Singapore Business Federation (SBF) has introduced a training programme to help companies embark on their sustainability journey, starting with the adoption of energy-efficient solutions or green energy.
The programme, dubbed MAP — mindset shift; analysis of potential and pathway assignment, is the third in its series. It is organised together with sovereign wealth fund GIC for business leaders across various sectors.
The current run of this programme involved over 500 participants from 300 companies and was launched on Sept 20.
When it was first introduced in March 2021, the focus was on the wholesale and retail trade sector, while the second spotlighted the logistics sector. According to SBF, some 600 companies have benefited from the initiative to date.
Tuesday’s programme focused on helping businesses stay ahead of the sustainability curve, with participating companies attending workshops, technology demonstrations and receiving one-to-one consultations from partners on adopting green solutions and reducing carbon emissions.
The Energy Market Authority (EMA), Workforce Singapore (WSG), TotalEnergies ENEOS, T-RECS.ai and SKP held a seminar on efficient energy management, the benefits of carbon credits and renewable energy certificates, and the importance of developing in-house sustainability expertise.
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Meanwhile, the Infocomm Media Development Authority’s (IMDA) design thinking workshop made the case for decarbonisation in companies’ business strategies. Businesses also learned how to manage utilities and costs from SP Digital.
Lam Yi Young, chief executive officer of SBF, says: “Sustainability is increasingly a critical and integral part of business strategy for businesses. The third run of our MAP initiative brings together partners from both the private and public sector to help guide and support businesses, in particular SMEs, on their sustainability journey.”
Rachel Teo, head of sustainability and head of total portfolio sustainable investing at GIC, says: “Sustainability remains integral to GIC’s mandate, and we believe that sustainability issues such as climate change, have a material impact on companies and physical assets, affecting their operations and financial performance and shaping their long-term value. We are pleased to be working with SBF to integrate our investing principles on long-termism, values, strengths and risks, and highlight the critical need for SMEs to adopt sustainability in their business practices, prepare them for the future, and join the fight against climate change.”
Ralph Foong, deputy chief executive, energy planning and development division, EMA, says: “The impetus for energy transition to address climate change has underscored the need for the global community, including Singapore, to change the way we produce and consume energy. Businesses have a key role to play, and EMA is pleased to work with SBF to promote an enabling environment for businesses to adopt green energy solutions as well as improve energy efficiency as Singapore moves towards a sustainable future.”
