Wasco Berhad has received regional recognition for embedding sustainability principles directly into its financing strategy, winning the Sustainable Finance and Investment category at the Forward Faster Sustainability Awards 2026. The award marks a milestone for the Malaysian energy solutions provider as one of the first corporates in Southeast Asia to operationalise the ASEAN Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance within a formal financing framework.

The Forward Faster Sustainability Awards are organised by the United Nations Global Compact Network Malaysia and Brunei and recognise companies that demonstrate measurable progress in integrating environmental, social and governance considerations into core business and capital allocation decisions.

Translating ASEAN Sustainability Policy into Corporate Finance

Wasco was recognised for its Sustainable Transition Finance Framework, a corporate financing structure designed to align borrowing activities with the ASEAN Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance. Rather than treating the taxonomy as a disclosure or classification exercise, the framework embeds taxonomy-aligned criteria directly into financing agreements, linking capital deployment with defined sustainability outcomes.

The ASEAN Taxonomy, first introduced in 2021 and updated most recently in Version 4 released in November 2025, provides a science-based regional framework for identifying sustainable and transition economic activities across Southeast Asia. It was developed by central banks, capital market regulators and financial authorities across ASEAN to address inconsistencies between national definitions of sustainability that have historically limited cross-border sustainable finance flows.

Wasco’s framework demonstrates how the taxonomy can be applied in a real corporate setting, offering lenders and investors standardised metrics, transparent eligibility criteria and clearer visibility into how financing supports environmental transition objectives.

Embedding Sustainability into Capital Structure Decisions

According to Giancarlo Maccagno, Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of Wasco, the award reflects the company’s belief that sustainability must shape how growth is financed rather than exist as a parallel compliance exercise. He noted that the Sustainable Transition Finance Framework connects capital allocation directly to measurable environmental performance, strengthening investor confidence and supporting the broader energy transition underway in Southeast Asia.

This approach represents a shift from conventional sustainability reporting models, where ESG disclosures often sit outside financial decision making. By integrating sustainability performance targets into financing agreements, Wasco has aligned economic incentives with environmental outcomes, ensuring that sustainability considerations influence real capital flows.

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Mobilising Capital Through Transition-Aligned Financing

The framework has already delivered concrete financial outcomes. Through its Sustainable Transition Finance Framework, Wasco secured a US$25 million sustainability-linked loan and converted existing conventional and Islamic banking facilities into sustainability-linked instruments. These facilities include performance targets aligned with the company’s commitment to achieve net zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2026.

Unlike traditional green loans that restrict proceeds to specific environmental projects, sustainability-linked loans tie financing terms to the achievement of predefined sustainability performance targets. This structure allows flexibility in capital use while embedding accountability through pricing adjustments linked to sustainability outcomes.

The conversion of existing facilities demonstrates a whole-of-balance-sheet approach, ensuring sustainability considerations influence all financing relationships rather than being limited to isolated green instruments.

ASEAN Transition Finance Comes into Focus

Wasco’s recognition comes as sustainable and transition finance gains momentum across Southeast Asia. Five ASEAN member states, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, have developed or implemented national sustainable finance taxonomies that increasingly align with the regional ASEAN Taxonomy framework.

As financial institutions place greater emphasis on credible transition strategies, companies seeking sustainability-linked financing are increasingly required to demonstrate clear governance structures, interim targets and alignment between capital expenditure plans and environmental objectives. The award reflects growing regional expectations that sustainability commitments must be embedded into financial architecture rather than positioned as aspirational statements.

The ASEAN Taxonomy’s tiered structure, which includes both a Foundation Framework and a more rigorous Plus Standard, is designed to support companies at different stages of sustainability maturity. Wasco’s implementation highlights how this structure can function as a practical business tool while maintaining credibility and comparability.

Independent Validation of ESG Performance

The Forward Faster award follows a broader strengthening of Wasco’s ESG profile. The company recently improved its FTSE Russell ESG Rating to 4.4 out of 5.0, placing it in the 98th percentile among global Oil Equipment and Services peers. The improvement was led by a sector-leading Social Theme score of 5.0, reflecting performance across areas such as labour practices, health and safety and community engagement.

Wasco has also maintained its inclusion in the FTSE4Good Bursa Malaysia and FTSE4Good Bursa Malaysia Syariah indices and received recognition at The Edge ESG Awards 2024 for both sector performance and sustained improvement over time. Together, these benchmarks provide third-party validation that the company’s sustainability commitments translate into measurable outcomes.

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Financial Performance and Strategic Positioning

Wasco’s sustainability progress has taken place alongside solid financial performance. The company reported revenue of RM3.18 billion in 2024, representing year-on-year growth of 21.8 percent, with net profit rising to RM166.32 million. Improved balance sheet discipline has reduced the company’s gearing ratio, enhancing financial flexibility for future investment.

Strategically, Wasco is expanding into renewable and low-carbon infrastructure through subsidiaries such as Wasco Greenergy, while diversifying geographically with new facilities in markets including the United Kingdom, Indonesia and the Middle East. These moves reflect a broader repositioning toward energy transition infrastructure and services.

A Model for Regional Sustainable Finance Implementation

Wasco’s Sustainable Transition Finance Framework provides a practical reference point for other ASEAN corporates seeking to align financing structures with regional sustainability standards. The experience demonstrates that taxonomy alignment can be achieved through close collaboration between finance, sustainability and governance functions, supported by clear eligibility criteria and transparent reporting mechanisms.

As ASEAN continues to harmonise sustainable finance frameworks and scale transition finance, implementations such as Wasco’s illustrate how regional policy tools can translate into actionable corporate financing models. The Forward Faster Sustainability Award recognises not only Wasco’s achievements to date, but its role in advancing the practical application of sustainable finance standards across Southeast Asia.

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