March-April. 2026 | @ green

CLEAN NICKEL: PT Vale Indonesia strengthens its sustainable finance strategy with a US $ 750 million ESGlinked loan, supporting cleaner nickel production and Indonesia ' s energy transition.

The facility, which includes a US $ 250 million greenshoe option, was backed by 14 international banks and oversubscribed by 1.7 times, underscoring lenders ' strong confidence in the company ' s credit profile, project pipeline, and ESG-focused growth trajectory.

Structured under PT Vale ' s Sustainability- Linked Financing Framework, the loan is tied to two key performance indicators: reducing carbon emissions intensity and increasing renewable energy consumption.

Both metrics received a " strong " rating from an independent Second Party Opinion provider and align with the Paris Agreement 1.5 ° C pathway and Indonesia ' s Nationally Determined Contributions.

The financing comes amid rising global demand for responsibly produced nickel, driven by electrification, energy storage and decarbonisation efforts. PT Vale is positioning itself as a relatively low-carbon producer, supported by its hydropower-based operations.

PT Vale President Director and Chief Executive Officer Bernardus Irmanto said the facility represents a significant milestone in aligning the company ' s financing approach with its decarbonisation agenda and longterm growth ambitions.

" This facility marks an important step in our journey to align our financing strategy with our decarbonisation agenda and longterm growth ambitions," he said.

" We remain committed to delivering highquality nickel with a lower carbon footprint, while supporting Indonesia ' s downstreaming agenda and contributing meaningfully to the global energy transition."

UOB Indonesia Wholesale Banking Director Harapman Kasan said transition financing is becoming increasingly critical as Southeast Asia ' s nickel sector evolves.

" This transaction reflects our commitment to aligning financing structures with measurable sustainability objectives, while supporting Indonesia ' s broader industrial and energy transition priorities," he said.

DBS Bank ' s Metals and Mining Global Head Mike Zhang noted that the metals and mining sector plays a pivotal role in enabling the energy transition and must demonstrate credible, measurable sustainability progress.

TCL is embedding ESG principles across its global operations as part of a long-term strategy to drive sustainable growth and shared value, said TCL Founder and Chairman Li Dongsheng, during a dialogue with the United Nations Global Compact( UNGC).

Speaking in the UNGC ' s " ESG + 20 Sustainability Leaders Interview Series ", Li outlined how the company is integrating ESG into its industrial chain, advancing green transformation and strengthening community investment across its global value chain.

Li said manufacturing remains a major energy consumer, requiring companies to innovate in production technologies and workflows to reduce emissions. TCL ' s display unit, TCL CSOT, implemented multiple energy-saving measures in 2024, cutting electricity consumption by 220,000 MWh.

In October 2025, the company announced plans to build a printed OLED production

SUSTAINABILITY PUSH: TCL reaffirms its commitment to the UN Global Compact principles, linking environmental responsibility with long-term business performance.

line designed to reduce power consumption compared with traditional vacuum evaporation processes, lowering carbon emissions at source.

On the product side, TCL ' s FreshIN energy-saving air conditioner received the " AI Energy-Saving Technology Gold Award " at IFA 2025 in Berlin for its low-carbon design. Meanwhile, TCL Zhonghuan is supporting the global expansion of clean energy through its core products, contributing to the transformation of energy infrastructure.

As a leading company within its supply chain, TCL, through TCL Industries and TCL Technology, has set supplier requirements covering labour rights protection and operational compliance, encouraging ESG adoption among upstream and downstream partners.

Li said TCL adheres to " the highest standards " as it expands internationally, navigating varied regulatory environments. From acquiring the colour television business of Thomson and the mobile phone operations of Alcatel in 2004 to establishing manufacturing bases in Mexico and Vietnam, the company has shifted from exporting products to building local industrial capabilities. – @ green