The media industry is an extremely special and very important business form among all kinds of industries. It is not only an independent industry that supplies the spiritual and cultural life of the people throughout society in rich content forms, but also has a special dual hub function in China's social and economic structure: on the one hand, it is concerned about national governance, shoulders the mission of public opinion guidance and cultural security, and ensures the security of national ideology; On the other hand, it radiates economic development, connects the production end with the consumption end, and empowers the expansion, transformation and upgrading of thousands of industries.

However, under social responsibility, Chinese media are facing a major challenge. Whether it is over-reliance on short-term traffic, lack of sustainable development ips, or the highly competitive workplace environment and the cooling investment environment, they all point to a common issue - achieving the sustainable development of China's media industry is a long and arduous task. Only a media industry with strong sustainable development capabilities of its own can better shoulder the major responsibility of empowering national governance and enhancing international communication, and can better drive the commercial sustainable development of thousands of industries.

So, how can Chinese media move towards sustainable development? How can numerous enterprises and market entities participate in the sustainable development of China's media industry and contribute to it? A globally recognized path is to practice the ESG concept and break through the virtuous cycle from the path (ESG upgrade of the media industry) to the goal (sustainable development of the media industry).

ESG is a specific practical tool proposed by the United Nations under the macro system of achieving sustainable development, encouraging all entities to take the three dimensions of Environmental, Social and Governance as the paths to achieve the ultimate goal of sustainable development.

In China, with the introduction of three policies, namely the "Guidelines for Sustainable Development Reporting of Listed Companies", the "Basic Standards for Sustainable Disclosure of Enterprises (Trial)", and the "Administrative Measures for Information Disclosure of Listed Companies", it marks that ESG information disclosure in China has evolved from "voluntary disclosure" to "statutory mandatory disclosure", and has officially entered the "securities regulatory field" from the "social responsibility category".

Specifically, when it comes to the sustainable development of the media industry - ESG, it points to a beautiful vision: our future and ideal media industry should be one that adheres to green values (E) in the production process, social responsibility values (S) in the expression of works, modern governance values (G) in the operation of projects and companies, and is a Chinese media industry that can achieve sustainable development and sustainable prosperity.

For this ideal and goal, it is necessary not only to construct an interdisciplinary theory of "media +ESG", but also to build a global path of "China + world". This current situation calls for the emergence of a community of industry-university-research collaboration with an interdisciplinary perspective and a global background

The Centre for Business Sustainability of The Chinese University of Hong Kong has been deeply engaged in the research of sustainable enterprise management. The "Business Sustainability Indices Series" it launched has covered ESG ratings of thousands of industries in the Asia-Pacific region over the past decade, and the research results have attracted international attention. The Institute of National Governance of Communication University of China is deeply engaged in the research of national governance, and is committed to promoting the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity on the basis of accurately grasping the characteristics of China's media. Media No.1 has been deeply engaged in the research of the media industry, reaching nearly 2 million users in the media industry. It is a leading industry media with profound experience, steady growth, strong activity and wide influence, profoundly influencing the cognition and practice of Chinese media professionals.

In view of this, under the guidance of the China News Culture Promotion Association, the Centre for Business Sustainability of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Institute of National Governance of Communication University of China and Media No. 1 jointly initiated the "First China Media Sustainability - ESG List".

The First China Media Sustainable Development - ESG Awards

It includes two lists in total:

The First China Media Industry Sustainable Development Index (List of Listed Companies)

(2) The First China Media Sustainable Development · ESG Works List (Works List)

As a sustainable business investment tool proposed by the United Nations, the ultimate goal of ESG rating is to serve the purpose of helping investors select sustainable development companies and projects with long-term return potential and stable appreciation capabilities for beneficial investment, so as to drive out the bad with the good.

For listed companies, participating in the "First China Media Industry Sustainability Index" will enable them to obtain the SSBS certification benchmark report and rating mark for free, which will help promote their ESG strategies, attract ESG investment, and clarify the improvement direction of their ESG strategies.

For works, participating in the "First China Media Sustainable Development · ESG Works List" enables them to undergo a scientific assessment from an ESG perspective for the first time beyond the content dimension, receiving a different recognition value from previous lists and awards, and allowing the ESG value carried by the works to be seen, recognized and disseminated across the entire network. Expand the future industry development opportunities and potential of the main creator.

Note: The Strategic Sustainability Benchmark Programme (SSBS) is a joint effort of the Centre for Business Sustainability (CBS) of The Chinese University of Hong Kong and SGS (Hong Kong General Testing and Certification Limited). By applying CBS's research methods and framework along with SGS's independent certification, it provides enterprises with a streamlined and efficient tool. To measure and compare the business sustainability performance of enterprises.

SGS Group is a globally leading third-party inspection, testing, certification and appraisal organization, with branches in over 140 countries and regions around the world, covering almost all major economies and trade hubs.