ACEN Renewable Energy Solutions (ACEN RES), the retail electricity arm of the Ayala group, partnered with international fashion enterprise Golden ABC, Inc. (GABC), owner of The Penshoppe Group, to power the latter’s corporate office in Quezon City with 100% renewable energy.
Through a Retail Electricity Supply Agreement, the partnership allows ACEN RES to support GABC’s pivot towards more sustainable practices by procuring renewable energy from ACEN’s diverse set of solar and geothermal assets, potentially avoiding 2,540 metric tons of carbon emissions equivalent to around 552 cars off the road per year.
GABC, the company behind famous fashion brands Penshoppe, OXGN, ForMe, Memo, Regatta, and BOCU, switched to ACEN RES under the government’s Retail Competition and Open Access (RCOA) program as mandated by the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA).
RCOA empowers customers with a minimum average monthly demand of 500 kilowatts to directly purchase electricity from licensed retail electricity suppliers such as ACEN RES. Such initiative likewise aligns with GABC’s long-term sustainability roadmap.
The retail group has carefully endeavored to implement greener practices and technology throughout its headquarters and facilities, as well as across its supply chain and operations. Similarly, through its corporate social responsibility program, Get Up, GABC has already commenced some of its sustainability practices in partnership with the likes of Plastic Credit Exchange.
Alice Liu, president of Golden ABC Inc., shared that Environment is one of the company’s CSR pillars: “We have been doing several initiatives, from forest planting to removing plastic packaging from our stores, from using biodegradable polybags to creating environmentally sustainable fashion collections, and many more.”
“As the business expands, our power needs for our day-to-day operations grow too. Switching to renewable energy is a natural choice so we can continue serving our customers while we take care of the planet. We are in this for the long haul, and fittingly, Stewardship is a core value of The Penshoppe Group. Our partnership with ACEN RES will help us do our part in securing a good future for the next generations,” she added.
To date, some of the group’s green milestones include its commitment to ensuring 80% recovery of waste by December 2028, the groundbreaking of its forthcoming solar-powered facility, conserving 1 million gallons worth of water by converting to recycled water for flushing, using sustainably sourced materials (including PET bottles) and less water for some of its garments, and shifting to 100% sustainable packaging.
Miguel de Jesus, ACEN COO for Philippine operations, said, “We are happy to partner with the Penshoppe Group, a proudly Filipino company whose innovation in the fashion retail space is nothing short of inspiring. We hope that this partnership with ACEN RES, which allows the Penshoppe Group to tap renewable energy for their dynamic operations, will help them innovate even further.”
As the supply retail electricity arm of the Ayala group, ACEN RES is leading the way in encouraging businesses and industries to switch to renewable energy through RCOA and the Green Energy Option Program (GEOP) and reinforce the global decarbonization agenda.
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