Archive for category: Misc

for the fifth year running

A total of 42 SMEs recently graduated from the SME Supplier Decarbonisation Queen Bee Programme on Oct 7, the first of its kind in Singapore led by City Developments (CDL).

The aim of the programme is to equip small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with knowledge, tools and digital platforms to measure, manage, and reduce their carbon emissions. This initiative makes CDL the first real estate company in Singapore to lead such an effort for SMEs.

The graduation ceremony took place at the Singapore Sustainability Academy, located in City Square Mall, and was officiated by Low Yen Ling, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Culture, Community and Youth. Also in attendance was Sherman Kwek, Group CEO of CDL.

The SME Supplier Decarbonisation Queen Bee Programme was launched in May with the support of Enterprise Singapore and other partners, such as sustainability consultant Global Green Connect and carbon accounting IT solution providers. DBS also served as the programme’s financier partner.

Among the 42 SMEs that successfully completed the inaugural course were companies like V-Plus Agritech, a Singapore-based agriculture-technology firm, Gush, a producer of sustainable paints, GasHub, a local energy provider, Kai Xiang Huat, a B2B fruit wholesaler, Meta Fusion, a design agency, and SAS M&E, a turnkey contractor in air-conditioning and mechanical ventilation.

According to Low, the success of this programme highlights the collective effort of businesses in Singapore, from large real estate groups like CDL, SMEs, and other industry stakeholders, to advance the country’s decarbonisation journey. The launch of this programme coincides with Singapore’s rollout of mandatory sustainability reporting standards, which will require the largest listed companies to report on Scope 3 value chain emissions starting from FY2026. Meanwhile, the timeline for large non-listed companies to implement Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has been deferred to FY2030.

However, Low emphasized the importance of taking into account the challenges faced by SMEs and micro-enterprises in decarbonisation efforts. “We want climate reporting to be meaningful to all stakeholders and not just to tick the boxes,” she added.

The event also saw the launch of the CDL MicroFarm on the sixth floor of City Square Mall. In Singapore, SMEs make up 99% of local enterprises, hire 70% of the local workforce, and contribute 40% of the country’s GDP. Their involvement throughout the supply chain means that it is crucial to strengthen their sustainability capabilities for Singapore to achieve its net-zero ambition under the national Green Plan 2030.

For example, SAS M&E identified that its after-sales support produced significant downstream emissions, accounting for over 30% of its total GHG emissions. The company has since invested in technologies to recover and recycle these fugitive gases. However, SMEs still face challenges in navigating decarbonisation due to their limited resources, manpower, and expertise.

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Donald Ng, director of Kai Xiang Huat, said that implementing green solutions was a challenge due to the company’s limited resources as a small business with no owned property.

With financial subsidies, expert coaching, and innovative digital platforms, this programme makes decarbonisation practical and achievable for SMEs, according to Kwek. He adds that the CDL-led programme will continue to strengthen supply chain resilience by enabling SMEs to adopt carbon accounting, develop decarbonisation roadmaps, and better align themselves with global sustainability reporting standards.

He also believes that in today’s highly competitive economy, SMEs who have the capacity for carbon reporting will stand out as preferred suppliers.

To be eligible for the programme, companies must be business entities registered and operating in Singapore, have a minimum of 30% ownership by Singapore citizens or PRs, be a local SME and existing or potential supplier to CDL, have a strong commitment to decarbonisation, and be open to building capabilities in carbon accounting, emissions tracking, and reporting.

CDL also announced the launch of an abridged version of the programme, the CDL Queen Bee Compact: Accelerating SME readiness for a low-carbon future. This condensed course aims to kickstart sustainability leadership and equip SMEs with essential capabilities, such as developing climate-related reports to stay ahead of growing client procurement requirements.