosophy. Over the years, we have established scalable and sustainable Citizenship programmes across the region, with education being at the core of how we serve our community. We look forward to continuing our efforts to improve the quality of life for all," said Irene Ng , Vice President, Corporate Marketing, Samsung Electronics Southeast Asia & Oceania.

The Asia Corporate Excellence & Sustainability (ACES) Awards recognises outstanding companies and individuals across two domains; leadership and corporate social responsibility. The Top Community Care Companies category celebrates companies who have enriched communities through various outreach initiatives. Recipients of this award category demonstrate exemplary citizenship efforts in caring for and promoting the wellbeing of communities at large.

"The ACES Awards champions companies in Asia that have exhibited revolutionary leadership and sustainability. Winners of the Top Community Care Companies in Asia category have demonstrated active citizenship in promoting the well-being of society at large and Samsung has emerged top of that category," said Dr Jayanthi Desan , Jury Panel of ACES Awards.

Education as the Seed of Innovation: 

Across Southeast Asia and Oceania, Samsung has established more than 160 Smart Schools and Libraries to bridge the digital divide and to help students take a smarter approach to education. By collaborating with government bodies and local non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the Samsung Smart Schools and Libraries harness technology to create immersive learning opportunities for the students, through tailored edu

Beyond the pursuit in the education, Samsung alcation programmes, as well as enrichment and infotainment content. To date, the Smart Schools and Libraries in the region span across nine countries -- Australia, Singapore , Indonesia , Malaysia , the Philippines , Thailand , Vietnam , New Zealand and Taiwan .

Additionally, 20 Samsung Tech Institutes have also been developed to nurture talent across the region, providing youths with opportunities for a better future, while simultaneously addressing the industry shortage of technical talents. The Samsung Tech Institutes in Malaysia , Singapore , Laos , Cambodia , Myanmar , Philippines and Indonesia continue to work with educational partners to ensure that youths are given the best-in-class training environment and practical lessons, equipping them with the necessary skills that prepare them for the workforce.

Empowering Communities beyond Education: 

Beyond the pursuit in the education, Samsung also recognises the need to tackle other key issues. The Samsung SONO Schools in Vietnam , Malaysia , Indonesia , Thailand and the Philippines support hospitals and medical facilities as a technology partner, providing equipment such as ultrasound systems, electronic boards and large-format displays (LFD). In partnership with local medical associations and institutions, the SONO Schools also feature customised training curricula for medical students, with a focus on ultrasound diagnosis, obstetrics and gynaecology.

Aspiring to enhance the meaningful engagement with local communities, Samsung has also launched its flagship regional citizenship programme, Culture.Connect, which celebrates the distinct aspects of the culture and heritage of each market, across a variety of cultural passion points -- including Food, Arts & Culture, Music and Landscapes & Landmarks.

Aspiring to enhance the meaningful engagement with local communities, Samsung has also launched its flagship regional citizenship programme, Culture.Connect, which celebrates the distinct aspects of the culture and heritage of each market, across a variety of cultural passion points -- including Food, Arts & Culture, Music and Landscapes & Landmarks. Source: http://www.koreaittimes.com/

Read More........ → 06:20

American Beverage Association Spending Millions Fighting “Soda” Tax

By Paul Ebeling: A recent series of measures to tax sugary drinks, in an effort to fight obesity and diabetes, are forcing soda companies such as Coke (NYSE:KO), and Pepsi (NYSE:PEP) to reinvent themselves and diversify not only their business model, but their public image

Voters and lawmakers in 5 municipalities such as San Francisco and the county that includes Chicago approved special taxes on sugary drinks last week, with advocates saying the victories point to a change in public attitudes and the beginnings of a movement.

The push against sugary drinks has been backed by Michael Bloomberg, who as mayor of New York lost a bruising fight to limit the size of sugary drinks.

If this national wave of anti-soda sentiment doesn’t immediately hurt the bottom lines in the earnings of such soda giants as Coke and Pepsi, it should be enough to shake C-suite officials.

Healthy eating activists say that the passage of the soda taxes could significantly improve Americans’ health. A recent study by Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health found that Bay Area taxes could result in a nearly 20% drop in soda consumption and decrease the incidence of diabetes by 4% in the area by Y 2018 when the taxes take full effect.

More than $40-M has been spent fighting the Bay Area soda taxes, $20-M of which came from the American Beverage Association, the soda industry’s trade organization.

“We respect the decision of voters in these cities,” the ABA said in a statement following the passage of the laws. “Our energy remains squarely focused on reducing the sugar consumed from beverages — engaging with prominent public health and community organizations to change behavior.”

Executives at Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are staunchly opposed to the soda taxes.

“Soda taxes are there to balance budgets,” PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi said. “They have nothing to do with public health.”

Sandy Douglas, the president of Coca-Cola North America said in a statement: “We believe there are better alternatives for encouraging moderation in sugar consumption than higher taxes.”

Even though soda taxes may decrease consumption on a local level, it’s unlikely they will have major impact on sales anytime soon. The bigger issue facing soda companies like Coca-Cola and Pepsi is public perception.

In the US there are 7 cities that now have special, per-ounce taxes on sugary drinks. All were approved in the past 2 years, and got backing from Bloomberg Philanthropies, as well as from Laura and John Arnold.

Others that passed last week were in Oakland and Albany, California, and Boulder, Colorado. They follow Berkeley, California, in Y 2014, and Philadelphia this summer. Bloomberg Philanthropies said it will help others that come forward.

Pepsi and Coke are moving to diversify their offerings and grow sales of drinks such as tea, coffee, and bottled water. Coke and Pepsi also are cutting sugar in existing beverages.

One way soda companies are combating the decline in consumption is by shrinking the size of cans and bottles. Smaller cans, for example, contain fewer total calories than large bottles, which may make them more appealing to the consumer. They also generally cost more per ounce.

Eat healthy, Be healthy, Live lively Source: http://www.livetradingnews.com/

Read More........ → 08:23