EVERY month, an average of 30 employees of global delivery services company EY GDS Philippines plant seeds of hydroponic vegetables on 'sky farms' atop certain buildings to generate enough yield and funding in a fight against hunger. Then, sometime in the year, the rest of the company's 2,500 professionals are invited to plant mangroves with partner nongovernmental organizations in the province of Capiz to restore forestry and prevent land erosion. Those who want to learn more about environmental protection are encouraged to take on additional learning badges as they upskill on topics like climate change, sustainable procurement, the circular economy and sustainable finance.

These corporate social responsibility programs, according to EY GDS executives who held a media roundtable last week, are a response to pressing issues of our time like climate change, while fulfilling a Generation-Z workforce's passionate desire to actually do something about it.