Top Glove’s ‘negative’ emissions come under fire; issue underscores minefield in emissions reporting

RUBBER glove giant Top Glove - which made its debut on S&P Global’s sustainability yearbook this year - reported a negative figure for total scope 3 emissions in its last financial year, as the company included avoided emissions from recycling.

But the practice has been flagged as among the “most outrageous” errors found in the climate disclosures of listed companies in Singapore and Malaysia, and demonstrates the significant technical challenges that emissions reporting poses to companies and investors alike.

In a presentation to The Business Times, Max Lee, chief executive officer of Malaysian climate tech startup Pantas, said companies are not supposed to claim negative emissions from recycling.