GCash Wins ESG Awards for Climate Action, Inclusivity

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GCash, the Philippines’ leading financial app, secured two prestigious honors at the ESGBusiness Awards 2024 for its environmental and inclusivity initiatives.

The fintech giant was recognized with the Climate Advocacy and Education Award and the Gender Equality and Women Empowerment Award for its groundbreaking GForest initiative and its commitment to workplace diversity.

GCash’s GForest, launched in 2019, is a climate tech initiative designed to encourage users to engage in reforestation through digital transactions.

The project aims to combat the adverse effects of climate change in the Philippines, which faces increasingly severe weather events like supertyphoons.

“Our goal when we started GForest in 2019 was to make it easier for GCash app users to contribute to environmental efforts through tree planting,” said CJ Alegre, GCash’s Sustainability Head.

Using a gamified approach, GForest allows users to collect energy points from digital transactions, which are then used to plant virtual trees. In turn, GCash, along with international and local partners, plants actual trees across the country.

“At present, GForest has planted over 2.8 million trees, ranging from mangroves to fruit-bearing trees like coffee and coconuts,” Alegre added.

The initiative also supports agroforestry, providing an additional livelihood for farmers who earn an extra PHP 25,000 annually from the trees’ harvest.

By the end of 2025, GCash aims to plant a total of 10 million trees with the help of its 19 million registered users.

In addition to its environmental impact, GCash was lauded for its efforts in promoting gender equality.

The company prioritizes inclusivity, with women representing 47% of its workforce and 49% of leadership roles in 2024—well above industry averages.

“GCash is committed to gender equality and diversity through several key initiatives,” said Robert Gonzales, GCash Chief People Officer.

These include the DEI Day x Day Training program, which has achieved 99% employee participation and 87% certification in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

GCash also implements initiatives like GTalks, connecting employees with women leaders to share career insights and leadership journeys.

GCash President and CEO Martha Sazon expressed pride in the company’s recognition: “This recognition inspires us to strive for a better Philippines—where we can help enable more Filipinos to thrive every day, be prepared for a rainy day, and plan for one day.”