Semakau, our island landfill, is over half full, and urgent action is needed. With Semakau reaching capacity by 2035, SGFIN’s Prof Johan Sulaeman advocates two key strategies: repurposing ash and a concerted effort to reduce waste, whilst also acknowledging challenges and the need for careful processing. With this being said, Prof Johan still emphasizes the timeless “reduce, reuse, recycle” mantra. He highlights the importance of reducing single-use plastics, especially in food establishments, and making recycling more accessible for households. Singapore’s recycling efforts are on the rise, but challenges like contamination persist.
Links: CNA article | CNA video
At the 2023 GRESB Regional Insights: Singapore event, SGFIN’s Prof Johan Sulaeman moderated a panel on the future of sustainable finance in real estate. The discussion highlighted that sustainable finance products, like green bonds, offer lower interest rates, benefiting developers. However, challenges remain for SMEs in meeting sustainability targets, and future solutions must prioritize reducing carbon emissions in building materials and hard-to-abate sectors. The discussion concluded with a call for a unified ecosystem to support all stakeholders.
At the Asian Downstream Summit & Asian Refining Technology Conference 2023, Prof Zhang Weina, Deputy Director of SGFIN, participated in a roundtable discussion on sustainable and transition finance. She emphasized the importance of adopting sustainable finance principles and frameworks like the Marginal Abatement Cost Curve and circular economy principles to identify innovative solutions for carbon reduction. She also highlighted that sustainable financial products are available for companies committed to achieving net zero goals, incorporating economic, environmental, and social considerations. The discussion also covered insights into the global and Asian transition finance landscape.
Dr David Broadstock, SGFIN Senior Research Fellow and Energy Transition lead, was interviewed by Zaobao with regards to the announcement by City Energy and Gentari to undertake a feasibility study into the potential supply of hydrogen via pipeline between Malaysia and Singapore.
Dr David Broadstock, SGFIN Senior Research Fellow and Energy Transition lead, was quoted in articles appearing in the Straits Times and Eco-Business discussing the conditional support for Singapore to develop and import 1.2GW of low-carbon electricity from Vietnam, which will see Singapore exceed its existing national targets for low-carbon energy.
Dr David Broadstock, SGFIN Senior Research Fellow and Energy Transition lead, gives his thoughts on some of the announcements made at Singapore’s International Energy Week (SIEW). He was interviewed by CNA on the plan to pilot real-time residential energy demand response programme driven by smart technologies. Dr Broadstock was also quoted by The Straits Times in this piece discussing the significant changes announced to Singapore’s natural gas procurement process.
Assoc Professor Zhang Weina, Deputy Director of SGFIN, was interviewed by Channel News Asia to discuss the opportunities for Singapore businesses as the 10-year old China’s Belt and Road Initiative continues to evolve in 2023.
In this commentary, SGFIN Managing Director Prof Sumit Agarwal and Deputy Director Assoc Prof Zhang Weina shared their insights on why multidisciplinary and experiential learning is especially important in sustainable finance education, and the role of industry-academia collaborations in nurturing tomorrow’s talent pool. The reflection marked the inaugural graduating cohort of the Master of Science in Sustainable and Green Finance in July 2023.
In interviews with both CNA and the Straits Times, Dr David Broadstock, SGFIN Senior Research Fellow and Energy Transition lead, discussed the sustainability efforts for the upcoming Formula 1 Grand Prix, and the longer-term aspirations for the event to become carbon neutral-and possibly target net-zero or beyond-within the next few years.
Links: CNA article | CNA video | Straits Times article
Dr David Broadstock, SGFIN Senior Research Fellow and Energy Transition lead, was interviewed live on CNA’s Singapore Tonight, discussing the latest developments in achieving Singapore’s energy transition. The interview considers the importance of the move by the Energy Market Authority (EMA) to provide conditional approval for two gigawatts of new clean electricity imports into Singapore.