Committee 2021 Roundup: Sustainability

Extract from the British Chamber of Commerce Singapore Membership Directory 2021/22, available now to download

2021, what a year it has been for Sustainability. It feels as if this year especially, whilst dealing with the impact of climate change, we have too seen and experienced increased energy in momentum across all sustainability topics, all in the spirit of seeking to understand as we learn through this experience. We have experienced sustainability momentum across dialogue involving critical topics, industry collaboration, companies proactively signing up for the race to net zero, government policy and public consultation, not to mention the numerous events the Chamber has brought to its members. An incredible feat considering we’re still largely within a virtual environment. Within the Chamber itself we have seen the Sustainability Committee grow and evolve, together with increasing reach outs to the committee on what does sustainability mean exactly and how can we better cross-collaborate with industries and our members. Sustainability is a journey where it is everyone’s problem to solve - no one individual, company, government, or community, can solve this on their own. It is in this spirit that the Chamber's Sustainability Committee comes together, a diverse group of companies and individuals who bring subject matter and cross-industry expertise to share together and create the much-needed sustainability dialogue with our members.

Sustainability is not siloed, it is a thread that connects industries, communities, governance, and businesses, where our chamber events over the past 12 months have had this front of mind. The events held have aimed to cover diverse thought leadership for our members– podcasts with industry leading experts, cross-committee events covering technology, innovation, social energy and green economy. We also saw the release of our first sustainability report for the Chamber and a COP 26 focused Orient Magazine edition. An event which was a personal favourite, when we were able to host in-person events, we leaned towards government policy and the all-important Singapore Green 2030 plan requiring mass public and industry consultation to bring this life. We were so fortunate to have 2 sessions, one with Minister Grace Fu, the other with Ministers Louis Ng and Li San Poh who were open and transparent in their sharing on the 2030 plan so far, it’s intent and longer term goal.

What remains front of mind for us as we bring these topics to our members, is the fact within our region we have the opportunity to create leaps and bounds in sustainable development with our diverse cultures, demographics, innovations hubs, business centres and ecosystems, where business can lead the way. As a chamber, we have been focusing on the progress industry is making towards carbon neutrality, holding sector-specific sustainability conversations and what this has meant as we worked towards the now passed 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26). As we write this, we are awaiting the outcomes of the ambitious but poignant COP26, where as a chamber, we remain committed to supporting and promoting the Race to Zero, in addition to catalysing sustainability dialogue and actions across our members and British / Singapore business interests.

The reality for ASEAN, this is just the beginning.  Whilst we have so much to be proud of, momentum alone isn’t enough and there is so much more actionable work to go.

For us, it is with great pride to be part of a business chamber that champions sustainability for its leaders, committees, industry partners and members. The  Chamber's Race to Net Zero campaign is about creating a world that we want to prosper and live in. It is a campaign to rally leadership and support business, cities, regions, investors for a healthy resilient, zero-carbon recovery that prevents future threats, builds innovation, and enables inclusive sustainable growth.

To have tangible and impactful sustainable solutions, we all need to do our part. We have always advocated for business to lead the way in sustainability, by inviting continued dialogue and action in creating inclusive, sustainable and resilient economies.

Watch the Committee's playlist of BritCham webinars on YouTube:

Listen to the Committee's playlist of BritCham Singapore Podcast episodes on Spotify: