An Interview with Jasmin Lim, Chief Marketing Officer at BH Global

Can you tell us about your role, experience, and expertise in or related to corporate sustainability?

As a third-generation member of a family-owned enterprise, I grew up immersed in the values of long-term stewardship and responsibility. At BH Global, I drive the Group’s Marketing and Strategic Development through Digitalisation and Sustainability initiatives, with these two pillars shaping how our businesses evolve and create impact.

My role is to ensure the Group stays ahead of the curve in sustainability, not merely to comply with regulation but to set a benchmark for our industry peers. Over the years, I’ve worked closely with our subsidiaries to integrate ESG principles into daily operations, from energy-efficient product design to responsible sourcing, employee engagement, and transparent communication.

Sustainability today defines competitiveness. My task is to translate it into tangible strategy, aligning our goals with the IMO’s decarbonisation targets and our commitment to build a more resilient and responsible maritime ecosystem.

What aspects or issues are you most passionate about in corporate sustainability, and why?

To me, sustainability is about embodying the change we hope to see, turning conviction into innovation. We’re most passionate about curating solutions that accelerate the maritime sector’s green transition.

With the IMO 2030 Strategy calling for major carbon-intensity reduction, shipowners and shipyards face mounting pressure to decarbonise. We see this not as a burden but as an opportunity to reinvent how we power, illuminate, and safeguard vessels.

How do you find the state of corporate sustainability today?

Corporate sustainability has matured into a strategic imperative. More SMEs are integrating ESG principles into core decision-making, recognising that sustainability is no longer a standalone effort but a driver of competitiveness and resilience.

While challenges persist, the business landscape is more aligned than ever. Investors, customers, and supply-chain partners increasingly expect measurable action, pushing companies to move beyond commitments toward measurable, operational execution.

What I find encouraging is how companies are shifting from viewing sustainability as compliance to seeing it as a growth pathway, exploring new technologies, forming partnerships, and rethinking long-established processes through a sustainability lens. Sustainability is becoming inseparable from good business, and that gives me tremendous hope.

What are the most pressing gaps and the most difficult challenges in corporate sustainability?

One persistent gap lies in education and mindset. Many still perceive sustainability as an add-on rather than a business enabler. Overcoming resistance to change, especially in traditional industries, requires communication, capacity-building, and leadership by example.

Another challenge is turning ambition into execution. Companies may set targets but struggle with the operational changes needed to achieve them. Companies may set targets but struggle with the operational changes needed to achieve them, whether through redesigning workflows, investing in new technologies, or rethinking long-established processes. Progress demands intention paired with the willingness to rethink how things have always been done.

What are the biggest potential and opportunities you see to address those challenges?

Addressing these challenges begins with equipping people with the right knowledge and tools. When employees understand the commercial value of sustainability through reduced costs or stronger customer loyalty, their mindsets shift from compliance to ownership. Structured training and cross-functional engagement can build a culture where sustainability becomes part of everyone’s job.

Technology and digitalisation also offer significant opportunities. Digital tools help monitor energy use, optimise operations, and identify inefficiencies, turning sustainability into something concrete and actionable. Our own digitalisation efforts, from cloud-based ERP to warehouse systems, have given us clarity and a pathway forward.

Finally, collaboration is essential. No single company can transform a value chain alone. Partnerships between solution providers, shipowners, technology developers, and supporting industries create shared momentum and lower barriers to adoption. Programmes such as LowCarbonSG and alliances like the Coastal Sustainability Alliance show how collective expertise accelerates decarbonisation.

What are the lessons you have learned so far from your experience in or related to corporate sustainability?

With over 13 years in the industry and having watched my father build and modernise the business since I was young, I’ve learned that sustainability is both a legacy and a commitment.

Environmentally, progress comes from persistence: championing energy-efficient solutions long before regulations required them. From a governance lens, transparency and accountability earn stakeholder trust. And on the social front, empowering people, through safety, inclusion, or skills upgrading, is what sustains growth across generations.

The most enduring lesson is that sustainability is a journey of continuous improvement.

What are the most exciting initiatives that you are part of or have encountered?

Across BH Global, we contribute to the mission of a cleaner, smarter maritime industry. We do this through many of our products and services, with highlights such as hybrid propulsion systems (Sea Forrest Power Solutions) that contribute to Singapore’s first hybrid Crew Transfer Vessel, energy-efficient power management (PWR+ Systems), and lighting solutions that reduce waste and emissions (LED Adoption in Maritime).

If you were to share advice you have learned that may be helpful to your peers and sustainability practitioners around the world, what would that be?

My biggest advice is simple: lead by example. Sustainability gains momentum when people see actions, not intentions. Real progress begins with that first step, taken consistently and visibly.

This exclusive interview is part of the GNA X UNGCNS Special Report on Corporate Sustainability, published in collaboration between Green Network Asia and the United Nations Global Compact Network Singapore.

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