Ant Group’s ESG strategy aims to support 100 million SMEs by 2030
1.6.2022 06:07:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
Ant Group, a global technology provider, today announced its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy as part of its latest sustainability report. The ESG strategy, which lays out Ant Group’s sustainable development objectives by 2030, will be implemented across all aspects of the Company’s operations.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220531006112/en/
Four pillars of Ant Group’s ESG strategy and objectives by 2030 (Graphic: Business Wire)
Ant Group’s ESG strategy is focused around four pillars: Digital Inclusion, Green and Low-carbon Development, Open Ecosystem, and Technological Innovation. Each of the pillars has a corresponding sustainable development objective by 2030:
- Digital Inclusion: support 100 million small and micro-sized enterprises (SMEs) and serve communities globally
- Green and Low-carbon Development: achieve corporate carbon neutrality and support business partners and the general public to significantly reduce their carbon footprint
- Open Ecosystem: continue to provide a safe, trusted, diversified and open ecosystem to drive common development with partners
- Technological Innovation: continue to invest in core technology research and development to provide world-leading technological products and services
"We believe these are the most important pillars for Ant Group to achieve sustainable growth in a future-facing, responsible, and responsive manner,” wrote Eric Jing, Ant Group’s Chairman and CEO, in the sustainability report. ”This framework will guide Ant Group’s value creation and sustainable development in the future.”
Ant Group formulated its ESG strategy based on a comprehensive assessment of changing macro environment and policy trends, its own development strengths, and inputs from the Company’s stakeholders, including customers, users, employees, partners and governments. The ESG strategy was finalized after extensive management discussions and a detailed Board review.
After solicitating feedback from stakeholders, Ant Group defined 19 material issues for its ESG strategy, ranging from “responsible products and services,” “facilitating industry-wide carbon neutrality,” “cutting-edge technology discovery and R&D” and “transparency & risk management.”
To provide organizational support to effectively implement the ESG strategy, the Company’s Board of Directors has approved the establishment of an ESG sustainable development committee, comprised of a subset of the Board, responsible for decision-making supervision, risk management and policy making. The Company is setting up an advisory committee consisting of internal and external ESG experts to provide input and support. Ant Group has also set up an ESG sustainable development leadership team, led by the CEO and the Chief Sustainability Officer, as well as working groups for each of the 19 ESG material issues.
“Our ESG strategy originated from our own long-term needs and was not a spur-of-the-moment decision. The pursuit of sustainable development has been inherent in every step of our journey and is not designed to cater to short-term trends, but rather a necessary driver to realize our vision to be a good company that will last for at least 102 years,” added Mr. Jing. “A good company is never independently defined. We will listen to the opinions and suggestions from all parties with an open mind and welcome supervision and guidance from all of our stakeholders.”
As part of its “Technological Innovation” pillar, Ant Group has been increasing its R&D investments, which grew at an annual rate of more than 39% for three consecutive years (2018-2021), with total R&D spending in 2021 exceeding RMB 18.8 billion (approx. USD 2.77 billion). These investments enabled the Company to continuously turn technological breakthroughs into innovative, inclusive and reliable products and services to support the digital transformation of industries and better anticipate the evolving needs of an increasingly digital global economy. In 2021, MYbank, an Ant Group associate and an online SME bank, leveraged digital technology to deliver convenient, accessible and responsible collateral-free financing services to 45 million SMEs.
In February 2022, Ant Group was recognized as a Top 100 Global Innovator™ 2022 by Clarivate™. This prestigious annual list identifies global companies and institutions that contribute new ideas, solve problems and create new economic value.
Since 2017, three years after Ant Group’s establishment, the Company has steadily introduced and advanced its ESG assessment framework and published an annual sustainability report, compiled according to the Global Reporting Initiative standards. These reports, including the latest 2021 edition with the Company’s ESG strategy, can be found on Ant Group’s website (Chinese only for now, English edition will be online in the coming weeks).
About Ant Group
Ant Group aims to build the infrastructure and platforms to support the digital transformation of the service industry. Through continuous innovation, we strive to provide all consumers and small and micro businesses equal access to digital financial and other daily life services that are convenient, sustainable and inclusive.
For more information, please visit our website at www.antgroup.com or follow us on Twitter @AntGroup.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220531006112/en/
Contact information
Media Inquiries
Le SHEN
Shenle.sl@antgroup.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Battery Ventures Raises $3.25 Billion to Back Innovative Tech Companies Worldwide18.2.2026 11:00:00 EET | Press release
Battery Ventures, the global, technology-focused investment firm, has closed a new, $3.25 billion fund to continue backing technology companies globally with a focus on the U.S., Europe and Israel. The new fund, Battery Ventures XV, comes on the heels of 15 announced exit events for the firm in 2025. Over the last five years Battery funds have realized more than $10 billion in liquidity, a testament to the firm’s stage-diversified approach. “We’re excited to build on our past success and partner with new, innovative companies in this dynamic market—driven, in large part, by the rise of artificial intelligence,” said Michael Brown, a Battery general partner. “To us, AI is ushering in one of the most consequential eras in the history of technology. We understand the gravity of this moment and feel well-suited to capitalize on the opportunity, given our global reach and decades-long focus on software and enterprise tech.” Battery will use the new capital to continue investing in companies
NICT Showcases Beyond 5G/6G Technologies at MWC Barcelona 202618.2.2026 10:00:00 EET | Press release
National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Japan’s leading public research organization in information and communications technology, today announced that it will exhibit at Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona 2026, taking place from March 2–5, 2026, at Hall 6, Stand F54. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260216620427/en/ NICT BOOTH NICT’s presence highlights Japan’s leadership in Beyond 5G and 6G research and development activities, addressing the growing limitations of current mobile networks as data traffic and connected devices continue to increase across Europe and globally. While 5G deployment is expanding, emerging applications such as AI-driven services, real-time analytics, and immersive communications demand higher capacity, stability, and resilience. At MWC Barcelona 2026, NICT will present a series of live demonstrations showcasing cutting-edge technologies, including t
BEYOND Developments Unveils EVERMORE Masterplan on Marjan Beach in Ras Al Khaimah18.2.2026 08:00:00 EET | Press release
BEYOND Developments unveiled EVERMORE, its first fully masterplanned destination on Marjan Beach in Ras Al Khaimah, marking the opening chapter of BEYOND’s 2026 growth strategy and a bold expansion beyond Dubai. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260217969384/en/ EVERMORE by BEYOND Developments - The Essence of French Living at Marjan Beach, Ras Al Khaimah (Photo: AETOSWire) Strategically located opposite Wynn Al Marjan Island, EVERMORE is a long-term lifestyle and residential waterfront district framed by the sea and Marjan’s future botanical garden. The masterplan blends French classical elegance with contemporary architecture, integrated nature, and lifestyle-focused placemaking, creating a distinctive setting where architecture, hospitality, and public spaces harmonize with water and greenery. Mahdi Amjad, Founder and Executive Chairman of BEYOND Developments, said: “Ras Al Khaimah is witnessing a new phase o
Westlake Epoxy Expands Distribution Relationship with Brenntag to India18.2.2026 03:30:00 EET | Press release
Westlake Corporation (NYSE: WLK) today announced that Westlake Epoxy will expand its long‑standing distribution relationship with Brenntag to South and West India. The agreement builds on a successful collaboration across Europe, North and South America, and Southeast Asia, extending Westlake Epoxy’s reach into one of the world’s fastest‑growing coatings, adhesives and construction markets. Under the expanded collaboration, Brenntag will distribute Westlake Epoxy’s established portfolio of epoxy solutions for coatings, adhesives and construction applications, including the EPON™, EPIKOTE™, EPIKURE™ and EPI‑REZ™ product lines. Customers are expected to benefit from reliable local supply, technical service and application‑focused formulation support tailored to regional requirements. India’s coatings, adhesives and construction sectors continue to grow, driven by infrastructure investment, urbanization and increasing performance expectations. By combining Westlake Epoxy’s proven epoxy te
Compass Pathways Launches Proposed $150.0 Million Public Offering17.2.2026 23:06:00 EET | Press release
Compass Pathways plc (Nasdaq: CMPS), a biotechnology company dedicated to accelerating patient access to evidence-based innovation, announced today the launch of a proposed public offering of $150.0 million of American Depositary Shares (“ADSs”), each representing one ordinary share, and in lieu of ADSs, to certain institutional investors, pre-funded warrants to purchase ADSs. All securities are being offered by Compass Pathways. Compass Pathways expects to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional $22.5 million of ADSs at the public offering price, less the underwriting discounts and commissions . The proposed offering is subject to market and other conditions, and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the proposed offering may be completed, or as to the actual size or terms of the proposed offering. Jefferies, TD Cowen, Cantor and Stifel are acting as joint book-runners for the proposed offering. H.C. Wainwright & Co. is also acting as lead mana
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom