E X P L O R I N G H U M A N I T Y ’S E N V I R O N M E N T

A BIANNUAL NEA PUBLICATIONISSUE SIX: MAY/JUNE 2014

ASIA’S ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES HOW TO ENHANCE GREEN PRIVATE INVESTMENT CHINA’S PART IN GLOBAL RESOURCE RECOVERY RECYCLED PLASTICS GET SMART IN MALAYSIA SOLAR LEASING ADVANCES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA SINGAPORE COMPANIES TAPPING RECYCLING FUNDS ENERGY EFFICIENCY EXPERTS SHARE SECRETS TO SUCCESS LEADING GOVERNMENT CHANGE FOR SUSTAINABILITY LATEST GREEN HACKS FROM AROUND THE WORLD ENABLING MORE LIVEABLE CITIES HOW TO FIX NOISE AND CLEANLINESS ISSUES SINGAPORE A GROWING GREEN JOB MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

STRENGTHENING THE GREEN ECONOMY

STRENGTHENING THE GREEN ECONOMY

Stepping up in Asia

MORE GREEN JOB TRENDS – PLUS – JUNKYARD

PLANET BOOK GIVEAWAY

WINNERINTERNATIONAL CONTENT

MARKETING AWARDS 2013 AND

APEX AWARDS 2013

WINNERINTERNATIONAL CONTENT

MARKETING AWARDS 2013 AND

APEX AWARDS 2013

02

MANAGING ECOLOGICAL PUBLIC HEALTH RISKS

03ISSUE 6

MANAGING ECOLOGICAL PUBLIC HEALTH RISKS

010

011

NOTE FROM THE EDITORIAL TEAMRecent years have seen interconnected

environmental and economic predicaments shift the discourse on growth and its implications. Concepts like green economy

have emerged and received political and business traction.

Such a response is not surprising: the promise of new industries, job creation, and development – all while decreasing and decoupling from harmful environmental pollutants like greenhouse gas emissions – gives heady promise for leaders of businesses and countries alike. But how much of these are merely green visions versus reality?

ENVISION features many case studies of technology, best practices, systems, and policies taking shape in this avenue. Renewable energy technologies are gaining ground, and companies are transforming their value chains and cutting energy consumption. There is increasing interest in a so-called “circular economy”. This economic model aims to loop in the linear industries that currently wreak environmental destruction through their externalities. It’s not far-fetched either – there are already companies making it happen.

Encouragingly, author Adam Minter notes many industries worldwide are currently reliant on reclaimed resources for their production. And perhaps the most positive economic sign: there are emergent ranks of green jobs and training opportunities in many parts of the world that can put more workers at the front lines of affecting change.

In developing regions like Southeast Asia, such innovations may make a sustainable difference for the lives of millions and the environment they depend on. As the ADB notes however, this will take significant investment and policy interventions in the face of many local challenges. Many historic assumptions still used today do not adequately take into account the true value of natural systems, and the true cost of faulty economics. Reconciling these discrepancies won’t come easily.

On a planet with seven billion people, major transformations aren’t an overnight affair. But the developments we see in this issue, alongside many others globally, may signal paradigm shifts in the ways our economies work. As Dr Martin Shaw said, “A lot of opportunity is going to arrive in the next 20 years disguised as loss.” Whether it is through a green economy or something entirely new that emerges from such beginnings, those that are prepared will prosper.

013ISSUE 6

PublisherNational Environment Agency (NEA) 40 Scotts RoadEnvironment Building #13-00Singapore 228231

CEORonnie Tay

DCEO AdvisorKhoo Seow Poh

Editorial Committee ChairOng Eng Kian

Editorial Committee MembersRam Bhaskar, Dulcie Chan, Chua Yew Peng, Dalson Chung, Fong Peng Keong, Derek Ho, Koh Kim Hock, Kulaveerasingham Suresh, Ong Soo San, Desmond Tan, Tan Wee Hock, Toh Wee Khiang, Wong Chin Ling, Evon Wong Editorial LeadChris Tobias

Special thanks toAndy Clapham, Adam Linter, Crispian Lye, Stephen Phoon, Kian Seah, Carynn Tey, Yuen Sai Kuan, Ziga Zarnic

NEA Contributors and AssistanceChew Ming Fai, Lydia Goh, Ho Cheng Hoon, Rabeeah Shiek Mohamed Ismael, Leow Beng Kwang, Bryan Mah, Gillian Oh, Mao Taohong, Geraldine Poh, Sharon Seah, Jessica Tan, Leidia Tan, Teoh Soon Kay, Jelita Teper, M. Thirukkumaran, Noraizah Zainal Abidin

Photography byKeshav Sishta

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Comments and opinions made by external contributors and parties interviewed by ENVISION Magazine do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the National Environment Agency (NEA) nor the Singapore Government. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained therein, the NEA bears no responsibility for correctness of content from external parties, unintentional errors, or omissions. All adverts on this magazine are displayed purely with an intention of advertisement and no endorsement or approval by the NEA of any product, service or supplier should be implied, nor will any liability be accepted by the NEA in this regard. All materials remain the copyright of the NEA, unless otherwise stated and no reproduction is permitted without the written authorisation of the NEA and/or the contributors.

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For feedback, comments and contributions, please email nea_envision@nea.gov.sg

ISSN 2251-3922

The National Environment Agency’s technical publication ENVISION Magazine has won three international publications awards. The magazine secured two Awards for Publication Excellence (APEX) in the Green Magazine and Green Writing categories. It also won a Bronze Award for Best Government Publication from the US-based Content Marketing Awards, and was shortlisted as a finalist for the UK-based Content Marketing Awards. Thanks to the ENVISION editorial committee members, contributors, editors, designers and NEA staff involved, our advertisers and the ongoing feedback from readers like you.

Portrait CMYK.pdf 1 4/26/12 1:10 PM

015ISSUE 6

GLOBAL BRIEFING20 Towards environmentally

sustainable growth in Asia-Pacific Key issues, progress and drivers

of change

24 Building a case for green private investment

OECD on loosening the carbon grip and supporting investment in green infrastructure

MARKET DYNAMICS28 The circular movement Building a “green” economy means

competitive businesses are cutting waste and closing industrial loops

RESOURCE RECOVERY32 Behind the business

of resource recovery Recycling expert Adam Minter

shares insights and opportunities in this global industry

38 Driving recycling innovation Process integration and smart

plastics prove a potent combination for business growth

42 Recycling success Incentives and action priming the way

for competitive business advantages

CONTENTS

20

32

24

38

016

017ISSUE 6

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY48 The rise of solar leasing Installation affordability reaches

new zenith

54 Digest this Biomass and biogas technology is

proving to be an increasingly profitable waste management option in Asia

ENERGY EFFICIENCY60 Taking the lead in

environmental sustainability Reducing the impact of government

energy use

66 Award-winning, energy efficiency insights that get results

A new breed of award-winning energy managers in Singapore is helping pave the way to substantial energy savings and bottom line boosts

73 Enhanced labels for better decisions Revised energy labels and extension

of performance standards to enable household energy efficiency

48 60

66 54

CONTENTS

CREATING LIVEABLE CITIES74 Creating liveable cities A survey on how advancements

in areas like noise control, public cleansing, technology, and infrastructure can enable a high standard of living in modern Asian cities

76 Pump up the volume control New incentives to quiet construction site noise

018

CONTENTS

019ISSUE 6

CREATING LIVEABLE CITIES81 Getting spotless Raising standards, productivity

and professionalism in Singapore’s cleaning industry

85 Business providing urban environmental solutions to developing cities

A company profile of Keppel Seghers

ENGAGEMENT88 Growing the collaborative spirit Leading companies scaling CSR efforts

with youth and communities

HACKS94 Inspiring International Ideas Creative and innovative environmental

solutions sourced globally

GREEN JOBS100 Working in the little “green” dot Singapore’s emergence as an Asian

green job capital

OPPORTUNITIES106 Career change? Roles for professionals serious about

helping safeguard, nurture, and cherish our environment

88

10081

CONTENTS

020

GLOBAL BRIEFING

Key issues, progress and drivers of change

TOWARDS ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE GROWTH IN ASIA-PACIFIC

021ISSUE 6

ASIA WAS AN economic powerhouse in the 1700s but gradually lost ground during the industrial revolution. The region re-emerged

economically post WWII, and Asia has seen tremendous success in creating wealth and reducing poverty in many countries.

But inequality has been an unfortunate by-product of development, and many indicators like health, sanitation and hunger

are still far from ideal. Worse, damage to the environment has been significant in the absence of many precautions and effective

enforcement. Overall, results in developing Asian countries are weak when it comes to meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and a variety of sustainable development and environmental indicators.

Regional mega challengesAgainst this backdrop, the region now faces six so-called “Mega Challenges” that will shape its fate in the decades ahead,

ContributorDr Bindu N. Lohani,Vice-President, Knowledge

Management and Sustainable Development, Asian Development Bank (ADB)

022

GLOBAL BRIEFING

and determine whether countries can successfully avoid the “middle income country trap” (eg where economic growth flattens out and lingers at middle income levels). They are:

l Addressing inequalities and disparities such as tensions, migration issues, conflicts, and social stability risks within a country

l Avoiding the middle income trap by creating inclusive growth that encompasses the large middle class, is supported by sound and efficient financial systems and a skilled labour force

l Massive urbanisation balanced by the notion of liveable cities to reduce urban poverty and stresses from environmental issues

l Global competition for finite resources checked by shifts in growth patterns and lifestyles away from unsustainable consumption

l Disparities between countries and sub-regions addressed by better balancing prosperity to avoid creation of significant tensions between nations

l Environment and climate change challenges met through pragmatic green growth model opportunities, prudent infrastructure investment and development within environmental constraints

Sustainable development in the post-2015 development agenda Through the years, environmental issues have increasingly become part of the development agenda. This can be seen from the major milestones in the development of global environmental policies which provide the context and framework for sustainable development.

In 2000, the MDGs were established and include MDG7 on environmental sustainability. The 2006 Stern Review discussed the effect of global warming on the world economy, and at the UNFCCC COP 15 in 2009, also known as the Copenhagen Accord, there was a commitment to establish a “Green Climate Fund”. Starting 2009,

green economy and green growth were highlighted by the OECD Declaration on Green Growth, the UNEP’s Green Economy Report (2010), and Rio+20 (2012) which supported the development of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Global discussions are ongoing regarding the next steps, particularly now that the 2015 MDG finishing line is drawing close. Three main types of proposals are currently being considered:

l MDG+ model – this is seen as the base case, retaining focus on the current MDGs, which apply to developing countries, but make MDG7 (environmental sustainability) and MDG8 (global partnerships for development) applicable to all countries.

l Integrated Sustainable Development Model – this is sometime referred to as the MDG++ model. This would include the adoption of a broader set of 10-12 goals (building on the MDGs), that include additions like access to energy, food security, governance etc.

l Transformational model – this is the most aspirational proposal. It might include a broader set of 10-12 human welfare centred goals (like MDG++), but with economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability integrated within each goal.

“THERE HAS BEEN A SHIFT TOWARDS MORE RESILIENT

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT, AN AIM

TO ACHIEVE GAINS IN RESOURCE-EFFICIENCY”

Dr Lohani at the inaugural Asia Environment Lecture

023ISSUE 6

Key regional environmental trends and implicationsBoth regionally and globally, current rates of consumption are completely unsustainable and the ecological footprint of many Asia-Pacific countries grows higher per capita as they industrialise. In this context, environmental trends, their implications, and necessary actions are as follows:

Severe economic risks of climate changeADB calculates that direct physical losses from climate events are outpacing growth in GDP in Asia-Pacific. In the case of the 2011 flooding in Thailand, the single incident took out an estimated 9 per cent of the county’s GDP for the last quarter of the year. The economic risks of climate change are incredibly high:

l The costs and risks of climate change is equivalent to losing at least 5-20 per cent of global GDP per year

l The economics of containing global warming below 2°C will mean an annual cost of 1 per cent GDP

l India and SE Asia could lose on average 2-3 per cent and as much as a 9-13 per cent (95 percentile) of GDP by 2100

l Based on ADB studies, economy-wide loss by 2100 can be as high as: i) 6.7 per cent of GDP per year for Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam ii) 8.8 per cent of GDP per year for Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka iii) 5.3 per cent of GDP per year for PRC, Japan, Republic of Korea, and Mongolia

The economics of climate change should not be taken lightly by decision-makers, but unfortunately much of the communication around climate risks has been very poor and misleading. While there has been much talk, genuine progress towards climate adaptation with regional governments has proven difficult. In many cases, beyond communication and understanding, governance structures also need improvement.

Encouraging green growth Recognising the significance of these implications, the ADB has embraced green growth as a means of alternative economic development. There has been a shift towards more resilient infrastructure development, an aim to achieve gains in resource-efficiency, and to achieve resilience against climate change and other systemic shocks.

In response to the climate change threat, ADB is promoting a shift to sustainable infrastructure, investing in natural capital, and pushing for strengthening of governance and management capacities.

The years to 2020 will require US$8 trillion regionally in infrastructure investment. ADB has shifted its lending criteria since the 1970s to prioritise green growth (eg movement away from traditional coal plants to carbon capture and storage plants). This aims to encourage sustainable infrastructure development, which accounts for around 70 per cent of operations.

Clean energy, sustainable transport, water financing, and urban operations programmes have become key offerings. ADB has also undertaken serious work to leverage knowledge in green growth areas to share best practice and solutions. Presently, it is expanding centres of excellence and knowledge hubs by sector to share knowledge both in the Asia-Pacific region and globally.

The original version of this article was issued as a learning report for the inaugural Asia Environment Lecture where Dr Lohani was the distinguished speaker. The event was co-organised by National University of Singapore and National Environment Agency’s Singapore Environment Institute.

Sector/Area Present Status/Immediate Trends Action Needed

Energy Demand projected to nearly double in Asia-Pacific Prioritise energy efficiency

region by 2030, and it is unlikely that renewables will (in many countries there is low-

be able fill this gap and supplant the use of fossil fuels. hanging fruit in reducing source

demand)

Promote renewable energy

development

Transport This sector represents the fastest growing source of CO2. Transport sector transformation

Regional vehicle numbers doubled in the last decade: cars urgently needed

and motorbikes are still the widespread options of choice,

and present investments in transport “lock in” a trajectory Need new approaches to finance

that does not encourage public transport options until 2020. transport and encourage

infrastructure investment

Urban 44m people per year are added to Asian cities, and three Need to turn cities into green,

per cent annual growth expected. While centres of economic smart, inclusive, competitive

growth, urban centres also have 500m urban poor regionally, places

growing inequality, constitute 60-80 per cent of energy

consumption and 75 per cent of carbon emissions. Urban Emphasis needs to be placed

mobility is also strained and produces enormous economic on making Asian cities liveable

costs, and cities face complex public financial management

challenges.

Water Demand expected to exceed sustainable supply resulting in In the near future, more draconian

40 per cent gap by 2030, especially acute in India and PRC. water regulation measures may

Water security has key aspects like household, urban, be needed for certain industries/

environmental, disaster resilience, and economic dimensions. uses

Big focus in years ahead will be on

security of supply, reduction of use,

reuse and recycling of water

Biodiversity Key populations of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and Need to protect, restore, and

amphibians declined by 64 per cent in past 30 years – twice enhance the management of

the global average – and this trend is likely to continue ecosystems

without mitigation, which has been slow to come as people

find it difficult to prioritise/invest in protecting biodiversity. Greater attention needed on

Ocean health is one particularly acute issue that does not get oceans and coasts

enough action.

Economic valuation of ecosystems

services needs to be integrated in

decision-making

Climate vulnerability 7/10 of the world’s most vulnerable countries are in the Need to address mitigation and

region, and there is enormous risk of coastal flooding. adaptation to climate change

Need to strengthen disaster risk

management and financing

024

GLOBAL BRIEFING

WHY IS GOING “GREEN” and decarbonising vital? With a rapidly growing population of more than seven billion

and a hesitant recovery from the global crisis, the world faces complex economic, environmental and social challenges. But a time of economic challenge and upheaval can be a spur to re-think our economic model and better equip our societies to adapt to the changes afoot.

Green growth is one response the OECD

has pioneered to meet the challenge of rising population, the demand for higher living standards, and environmental degradation. Of the environmental challenges we face, climate change is expected to have the greatest impact globally. In terms of

human and economic loss, hard evidence is emerging that damage from meteorological, hydrological and climatic events is rising.

Typhoon Haiyan that hit the Philippines in early November 2013 killed over 8,000 people and resulted in an estimated US$13 billion in economic losses and US$1.5 billion in insured losses. With US$43 billion worth of economic loss from environmental disasters, 2013 was among the costliest years on record since 1950.

Unabated climate change poses great

ContributorSimon Upton,Director, Environment

Directorate, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

OECD: Loosen the carbon grip and support investment in green infrastructure

BUILDING A CASE FOR GREEN PRIVATE INVESTMENT

025ISSUE 6

Wind turbine installation in Thailand

026

GLOBAL BRIEFING

risks to economic growth and development of cities, particularly in Southeast Asia. Guangzhou, Zhanjiang, Mumbai and Palembang, for example, are among cities at high risk of annual economic losses due to floods. China’s third-largest city Guangzhou is among the world’s top four cities – along with Miami, New York City and New Orleans – that account for 43 per cent of estimated global losses as of 2005.

Addicted to fossil fuelsIf we are to meet the goal of keeping global warming to two degrees, governments need to engage now to get on the right track to achieve zero net greenhouse gas emissions from combustion of fossil fuels in the second half of this century. Given the urgency of doing so, why does the global dependence on fossil fuels appear to be unshaken?

Firstly, there is an abundance of fossil fuels. Roughly 1.2 trillion barrels of oil have been consumed worldwide to date, while proven and other recoverable reserves total another six trillion barrels. Coal and gas are similarly plentiful.

Secondly, the entire physical fabric of our built civilisation has been constructed on the basis of access to dense, convenient fossil fuel. But the lock-in extends beyond that: institutional, contractual and regulatory regimes have been designed for a fossil world. Undoing it will not be easy. For example, many countries are facing challenges with regulatory constraints on the ownership of electricity system assets or long-term contracts that discourage competition and entry of renewable energy suppliers.

Finally, those who own fossil energy reserves will naturally try to defend their value. This is not just a question of private interests. Globally, many governments have

a huge stake in the fossil economy. OECD governments are receiving around US$200 billion per year from royalty payments, taxes and other revenue streams associated with upstream oil and natural gas rents. But that is small alongside the dependence of some non-OECD governments on income from oil and gas. Some cannot survive without the huge rents they extract. This is what we call carbon entanglement.

Loosen carbon grip and support investment in green infrastructure How can we untie this carbon entanglement? How can we move to a low-carbon economy that is climate resilient? Such a transition needs decisive shifts in investment flows towards infrastructure that will ensure a low emissions future.

The importance of infrastructure for green growth lies in its durability. Once big infrastructure investments are made, we live with the consequences for decades. The shift toward green investment may require additional spending in the short term, but it could also result in net savings in the long run with system-wide efficiency gains. On the other hand, continuing investment in

fossil fuel infrastructure risks locking-in carbon emissions for decades to come. As an asset class, infrastructure receives little attention from long-term investors. “Green” infrastructure receives less again. There is an urgent need to build a business case to boost such investments.

About US$2 trillion is currently invested annually in infrastructure, including transport, energy and water (Figure 1, OECD, 2013). This figure, which excludes transportation vehicles and buildings, represents about four per cent of global GDP, and is based on average annual expenditure over the past 18 years. An additional US$1.2 trillion is required annually to meet global infrastructure needs to 2030, irrespective of climate-change constraints.

The “green” shift may require additional global spending – an upper-end estimate puts this in the order of a further 11 per cent or around US$350 billion per year. It is, however, possible that greening infrastructure investment could result in net savings instead, with some studies suggesting this may be as much as US$450 billion annually or around 14 per cent less costly than traditional infrastructure investment needs.

For example, potential savings could stem from energy and transport transformations that entail better and more efficient utilisation of electrical systems and increased use of rail and port infrastructure for transport, once capacity is freed up through decreased fossil fuel trade. The IEA has estimated that each additional dollar invested today in clean energy could generate three dollars in future fuel savings by 2050.

Policies to foster green investmentGlobally, a “long, loud and legal” approach to green growth policies is needed to ensure stability and reduce uncertainty for investment. Smarter investment choices are what matters rather than merely unlocking enormous amounts of additional capital.

Note: 1. Infrastructure sectors include transport (road, rail,

ports, and airports; excluding vehicles), energy and water.

2. Annual average of the last 18 years, representing 3.8%

of global GDP 3. Annual average needs for the period

2012-2030 in transport, energy and water. Based on

an estimate of infrastructure that would be sufficient to

support anticipated growth and maintaining current levels

of infrastructure capacity and service relative to GDP. 4. The

lower bound is based on Kennedy and Corfee-Morlot (2013),

the upper bound on WEF (2012). Both figures exclude

buildings and transport vehicles.

FIGURE 1. THE ANNUAL GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT GAP – AN ILLUSTRATION

Current Infrastructure investments

USD

tri

llion

s/ye

ar

Infrastructureinvestments

needs to 2030

Infrastructureinvestments needs – 2C

4.0

3.5

3.0

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

0

+59%

+11%

-14% ?

Source: OECD (2013), Long-term investors and green infrastructure, Policy Highlights, OECD Publishing.

Solar plant installation in Thailand

027ISSUE 6

These were the key conclusions drawn by investors and government representatives at the OECD Green Growth and Sustainable Development Forum in December 2013.

For example, the right investment policy framework could also mobilise pension funds in OECD countries, which held around US$22 trillion in assets in 2012 but currently allocate only about one per cent of their assets to direct investment in infrastructure, and an even smaller slice of this to green infrastructure.

So, what constitutes the right policy framework for green investment? First, carbon pricing – whether through an emissions trading system or a carbon tax – is the cornerstone of “investment-grade” green policy making. However, the absence of robust and coherent mechanisms and political uncertainty hamper strategic investments in green infrastructure. For example, in China and India as well as in many other countries like the US, Chile or Poland, there is considerable scope for increasing the environmental tax rate and broadening its base towards non-energy taxation (Figure 2).

It is also recognised that introducing carbon taxes can be consistent with keeping economies on course. Sweden’s charge on emissions of nitrogen oxides and British Columbia’s carbon tax are cases in point. For example, British Columbia introduced a carbon tax of CA$10 per tonne of CO2 in July 2008, with pre-announced annual increases to reach CA$30 per tCO2 in 2012. While British Columbia’s GDP tracked that of Canada’s during 2008-11, consumption of taxed fuels fell by 17.4 per cent in BC while it increased by 1.5 per cent in the rest of Canada (Harrison, 2013).

Second, countries need to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, which are currently estimated at around US$600 billion per year globally. These are not just subsidies for consumers but also support to oil and gas companies for exploration and exploitation of new fossil reserves. Applying energy subsidies or tax

breaks universally – for example through low petrol or electricity prices for all – is ineffective and inefficient.

Third, governments need to stand back and consider the entire range of signals they are sending to consumers, producers and investors. Governments need to examine how they can help to improve the risk-return equation for the private sector and draw capital market investment into green projects, for instance through better vehicles and de-risking techniques. Retroactively changing policy can undermine investor confidence and lead to contagion well beyond the jurisdiction in which the changes occur, as we have recently seen in the renewables sector.

What has worked, and what remains to be doneGreen growth can only be delivered if there is coordination across ministries and disciplines. Policies will differ among countries due to their different states of economic development and different national circumstances. However, common to all is the need for a coherent, cost-effective and ambitious set of domestic policies that are commensurate with the scale of the transformation required.

Since the launch of its Green Growth Strategy in 2011, the OECD has been working with countries to integrate green growth objectives into economic and industrial policies and to support progress through core OECD surveillance reports: the Economic Surveys, Environmental Performance Reviews, Investment Policy Reviews, and Innovation Reviews. The OECD has also been extending its expertise to partner countries, with many focused on developing Asian cities and ASEAN countries.

A greener growth model needs effective communication and measurement. The OECD has developed green growth indicators to provide an objective basis for charting progress. Countries need to get a very firm grip on the numbers – governments cannot afford unnecessarily costly policies so understanding what the most cost effective policy interventions would entail is vital.

If there is clarity around what greener infrastructure would entail – and what it would cost – progress could be readily tracked. Without clear indicators to help measurement of progress across key sectors, the transition to a green economy simply will not happen. The Green Growth Knowledge Platform Scoping Paper Moving Towards a Common Approach on Green Growth Indicators (prepared jointly by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), the OECD, UNEP and the World Bank) is a milestone of successful international cooperation to facilitate countries’ attempts to marry green with growth.

All of this is work in progress. But it is serious work, not a bunch of slogans. There is nothing easy about changing a growth model that has taken fossil fuel for granted. But the OECD takes resource and environmental challenges seriously. They cannot be wished away. Cost-effective policies, rigorous measurement and stable long term policies will collectively get us there if we take the long view.

MEX

USA

CAN

NZL

CHL

JPN

ESP

SVK

FRA

CHE

AU

S

POL

BEL*

DEU PR

T

NO

R

ISL

IRL

GBR LU

X

SWE

AU

T

KOR

EST

GRC

*

CZE

HU

N ITA

FIN

ISR

TUR

NLD

*

DN

K

SVN

OEC

D**

CHN

ZAF

BRA

*

IND

*

PER

GTM

URY

COL* NIC

ARG CR

I

DO

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Energy Motor vehicles Other

Total 2000

*2011 data; **refers to OECD weighted average

5

4

3

2

1

0

-1

%GDP

Source: OECD/EEA database on instruments used for environmental policy.

FIGURE 2. REVENUES FROM ENVIRONMENTALLY RELATED TAXES (PER CENT OF GDP IN 2000 AND 2012)

“APPLYING ENERGY SUBSIDIES OR TAX

BREAKS UNIVERSALLY – FOR EXAMPLE THROUGH

LOW PETROL OR ELECTRICITY PRICES FOR

ALL – IS INEFFECTIVE AND INEFFICIENT”

028

IT USED TO BE that businesses could afford to think of their value chain as one long line: take raw materials, manufacture into a product to be used,

and then disposed in a landfill. There’s a slight problem with this cradle-to-grave mindset: on a planet with both finite resources and where nature acknowledges nothing as waste, this logic doesn’t stand up. As a result, resource scarcity and pollution are becoming more obvious in all corners of the globe.

Increasingly, industries that used to rely on seemingly endless supplies of energy, water and other resources are feeling pressure. From 2002 to 2010, commodity prices rose

by almost 150 per cent, according to the World Economic Forum, and many precious metals are in rare supply. Communities are increasingly sensitive as to how their local environment is impacted. From water issues in India, to deforestation in Southeast Asia, to air quality in China – the effects of pollution are stark and impactful, causing many to call for a green economy. World leaders say business should clean up its act and pursue a greener path. But how?

Whether from the perspective of the value chain, public perception, or risk mitigation, there are numerous reasons why global business should change – if only for their own self-interest. But many have

stumbled attempting to green up, settling for piecemeal activities and clever marketing rather than real solutions to environmental conundrums. Perhaps the vagueness of “going green” is part of the problem: until now, getting granular has proved challenging and produced poor results.

Rise of the circular economyThis has begun to shift with the coalescing of the so-called “circular economy”. A number of related concepts percolating worldwide (see sidebar) have all hinted at the same mandate: close industrial loops that were once linear, view waste as resources to be used effectively (not just efficiently),

Building a “green” economy means competitive businesses are cutting waste and closing industrial loops

THE CIRCULAR MOVEMENT

029ISSUE 6

MARKET DYNAMICS

WE ARE STILL LOSING TONNES OF MATERIALMillion tonnes, EU27, 2010E

GLOBAL RESOURCES EXTRACTION IS EXPECTED TO GROW TO 82 BILLION TONNES BY 2020Global resource extraction1 Billion tonnes

Other1

Households

Metal ores

Fossil energy carriers

Biomass

Non-metallic minerals

Per capitaTonnes

1980 2002 2010E2 2020E

% change, 1980-2020

Industrial

Mining & quarrying

Construction Minerals

Metals

Animal & vegetalPaper & woodGlass & plasticsOther3

Energy production

Water collection treatment & supply2

1 Includes services and agriculture forestry & fishing2 Also includes sewage and other waste management

activities3 Includes used oils, rubber, textiles, household waste,

chemical waste, and other non-specified

1 Resource used: amount of extracted resources that enters the economic system for further processing or direct consumption. All materials used are transformed within the economic system, including material used to generate energy and other material used in the production process2 Forecasted from 2002 OECD figures and OECD extraction scenario for 2020

Source: Eurostat waste statistics (2011)Source: OECD; Behrens (2007); WMM Global Insight; Ellen MacArthur Foundation circular economy team; Towards the circular economy: economic and business rationale for an accelerated transition, copyright Ellen MacArthur Foundation, analysis by McKinsey & Company, January 2012

Total end-of-life

streams

Recycled, composted, and reused materials

60%

of total waste is not

recycled, composted or reused

4

40

6

558

65

11

82

8

11

12

15

12

16

16

20

1622

2736

200

81

67

116

9.1 8.7 9.5 10.6

CAGR:+1.8%

and stand to profit handsomely. Gone are the days of being less bad; business should be doing more good – in short, taking a restorative approach.

While numerous players have helped champion these concepts in many guises, recent years have seen the Ellen MacArthur Foundation aim to unite them under one agenda: get on with the business of accelerating a circular economy.

This means that what were once disparate industrial processes now become interlinked, and in a sense mimic the natural ecology of the planet. In the same way fallen leaves and biomass become nourishment for a forest, the leftover plastics and heat from one industry can be inputs for another. In this sense, industry can become restorative in reabsorbing both biological and technical nutrients without polluting the biosphere and draining resources.

Increasing buy-inWhile one might rightfully be sceptical of businesses clambering to get on board (“going green” was its own mantra in recent years after all), the circular economy was

raised to the global fore at the recent World Economic Forum in Davos. It has also seen significant support across Europe and the UK. Already, there are promising signs that recession battered businesses are taking the concepts seriously, with some already taking the dive.

There is good motivation to do so: the Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates the material cost savings of adopting a more

restorative approach for business at over US$1 trillion per annum by 2025.

With mounting pressure on natural resources and many commodities facing price volatility, the more rapidly businesses begin the shift to circular models, the quicker they can realise both economic and environmental improvements.

Circular solutionsWhile there is significant financial promise for companies willing to make the transition, it means rethinking and recrafting their business models. What might this look like?

For many product driven companies, a shift to a product-as-service approach may be necessary. If precious and increasingly expensive raw materials are going out the door to customers as, say, a mobile phone or washing machine, it makes business sense to get these back for remanufacturing. This will help keep the value of the materials in the company that made the products in the first place.

This isn’t a bad thing – building long-term relationships with customers carries benefits of its own. From flooring tiles to office equipment, many companies are already

“WHILE THERE IS SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL

PROMISE FOR COMPANIES WILLING TO MAKE THE TRANSITION, IT MEANS

RETHINKING AND RECRAFTING THEIR BUSINESS MODELS”

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experimenting with leasing options that allow for product take-back and replacement.

Then the challenge becomes setting up global reverse supply chain networks – the mechanism for taking back. These pose challenges from a logistical point of view, both in terms of finding an economical way of transporting the materials to a point of remanufacture and also in a legislative climate that may restrict movement of certain material deemed as “waste”.

Once back at the factory, used products can then be disassembled, and their components and materials refurbished and reused. Designing products for disassembly up front can help: there’s no reason to use

RELATED CONCEPTSThe notion of the circular economy has been refined and developed by the following schools of thought:

Regenerative designIn the US, John T Lyle laid the foundations of the circular economy framework developing ideas on regenerative design that could be applied to all systems, ie beyond agriculture, for which the concept of regeneration had already been formulated earlier.

Performance economyWalter Stahel, architect and economist, sketched in his 1976 research report to the European Commission The Potential for Substituting Manpower for Energy, co-authored with Genevieve Reday, the vision of an economy in loops (or circular economy)

and its impact on job creation, economic competitiveness, resource savings, and waste prevention. Credited with having coined the expression “cradle to cradle” in the late 1970s, Stahel worked at developing a “closed loop” approach to production processes and created the Product Life Institute in Geneva more than 25 years ago.

Cradle to CradleGerman chemist and visionary Michael Braungart went on to develop, together with American architect Bill McDonough, the Cradle to Cradle™ concept and certification process. This design philosophy considers all material involved in industrial and commercial processes to be nutrients, of which there are two main categories: technical and biological. The Cradle to

Cradle framework focuses on products with positive impact and reducing the negative impacts of commerce through efficiency.

Industrial ecologyIndustrial ecology is the study of material and energy flows through industrial systems. Focusing on connections between operators within the ‘industrial ecosystem’, this approach aims at creating closed-loop processes in which waste serves not as a by-product but as an input.

BiomimicryJanine Benuys, author of Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature, defines her approach as ‘a new discipline that studies nature’s best ideas and then imitates these designs and processes to solve human problems’. Studying a leaf to

invent a better solar cell is an example. She thinks of it as ‘innovation inspired by nature’.

Blue EconomyInitiated by former Ecover CEO and Belgian businessman Gunter Pauli, the Blue Economy is an open-source movement bringing together concrete case studies, initially compiled in an eponymous report handed over to the Club of Rome. As the official manifesto states, ‘using the resources available in cascading systems, (…) the waste of one product becomes the input to create a new cash flow’. Based on 21 founding principles, the Blue Economy insists on solutions being determined by their local environment and physical/ecological characteristics, putting the emphasis on gravity as the primary source of energy.

glues or welding when screws, pegs, or other semi-permanent fasteners can function just as well.

When the materials are back into their

raw form or basic components, companies can reuse them or pass them on to others. This implies that companies become increasingly managers and traders, able to

Mining/materials manufacturing

Farming/ collection1

Biochemical feedstockRestoration

Biogas

Anaerobic digestion/ composting

Extraction of biochemical feedstock2

Cascades

Technical nutrientsBiological nutrients

Recycle

Refurbish/ remanufacture

Refuse/redistribute

Maintenance

CollectionCollection

Leakage to be minimised

1 Hunting and fishing2 Can take both post-harvest and

past-consumer waste as an input

Source: Ellen MacArthur Foundation circular economy team, adapted from the Cradle to Cradle protocol and Walter Stahel’s Performance Economy

THE CIRCULAR ECONOMYIndustrial system that is restorative by design

Parts manufacturer

Product manufacturer

Service provider

Energy recovery

Landfill

“FROM FLOORING TILES TO OFFICE EQUIPMENT, MANY COMPANIES ARE ALREADY

EXPERIMENTING WITH LEASING OPTIONS THAT

ALLOW FOR PRODUCT TAKE-BACK AND REPLACEMENT”

Biosphere

Source: Ellen MacArthur Foundation

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buy in materials from other industries where needed, or sell used materials to those in need.

This in turn implies that new symbiotic business relationships may need to emerge, with companies locating near others that are a part of their loop. This can be challenging, but many brands are already starting to overcome this by closing loops both regionally and globally, within their companies as well as with other complementary industries.

Rebuilding the value chainIn France, car maker Renault has made strides in remanufacturing many mechanical components such as vehicle water pumps and engines, saving US$270 million and reducing energy use by 80 per cent, water use by 88 per cent, and waste by 77 per cent.

Japanese office solutions provider Ricoh has also worked on designing for remanufacturing with many recycled items properly processed and reused back with brand new machines.

The company aims to cut new resource use by 25 per cent by 2020 from 2007 levels, and target reductions or alternatives for high depletion risk substances by 2050.

Telco Vodafone has rolled out buy back programmes in several markets. Used handsets are collected and transported to Hong Kong and China for refurbishment and resale in secondary markets.

Retailers H&M and Marks & Spencer have both begun in-store clothing collection with a view to reuse or recycling. H&M collaborates with reverse logistics company I:CO which collects and sorts the clothes for reuse, recycling, or energy generation. Of items collected, 40-60 per cent are selected for resale worldwide, 5-10 per cent are reused for things like cleaning cloths, and 30-40 per cent are used in manufacture of insulation and noise dampening products.

China’s renewable energy giant Trina Solar has pre-empted the obsolescence of first-generation panels. The company has already begun developing reverse logistics protocols and recycling standards and technologies to handle spent PV panels in the coming years.

Accelerating effortsThese are just a handful of efforts going on globally that showcase the early adoption of circular economic principles. It is highly likely that green efforts like these will continue to grow as major companies increasingly work with suppliers, vendors, and customers to close loops and make improvements.

TRANSITION TO CIRCULAR ECONOMY: EXAMPLES OF CIRCULAR BUSINESS MODEL ADOPTION

EXAMPLES ILLUSTRATIVE

Mobile phone Light commercial vehicle (LCV) Washing machine

From... To... From... To... From... To...

Product Highly integrated Component Limited degree Design for Efficiency gains Regular softwaredesign product designs standardisation of modularisation disassembly: in energy updates and and low degree (eg, displays) (eg, bolted wider design and water upgrades of of component disassembly connections in of engine bay consumption electronics and standardisation (eg, clip-hold LCV engine bay) and use of quick drive economic sensor systems assembly) fasteners obsolescence post sale and limit lifetimes

Business Low customer Deposit payment Customer Warranty offered Customer Creation ofmodels incentives to or leasing concerns about on refurbished concerns about transparent return devices models quality of vehicles alternative “win-win” after usage refurbished business models leasing vehicles contracts and effective marketing

Reverse Limited Automated Sub-scale Centralised Quality losses Manufacturer-cycle skills development disassembly and refurbishing refurbishment within controlled and choice of efficient facilities plants with inappropriate collection, circular options technologies (eg, optimised collection enabled by fault-tracking workflows, channels leasing models software) allowing for economies of scale

Cross-cycle High damage/ Industry-wide University OEM/sector Diverging Specialised and cross- loss rate along efforts to curricula for initiatives to incentives of intermediariessector all reverse establish engineers still foster R&D customers enablecollaboration value chain steps comprehensive focused on of circular and producers alternative collection and linear system production in context of ownership treatment methods new ownership models system models on larger scale

Source: Ellen MacArthur Foundation circular economy team

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B

C

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Buildingblocks of a circulareconomy

As these efforts intensify, early adopters will gain the competitive advantage, leaving laggards faced with yet more strategic challenges to overcome. It is conceivable a paradigm shift is quietly

underway, and as much as the industrial revolution changed life dramatically in decades gone by, the circular revolution will help finally deliver the green results so urgently needed.

RESOURCE RECOVERY

Your book, Junkyard Planet, is a fascinating look into global material flows and resource recovery. What would you say are the major macro trends readers should know about?Resource recovery and recycling is a globalised business that pre-dates what most people think of as “globalisation”. The United States imported steel and cloth rags (for papermaking) from the UK as early as the 1850s. Hong Kong and Japan started importing scrap metal from the United States in the 1910s. What we see today – a globalised scrap recycling system with China as the nexus – is merely a more complex version of a 150-year-old trade.

Scrap flows to where it’s needed for manufacturing into new products. Labour and environmental regulations certainly play a role in those flows, but if cheap labour and poor regulation were what determined where scrap goes, sub-Saharan Africa – and not China – would be the world’s top scrap metal importer. So long as China remains among the world’s top manufacturers, it’ll remain the world’s top importer of scrap materials.

What are the potential risks of such a globalised trade in waste materials?The biggest risk is that countries with good environmental and human safety regulations will export their waste recyclables to places where such regulations don’t exist. Some objects – for example, electric motors – simply can’t be recycled profitably in countries with high labour costs. They must go to places like China and India where labour is cheap enough to make disassembling them affordable. In those circumstances, the environmental damage done by the recycling methods has to be measured against the environmental damage done by not recycling (and thereby encouraging the extraction of more raw materials from mines and wells). It’s not so simple.

In general, would you say the stigma around developed countries exporting – often denoted as “dumping” their waste in developing countries is deserved? No. “Dumping” suggests that the waste is sent to developing countries. That is, the exporter is the active party in deciding that the waste belongs in, say, China, and thereby exploits somebody by “dumping” it upon them. But that’s not how the business works! In fact, waste – better labelled as “recyclables” – is purchased by rational buyers in developing countries. Those buyers aren’t fools, much less exploited. Rather, they’re savvy businesspeople who evaluate waste for the profits to be made in upgrading it into something new and useful. In my perspective, if anyone is exploited in this relationship, it’s the exporters who fail to realise the value of their exports on their own.

What aspects of such waste export might have a positive result, and which ones are still especially problematic?Over the past 20 years the international scrap market has matured such that sellers are capable of finding the buyers who are capable of paying the most money for their recyclables. Generally, those who can pay the most are those who can recover the most value from the waste. So, for example, hand labourers in India are able to recover more value from a pile of old USB cables because they can clip and sort the plugs from the wires; in Singapore, recyclers would find that kind of operation too expensive, so they’d either throw away the cables, or run them through shredders which destroy some of that value. Less would be recovered and less money made. As a result, the cables are shipped to

Recycling expert Adam Minter shares insights and opportunities in this global industry

BEHIND THE BUSINESS OF RESOURCE RECOVERY

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India. It’s an incredibly efficient and profitable system.

What’s problematic is that the most efficient recovery is not always the most immediately safe or environmentally secure.

Do you think at some stage, international transportation costs may increase to the point where shipping many types of scrap may become cost-prohibitive?Generally, it’s incredibly cheap to export scrap from the developed world to the developing world. The reason has to do with trade imbalances. Take, for example, Singapore. Currently, Singapore imports many more goods from China than China imports from Singapore. As a result, Singapore’s ports have a surplus of empty shipping containers that exporters in China are keen to have back to China. As a result, shipping companies discount those containers significantly – a “backhaul” to China can cost 10 per cent the price of the forward journey – and that serves as an extraordinary subsidy for the recycling industry.

So long as this dynamic exists, shipping recycling to the developing world will remain cheap.

As someone based in China, you have witnessed many aspects of the often highly criticised e-waste recycling industry. Has the industry improved its efforts at environmental protection and health and safety in recent years? The situation has improved significantly, but there’s still a long way to go. For example, even five years ago wire and cables were still commonly burnt in Chinese scrap yards – especially in south China. That practice has ended, and today copper and insulation are recovered via mechanical means.

Similarly, towns where home-based precious metal refineries operated in open violation of the law are fewer and fewer and – where they do operate – they’ve been pushed indoors and forced to adopt marginally safer practices.

No doubt, the situation is still serious and polluting in parts of China, but over the last decade there’s been considerable improvement and there’s every reason to believe that trend will continue.

What would you say are the drivers?First off, nobody in China relishes the idea of their country as an environmental disaster, and as income and education levels have risen, so has the pressure to clean up industries that previously were tolerated. Likewise, Xi Jinping’s government has prioritised environmental protection and over the last year regulation of the industry has tightened considerably.

Second, raw materials of all kinds are becoming scarcer and more expensive. As a result, this draws investment to the sector – especially in the area of precious metals refining. Bluntly, nobody refines

palladium from e-scrap in their basement or backyard; it requires significant investment in technology and infrastructure. Those investments are being made in China by government and large companies that comply with higher environmental standards than a farm family refining the gold off circuit boards in their backyards.

Do you think, globally, the recycling industry has gotten serious about environmental and human safety precautions?This question assumes that it never was. In my experience, most recycling businesses start as family businesses and thus take human safety quite seriously – after all, it’s their own. But in the developing world they have to balance human safety – and environmental safety – against the possibility that they won’t have other economic options if they don’t do the business.

What do you think are commodities that may experience rapid growth in the next few years?All of them. We’ve entered an era of resource scarcity made more so by the development of an Asian middle class that wants the same things as its counterparts in the developed world.

To what extent is the recycling of commonly discarded items currently limited by the technology available to process it?Hardly at all. In fact, most objects can be recycled more completely by hand, than by mechanical means. It’s just that hands are expensive in developed economies, and thus it’s necessary – if a recycling business is to remain profitable – that mechanisation enter the picture. But rarely – except when it comes to the refining of precious metals from so-called e-waste – is technology superior to what a hand can do. Take, for example, an automobile. You can take it apart by hand, piece by piece, but that is time consuming and expensive. So the global recycling business uses shredders to break automobiles down into fist-sized chunks and then uses technology to sort out the various components. You get a lot of recycling, but you also lose the ability to reuse parts.

What sorts of technological advances do you see coming in the recycling industry in the years ahead?The next frontier is plastics recycling and – specifically – technologies that can efficiently separate different types of plastics so that they can be recycled individually. That’s the holy grail of recycling at the moment, and though it hasn’t arrived yet, I’m sure it will in some form.

“THEY’RE SAVVY BUSINESSPEOPLE WHO EVALUATE WASTE FOR

THE PROFITS TO BE MADE IN UPGRADING IT INTO SOMETHING NEW AND

USEFUL”

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WANT TO WIN A COPY OF JUNKYARD PLANET? ENVISION Magazine has five copies of the book to give away to its readers (one per reader). Here’s how you can claim yours:

1) Referencing this article, answer the following question: What precious metal takes significant investment to recycle from e-waste like circuit boards and cannot be done easily?

2) Email your answer to: NEA_Envision@nea.gov.sg by 15 September 2014 to see if you win.

First five lucky readers with the correct answer get a copy of the book sent to them via post, courtesy of Penguin Books Singapore. Best of luck!

To what extent do you think recycling worldwide helps stave off the demand for virgin materials?Scrap recyclables compete directly with virgin materials such as raw ores and oil. In China, roughly half of the copper consumed by manufacturers comes from recycled resources. Had those manufacturers not had access to recycling they’d have to double the amount of copper they purchase from miners. A world without recycling would have many, many more holes in the ground.

You mention that major manufacturing nations like China play a major role in recycling due to their need for raw materials. Are there other countries you foresee rivalling them in the coming years?China will remain the major importer of recycled goods from around the world so long as its manufacturing remains strong. I don’t foresee anybody rivalling it in the next decade, at least.

In the constrained space that Singapore has, what opportunities in the recycling industry do you observe? At the moment, the best opportunity for Singapore is to install technology for sorting household and office recyclables. As Singapore grows wealthier, the volume of these recyclables is growing. At the same time, homes and offices tend to mix

them – paper with cans with plastic bottles. Mixed recycling doesn’t have much value; so separation – and separation technology – should be a priority for Singapore.

Those recyclables will then be exported to

markets – like China and India – where they can be used in the manufacture of new goods.

Given both your family background in the scrap industry, as well as your extensive research for the book, what would you say is the secret for success in the recycling industry?Invariably, the most successful recycling companies are those that spend more time worrying about how to acquire – usually buy – recyclables rather than how to sell them. Selling is easy – there’s always a market for raw materials. But knowing how to buy something so that you can make a profit on it is the more difficult task, and it’s what divides successful recyclers from the less successful ones.

“MOST OBJECTS CAN BE RECYCLED MORE

COMPLETELY BY HAND, THAN BY MECHANICAL

MEANS”

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IN A DUSTY Johor Bahru scrap yard, Kian Seah makes one of his regular walkthroughs of his company premises. As Heng Hiap Industry’s director,

he spends much of his time on the road showcasing his company’s offerings to the international clients that make up 80-90 per cent of the business. When he is back, Seah plays an active part in handling materials, plant, and processes underway at his recycling facilities. “There’s always something to learn,” he says.

“The first gap between our society and scrap is ignorance. More often than not, we tend to put a barrier to understand more about scrap because of its unpleasant appearance,” says Seah as he makes his rounds. “I need to go out to understand and learn as much as possible about its mechanical, thermal and chemical properties. My employees have also been a great inspiration of more possibilities.”

His company is part of the Heng Hiap Group, a family-owned business that started from humble beginnings back in 1984. “We got our start as something like Karung Guni,” says Seah, referencing the independent waste scavengers often found

in Southeast Asia. “It was my father and mother in a truck collecting wasted materials and scrap, with my siblings and me taking turns to help out.”

To help build profitability, his father developed a scrap metal niche, noting it was high volume and relatively fast to collect using technology like magnets. He worked closely with steel mills in the beginning, and scaled the operation over the years. Today, the Heng Hiap Group covers a diverse range of recyclables like metal, paper, iron ore, and plastics and has emerged as one of Malaysia’s top five recycling companies.

A common fleet of trucks shared among the group’s companies ensures that a full range of recyclable materials can be carefully collected and distributed among subsidiaries. This approach ensures that both an economy of scale and scope can be enjoyed across the group.

Integration pays off for businessOut in the yard, Seah surveys the piles of PET bottles and other recently arrived material that will become the feedstock for his company’s processes.

“We worked our way up the chain, from

DRIVING RECYCLING

INNOVATIONProcess integration and smart plastics prove a potent combination for business growth

MANAGING ECOLOGICAL PUBLIC HEALTH RISKS

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scavengers to small collectors, to medium recyclers, to large recycling company, and eventually to recycling processor that encompasses much of our business today,” Seah says. “I took over the plastics business, and we’re based in Johor since our core team is here, and it allows us to also service the Singapore market quite easily. My brothers and sister now handle our other group companies elsewhere in Malaysia.”

Part of their success has been making recycling an integrated process. Picking up one of the plastic bottles, Seah says, “The market in Malaysia is fragmented. Handling this material may involve as many as five or six players that don’t effectively deal with each other. So, one company may collect bottles, another sorts them, another washes them, and so on. Worse, they may be located all around the country, which adds a lot of unnecessary logistics. Clients wanting to use recycled plastic material have to hunt and peck to find what’s on offer, rather than having a system that serves them.”

To seize a competitive advantage and to become a more valuable partner to clients, Heng Hiap Industries pulled together many facets of this recycling process in-house, effectively creating a one-stop shop. This supply

chain integration has already yielded a 40 per cent reduction of workforce requirements and a 60 per cent reduction in logistics.

Finding a market for “mistakes”As the company tightened their integration efforts, they stepped up R&D of new plastic offerings for different industries. “There were a lot of mistakes,” says Seah, “but

“SMART PLASTICS CAN BE ENGINEERED TO PERFORM ADVANCED FUNCTIONS, FOR EXAMPLE TO BE ANTIMICROBIAL

OR HAVE FIRE-RETARDANT PROPERTIES”

ultimately many of the ‘failures’ turned around to be actually quite valuable.”

He cites one example from their R&D experiments which produced a brittle and breakable plastic. It was probably wrong for consumer appliances or logistics applications, so the company shelved the formula. Months later, one of their business partners came to them looking for such a solution.

“We couldn’t believe it at first, but actually such a breakable material was exactly the right spec for application in a prison environment to ensure it could not be used inadvertently as a weapon or tool,” he says. “Such instances have taught us to search out new sales opportunities by matching the material properties with possible client applications. We now go out to market our mistakes knowing that someone may find them quite useful in spite of what we think.”

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innovations like biofuel production, and one can’t help but wonder what else may be up his sleeve.

Increasingly, whether it is smart plastics or other bespoke applications, clients from around the world are seeking out Heng Hiap Industries to help meet their needs.

“There used to be the perception that

KEEPING THE LID ON PLASTIC WASTEPlastics comprise one of the most commonly used industrial materials globally. Ubiquitous plastics like PET bottles are consumed at an estimated rate of 50 billion per year. While many people may discard these without a second thought, they are incredibly resource intensive to produce: it takes three times more water to produce a bottle than the liquid it contains, and approximately 3.4 megajoules of fossil fuel energy to make a typical one-litre plastic bottle. Both in their making and their disposal, plastics have a heavy environmental and resource cost. Hence, the drive to recover and recycle these materials is both environmentally and economically important.

The rise of smart plasticsAs a result of this ongoing experimentation and client dialogue, Heng Hiap Industries has found its niche in so-called “smart” plastics. Smart plastics can be engineered to perform advanced functions, for example to be antimicrobial or have fire-retardant properties. For these plastics, it’s not just about selling a material to clients – it’s about selling a value-added mechanism that helps solve a problem.

“A company transporting many eggs in its supply chain wanted to ensure they weren’t also moving potentially dangerous microbes along with them,” he says. “So we designed a plastic with a thin, antimicrobial membrane that regenerates even after egg trays are washed.”

The company has a number of these solutions in the works.

Beyond plastic as usualHe makes his way across the yard and towards a warehouse as he discusses the future of the company. “I want to show you something,” he says, directing us inside, where a small team works on some machinery.

“We’ve been trying to find a sweet spot in the recycling work we do, one that yields positive economic, social, and environmental benefits from the materials we reclaim and recreate,” he says. “I’ve been doing a lot of reading on so-called ‘sustainability’, and really that gets at the heart of a lot of our work. We are trying to find as many ways as we can to close industrial loops and to give plastic substances a new lease on life. With this set-up, we’re trying to push the next level and create biofuels.”

Seah and his staff move to one of the end units where a liquid is dispersed. “You see this?” he asks. “Based on our knowledge of base material preparation, we are able to produce biofuel with different properties, including this one which is industrial grade, cetane number 56 equivalent. This can be a useful replacement for premium diesel fuel and we make it out of waste plastic.”

As a large container fills with biofuel, he adds, “We run our forklifts with this stuff.”

Customisation and innovation: competitive advantagesHanding the sample to his staff, Seah continues. “There’s really a lot of benefit from working on industrial weaknesses, and so much business value to be unlocked,” he says.

Having worked literally a lifetime in the recycling industry, it would seem his effort and early exposure is paying off with other

recycled materials were inferior, when that isn’t the case.” says Seah. “Thankfully, this is changing, though a lot of our clients still work below-the-radar with us on many applications.”

Value of recycled materialsCommunicating the value of these recycled materials relies in part on meeting stringent standards. “The specification of recycled material should be ‘evidence based’ and provide peace of mind to those who use it,” he says. “Many other companies are missing out on the possibility of customisation of recycled materials and merely view the stuff as a commodity. Custom recycled products can be produced to a very high level of quality, and it makes for a compelling CSR story.”

Certifications and third party verifications have played a part in building client confidence. “Whenever there may be concerns or questions about performance, we just let the paper speak for itself. We’ve found that many clients are responsive to that,” says Seah.

He also thinks that governments can help change general public perception of recycling. “More needs to be done universally to communicate with the public regarding the effort after the collection,” he says. “Most households have no idea what happens to the sorted material after collection. If the public understands that the recovered materials are properly recycled and turned into something valuable, then it would motivate more sorting at source or at home.”

Businesses too can be encouraged to view their waste as resources. Seah believes that large amounts of business value is literally thrown away daily. “Know thy waste,” he says. With Heng Hiap Industries poised for increased growth and expansion to a new facility later in the year, it seems that simple mantra is the most valuable advice.

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RESOURCE RECOVERY

RECYCLING SUCCESSIncentives and action priming the way for competitive business advantages

COMPANIES IN SINGAPORE are increasingly motivated to consider environmental sustainability policies and programmes within their

operational scope for a number of reasons. Climate change, environmental degradation, the impact of pollution on human health and other hot issues are receiving greater exposure.

Environmental laws, regulations, standards and guidelines are gradually

being adopted in different countries, impacting companies with international commitments. This is leading to growing consumer demand for more responsible action by the private sector. At the same time, companies have growing interest to demonstrate their green credentials for competitive advantage.

Government assisting recycling effortsGovernments can play an important role in motivating the private sector to implement sustainability initiatives. Aside from legislative tools, governments can

provide funding and recognition to assist companies in overcoming

implementation costs and in raising their profile.

This is especially important in waste management, as the business proposition for changing established workflows is not always clear-cut. Companies may not see any tangible returns in efforts to reduce, reuse or recycle their waste for a number of reasons. Initial capital outlays may be prohibitive, gains may be small, or operating costs may be inelastic to changes.

Recognising this industry need, the National Environment Agency (NEA) established the 3R Fund in 2009 to provide incentives to companies and organisations registered in Singapore to implement programmes and initiatives to minimise solid waste. To be eligible for funding, projects should result in an increase in the quantity of solid waste reduced, reused or recycled.

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As larger projects enjoy economies of scale and are usually more viable, a minimum tonnage eligibility of 100 tonnes reduced, reused or recycled over the whole project duration applies. Projects are funded for a maximum duration of three years.

Numerous ways to reduce wasteIn line with the NEA’s strategic objectives for waste management, projects incorporating innovative processes and concepts or which target waste streams with low recycling rates are given higher priority.

This could include the redesign of processes to reduce waste at the production stage, including the redesign of packaging and products; the installation and operation of new waste sorting or recycling infrastructure, systems or equipment; and the implementation of workflows and processes to minimise waste, among other possibilities. The potential for projects to maintain viability in the long run should be demonstrated.

Diversity of sector involvementSince its inception, grants have been awarded to a diverse group of companies and organisations in a variety of sectors. These companies and organisations include waste collectors, processors, recyclers and other stakeholders in the waste management industry; retailers, shopping malls, hotels, and other companies in the hospitality industry; academic institutions; and industrial facilities and equipment suppliers. The wide range is a positive indication that the 3R Fund meets the needs of different stakeholders in the waste management value chain.

Among the different sectors, perhaps unsurprisingly, the waste management industry has been most prominent in taking up the funding scheme. Contracted municipal waste collectors have implemented projects to increase recycling rates of waste from households and other municipal sources.

“IN 2013, THE FIRST FACILITY IN THE COUNTRY WITH THE CAPABILITY TO RECYCLE FLUORESCENT

LAMPS WAS ESTABLISHED BY GLOBAL LAMP

RECYCLERS (SG) PTE LTD”

LAMP RECYCLING

Lightbulbs

Plastic Mercury

Glass

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Companies building competitive advantageFor example, two out of four public waste collection companies established schemes to increase the amount of garden waste recycled from landed homes in Singapore. Another company offered an incentive scheme to residents living in landed homes to motivate them to recycle more.

Waste collectors are particularly poised to utilise the 3R Fund as they are responsible for collecting and managing their clients’ waste and hence can save on disposal costs if they channel the waste to viable resource recovery processes. To achieve this end, substantial financial commitment is often needed.

With support from the funding scheme, 800 Super Holdings Ltd established a material recovery facility to sort the waste collected from its street cleansing contract into homogeneous, recyclable waste streams. This produced a winning outcome for 800 Super, as the initial financial hurdles were overcome and continual operational cost savings can now be enjoyed.

Recycling processes relatively new to Singapore have also been able to take off with the help of the 3R Fund. In 2013, the first facility in the country with the capability to recycle fluorescent lamps was established by Global Lamp Recyclers (SG) Pte Ltd. The facility utilises best available technology sourced internationally to comprehensively process used lamps into recyclable components.

As the processing system represented a significant initial investment, the funding scheme helped to lower the financial risks undertaken by the company. The successful development of this recycling capability is a major milestone for waste management in Singapore.

The 3R Fund has also been promoting the take-up of innovative waste management solutions. In the hospitality industry, a large proportion of the waste generated is food waste. Treating food waste onsite helps to reduce the costs of waste collection, transport and disposal borne by the hotel or resort. However, the use of compost, the product of onsite food waste digestion processes, is limited in Singapore.

A local enterprise has pioneered technology to turn food waste into liquid that is safe for discharge into the sewers, thereby making it convenient for onsite food waste treatment in Singapore’s highly urban environment. The technology is garnering interest among many commercial premises.

Starbucks in Singapore launched a campaign urging their customers to opt for reusable coffee mugs when dining in, instead of the usual disposable containers. The results

of these projects have been encouraging.The recycling programme at the National

University of Singapore, partially supported by the 3R Fund in its initial stages, has achieved a considerable level of success due perhaps to a combination of reasons, including having dedicated personnel to drive the programme, close engagement with stakeholders, and a target audience comprising mainly students who may be more receptive to recycling.

Recycling bins have been placed in strategic locations, such as near vending

machines and at bus stops. Labels clearly indicating the materials accepted are applied prominently on the bins. Recycling bins are also placed in proximity with waste bins to facilitate separation of recyclable material from other items. At the back end, the university has been working with housekeepers and cafeteria operators to promote the effective separation, collection and transport of recyclable material.

Tapping into fundingFunding schemes such as the 3R Fund offer a high level of flexibility in terms of the deployment of limited resources to support sustainability initiatives. Where a targeted approach is needed, funds can be channelled to establish specific keystone projects.

These projects can serve as catalysts for other similar projects to take off, or for a new recycling ecosystem to take root. These objectives can be more easily achieved when funding schemes act in conjunction with other efforts to promote waste reduction, reuse and recycling.

Further information on the 3R Fund can be found on the NEA’s website at: http://app2.nea.gov.sg/grants-awards/3r-fund/about-the-fund.

“STARBUCKS IN SINGAPORE LAUNCHED A CAMPAIGN

URGING THEIR CUSTOMERS TO OPT FOR REUSABLE

COFFEE MUGS WHEN DINING IN, INSTEAD OF THE USUAL DISPOSABLE CONTAINERS”

048

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

THE RISE OF SOLAR LEASINGInstallation affordability reaches new zenith

049ISSUE 6

AMONG RENEWABLE energy sources, solar has long been lauded as one with incredible growth potential. Each day, the sun

blankets the Earth with abundant energy to carry out a wide range of human functions.

The difficulty has been finding technology to efficiently harness it, and at affordable cost. Fortunately, technology has rapidly

improved in recent years, and the price of solar installations has dropped to nearly grid parity.

In spite of these improvements, overcoming inertia has faced barriers, often in terms of understanding how to maximise the organisational returns of solar investments. To make transition to solar easier, solar leasing options have been

pioneered in the US and elsewhere, offering organisations a turnkey solution for sourcing clean renewable energy.

Solar leases work by offering a full technology solution, installation, and maintenance where users pay only for the cost of the power generated and used. Since the supplier takes care of all aspects of installing, commissioning, operating

050

Leasing Option System

System Purchase Option

Grid Power Option

Source: Sunseap Leasing

HOW SOLAR LEASING WORKSEstimated costs of a 1MW solar installation with lease option vs purchase option vs grid supplied power over 20-year term

30% upfront refundable deposit

Maintenance included

Replacement included

S$4.5m

Ove

r 20

yea

rs $3m up front system cost

Maintenance fees

Replacement fees

S$3m + ongoing maintenance and

replacement

National grid tariff, not taking

into account inflation for same period

S$5.6m + inflation

and maintaining a solar system, a company is free to focus on their core business rather than capital-intensive projects, returns on investment, and ongoing maintenance. Rather than a finance lease, where repayments are regular regardless of performance of the solar asset, it is a performance lease.

Singapore: the next sun spotIn the Asia-Pacific context, Singapore might at first glance seem like an unconventional place for advancement of solar leasing. It is a relatively small market by regional standards, faces constraints on available land and real estate, has perceived variable weather, and has cloud types that are not conducive to many solar applications.

Still, high concentration of industry and modern building structures provide some of the essential building blocks for solar. There is also a stable investment climate and government support for development of new renewable energy solutions. Last but not least, Singapore has shown leadership by test-bedding many promising technologies in both industrial and residential environments.

Leasing gains increasing acceptanceSpotting market openings, home-grown company Sunseap Leasing moved to

introduce solar leasing in Singapore in 2009-2010 and signed the first two solar leasing projects in 2011.

The company’s first major milestone was a 20-year agreement with the Housing and Development Board (HDB) to install a two megawatt photovoltaic (PV) rooftop system

in the eco-town of Punggol-Pasir Ris. “We’ve been delighted to participate

in HDB’s efforts to demonstrate the potential of photovoltaic technology in cost reductions,” says Lawrence Wu, Director and Co-Founder of Sunseap Leasing.

Prior to solar leasing, small tenders for

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Holland Village

051ISSUE 6

supply and installation of solar systems on public housing had been initiated. In those instances, the HDB would pay for such installations and Town Council would enjoy the renewable power, but funding for this was limited. Solar leasing made sense as the users of the solar energy can pay for it themselves.

In the Punggol-Pasir Ris installation, solar electricity is used to power common area lighting, lifts and pumps, and other building services. Under the contract, Punggol Pasir-Ris Town Council will purchase electricity from the solar array for 20 years at a discounted price pegged to the cost of conventional grid electricity. The system is capable of producing more than 40,800mWh over the 20-year contract life.

Other significant milestones were swift to follow. In 2012, Raffles Institution (RI) signed a 150kW lease agreement that would see 625 solar modules installed, generating an expected 175,000kWh of power per year. The school opted for the solar array in part due to its environmental policy which aims to improve its practices, and also to educate students and staff.

“It is important for the students and staff to understand the importance of environmental issues. This solar installation will have a deep and lasting social impact that is relevant to our long term goal of producing green champions who will transform RI into an environmentally-friendly campus,” says Mrs Lim Lai Cheng, former Principal at Raffles Institution.

To date, there have been almost 12MW of solar capacity installed and nearly 17MW of solar capacity signed up through these leasing programmes in Singapore under Sunseap Leasing alone. Besides HDB and Raffles Institution, other organisations have included Singapore American School, Eagle Services Asia, Pratt & Whitney, ABB, Cambridge Industrial Trust and Jurong Health Services.

Scaling up: Goldman Sachs backs solar leasingThe real breakthrough came when the company negotiated financial backing for an estimated generation capacity of more than 30 megawatts worth of new projects through a partnership with investment bank Goldman Sachs.

This new funding source will enable Sunseap to mass-deploy renewable power in Singapore at an accelerated pace based on its pipeline of projects, in conjunction with the Intermittent Generation Threshold being raised from 350MW to 600MW.

The partnership came together with both

economic and environmental goals in focus. “We are very positive about the opportunity

in distributed solar, and more so in Asia where clean and lower cost energy is needed the most,” said Alex Turnbull, Executive Director at Goldman Sachs, who led the funding team. “Sunseap’s offering has the potential to lower energy costs, create jobs and reduce carbon emissions all at the same time.”

As more investors become familiar with the reliability and quality of solar as a technology and an asset class, it has become possible to expand the pool of available funding and offer clean technology solutions to a broader range of customers at more affordable prices. The funding platform will enable the installation and funding

of solar leasing projects on more schools, municipalities, and other public and private organisations.

Growing as a clean energy hubThe advancement in solar leasing in the space of just a few years has demonstrated in one way the growth potential of Singapore in renewable energy towards building a green economy.

“Singapore has become the leading clean energy hub for the Asia-Pacific region which is now the largest market for solar energy. Companies can leverage Singapore’s strengths in technology, ability to attract international talent, as well as sophisticated financial market to grow their regional business and develop novel business models such as solar leasing,” said Goh Chee Kiong, Executive Director of Cleantech at the Singapore Economic Development Board.

Sunseap has plans to expand internationally and introduce solar leasing to other markets in the coming years. It currently has offices in Malaysia and Australia, with further plans to open up in other regional markets such as the Philippines and Indonesia.

This case demonstrates that companies can move to overcome barriers to renewable energy, find new funding for projects, help organisations champion their environmental goals, and enable green economic development through implementation of new solar projects. While there are many surfaces yet to cover in PV panels, the likelihood of solar advancement is increasingly bright.

“THIS SOLAR INSTALLATION WILL HAVE

A DEEP AND LASTING SOCIAL IMPACT THAT IS RELEVANT TO OUR LONG

TERM GOAL OF PRODUCING GREEN CHAMPIONS WHO

WILL TRANSFORM RI INTO AN ENVIRONMENTALLY-

FRIENDLY CAMPUS”

Singapore American School Punggol HDB

Sanden

054

DEVELOPING ASIAN cities are under increasing pressure from a variety of organic waste streams. Food, agricultural, landscape, and sewage

sludge are all common materials faced by municipalities as their populations swell. These biomass wastes put strain on existing facilities and can pose disposal and pollution issues. If used correctly however, they can become valuable resources.

Biomass has traditionally been used worldwide for a long time (think firewood for cooking), but to varying degrees of efficiency and often with poor emissions controls.

Resource recoveryIncreasingly though, for both urban and rural communities, a variety of biomass wastes are being handled by scientifically advanced industrial digester plants. These modern plants can provide increased energy yield, higher biomass efficiency and utilisation rates, the opportunity to produce commercially useful by-products, and better pollution controls. Anaerobic digestion can produce biogas consisting mainly of methane and carbon

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

BIOFUEL CLASSIFICATION

Production side, supply Common groups Users’ side, demand examples

Direct woodfuel Solid: fuelwood (wood in the rough, chips, sawdust, pellets), charcoal

Indirect woodfuel WOODFUEL Liquid: black liquor, methanol, pyrolitic oil

Recovered woodfuel Gases: products form gasification and pyrolisis gases above fuels

Wood-derived fuels

Fuel Crops Solid: straw, stalks, husks, bagasse, charcoal from the above biofuels

Agricultural by-products AGROFUELS Liquid: ethanol, raw vegetable oil, oil diester, methanol, pyrolitic oil

Animal by-products form solid agrofuels

Agro-industrial by-products Gases: biogas, producer gas, pyrolisis gases from agrofuels

Municipal by-products MUNICIPAL Solid: municipal solid wastes (MSW)

BY-PRODUCTS Liquid: sewage sludge, pyrolitic oil from MSW

Gases: landfill gas, sludge gas

Source: FAO, 2004

dioxide. Biogas is a source of renewable energy which can be used directly to fuel an engine generator for creating electricity and heat, upgraded for injection into a natural gas pipeline, or compressed into vehicle fuel.

Depending on the sources of biomass and the plant configuration, there are business opportunities to recover a wide range of useful materials. Some examples include heat, primary industrial chemicals, biofuels like wood pellets, biogas like methane, and nutrient-rich compost.

These by-products can provide added benefit to resource needy cities compared to other disposal methods. Not only that, but waste volumes can be successfully reduced through digestion, helping ease pressure on other facilities like incinerators and landfills.

DIGEST THISBiomass and biogas technology is

proving to be an increasingly profitable waste management option in Asia

055ISSUE 6

056

choosing the right technology, availability of feedstock at constant quantity and quality, offtake of digestate, energy price, and several other factors. From the technology perspective, waste expert Prof Ng Wun Jern, Executive Director of Singapore’s Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute (NEWRI), notes that many biomass technologies are now state-of-the art, with new enhancements occurring on a regular basis.

“When dealing with biomass, we should not forget that we are dealing with a living system and carefully mixing wastes can provide the microbial populations with the nutrition they require,” says Prof Ng.

Digestive processes can be used to produce highly valuable industrial feedstock chemicals, and this is possible due to the sugars available especially in food and agricultural waste, he notes.

“This kind of application can be relevant to harvesting useful products from waste in highly urbanised cities like Singapore, which have faced an increase in food waste in recent years,” Prof Ng says.

Challenges in handling food wasteOne of the main challenges in treating local food waste by anaerobic digestion (AD) is source separation and pre-treatment of food waste. AD is a sensitive process susceptible to shock/variation of organic loadings and the presence of inorganic waste and contaminants. Hence, consistency and quality of feed into the system is critical to the digestion process, which is a practical challenge, given the large variability in the composition of food waste collected nationwide.

Prof Ng cautions that chemical compounds like long chain fatty acids from cooking oil, dissolved salts, and contaminants like plastics and metals can all have a negative impact on the digestion process. “Advancements have become possible through the use of blending and mixing technologies, hydrolytic and inhibition mitigation reactors, and enzyme supplements which improve the digestion process,” he says.

Beyond these process tweaks, plant design must be carefully planned upfront to ensure that foaming, mixing, scumming, and digestion inhibition issues can be averted, as these can be costly to businesses running the plants.

Sewage sludge: the next frontier?For urban areas, while many water reclamation plants like those in Singapore already use AD technologies for volume reduction and some energy recovery, recent

“We are currently operating assets that we own in Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia, and entering Laos. The majority of projects use liquid biomass and utilise the resulting biogas for heat drying agricultural products or for fossil fuel displacement to create heat and steam electricity. A few projects are selling excess power to local national utilities,” says CEO Mark Leslie.

“Company owned projects still dominate regional markets at this time. The economics for corporate purchases of biogas projects are beginning to balance the perceived risks as the search for better cost controls and incremental revenue matures,” Leslie says.

Consultancy Asia Carbon has also recently signed an agreement with the Vietnam Biogas Association to help capacity building of biogas systems for medium to large scale projects aimed at commercial users. The company has seminars underway to educate medium to large scale farms on sustainable development and implementation of biogas on their properties.

“The target areas at this point of time are cassava farms, with a view to offset diesel usage and help generate electricity and heat, and swine farms, mainly for electricity generation for farm operations,” says Yeo Kim Dek, CDM/Climate Change Executive at Asia Carbon.

Technology consistently improvingThe success of biomass/biogas business depends on several critical factors such as

Business opportunitiesWhen it comes to potential energy production, PennEnergy research estimates that 1,000 megawatts of biomass energy capacity will be constructed annually by 2020 in Asia, double the European market for biomass.

Asia has many sources of biomass, and provided that suitable volumes of waste materials exist, running these plants can be a viable business option.

Vincent Choy, Director of the International Clean Energy and Sustainability Network, believes strongly in the commercial opportunity of producing biogas from these wastes. “Producing biogas is profitable, and very much so,” Choy says.

He is not alone. John Lee, Sales Manager for gas engine products for Caterpillar, is based in Singapore and handles a number of projects around the region.

“In general, our client projects have performed quite well and we have seen good sales traction each year,” says Lee. “We have quite a lot of activities in the region centred around areas like industrial biogas and landfill gas. There is increasing interest in gasification of biomass for both heat and power production. The Asian renewable energy market is bound to grow and these are exciting times.”

The Alternative Energy Corporation has also seen success in the region. The company has 27 biogas projects around Southeast Asia, with another three under contract to be built shortly.

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

057ISSUE 6

NEWRI research has also uncovered that advanced pre-treatment of sewage sludge can yield up to 35 per cent more biogas, a nearly doubling of solids reduction, and improved dewaterability.

“In many respects, this area is the most promising in terms of energy production, with 260-270 litres of methane possible from just one kilogram of sludge waste,” he says. “Existing wastewater processing techniques can be augmented with new ones coming online to realise these energy benefits.”

Prof Ng highlights that handling sewer sludge involves careful planning and design to ensure challenges like odours are avoided. But the upside to looking at sewage sludge is there is so much of it available in growing urban areas regionally.

Agricultural waste to help meet energy needsFurther afield from urban areas like Singapore, biomass technologies are gaining traction as one solution to agricultural waste, and is already widely applied in many European countries. In places like Malaysia and Indonesia, agricultural leftovers from agriculture operations are increasingly being utilised.

Badri Abbasi, Vice President of Business Development and Investment for the BioIndustrial Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation Sdn Bhd, says that there is ample room to use bio-derived fuels like methane to help wean the country off fossil fuel subsidies and build a greener economy.

“Right now, Malaysia has about MYR72 billion appropriated for various fossil fuel subsidies,” Abbasi says. “These funds could instead be spent on development of infrastructure such as schools and other national improvement projects if fuel substitutes could be found.”

He highlights that there is incredible promise in harnessing the country’s agricultural biomass to achieve this goal. But there are some challenges in tapping the waste stream. “Mobilising biomass has some challenges,” he says. “How much can be diverted at a good price, and secured at large enough volumes for a long period of time to achieve commercialisation? These are critical components to address.”

Dato’ Leong Kin Mun, President of the Malaysian Biomass Industries Confederation, agrees. “While there are many biomass sources available, it is not necessarily easy to get it due to human factors and other barriers,” he says.

As a result, even though feed-in tariffs for electricity generated from biomass exist, they are currently undersubscribed. There are also infrastructure challenges: many

plantations are remote and not connected to the national energy grid.

Still, Abbasi notes that if supply barriers and energy connectivity challenges can be overcome, there are huge opportunities for a wide range of businesses to get involved. “Tanks, biogas purification systems, wastewater treatment, cogeneration plants, compression and storage facilities, car and dispenser operations, CDM certification, and gas storage are all huge potential growth areas in the years ahead,” he says.

Development incentivesBoth Dato’ Leong and Abbasi highlight that there are currently government incentives

like tax breaks in Malaysia to encourage business development in hopes of tapping agricultural waste’s potential.

Likewise, Jariya Budnard, Engineer for the Biogas Group, Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency (DEDE) at Thailand’s Ministry of Energy, says that Thailand has very progressive policies to encourage advancement of biogas industry development.

“Thailand has encouraged many biogas policies and technologies in areas like livestock farms and energy crop production,” Budnard says. “The 11th National Economic and Social Development Plan and the Alternative Energy Development Plan 2012-2021 covers many aspects of environmental sustainability. Under the revising proportions, approved on 16 July 2013, the overall ratio of alternative energy would keep the target of 25 per cent out of total energy consumption in 2021, which includes biogas.”

Some European countries have also implemented various incentives to promote biogas industry such as energy and CO2 taxes and the benefits for biogas vehicles in Sweden.

While there are still challenges to overcome, there is a need for many biomass technologies around Asia. A strong business case also exists for companies to implement modern technology to handle a variety of organic waste streams.

With increasing support for this emergent industry, it is highly likely that biomass and biogas will become ever more valuable for Asian countries in the years ahead.

HOW DOES IT WORK? BREAKING DOWN FOOD WASTE USING ANAEROBIC DIGESTION (AD)

Foodwaste Depackaging & pre-treatment

Anaerobic digestion

Gas holder Combined heat & power

Electricity

Heat

Converted for use at district/industrial/commecial heating

Digestate storage

Biofertiliser

“WHILE THERE ARE MANY BIOMASS SOURCES

AVAILABLE, IT IS NOT NECESSARILY EASY TO GET IT DUE TO HUMAN FACTORS

AND OTHER BARRIERS”

SOURCE: BIOGEN

060

061ISSUE 6

THE PUBLIC SECTOR has the potential to help reduce Singapore’s resource consumption and emissions, and contribute to the targets under the

Sustainable Singapore Blueprint. That was the impetus behind the Public Sector Taking the Lead in Environmental Sustainability (PSTLES) initiative that was introduced in 2006.

The PSTLES initiative encourages the adoption of sustainability measures, specifically measures on energy efficiency, water efficiency, waste management and general environmental sustainability like green procurement, within the public sector. Under PSTLES, all public sector agencies are also required annually to submit an environmental scorecard that details their environmental performance and efforts. A summary of the requirements under PSTLES can be found in Figure 1.

Through the adoption of sustainability measures, the public sector has and will continue to reap cost savings and demonstrate commitment to lead by example.

Reducing government energy use One of the key focus areas under PSTLES is to encourage energy efficiency improvements in the public sector. Large buildings with air-conditioned spaces

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

FIGURE 1: KEY GUIDELINES FOR PUBLIC SECTOR AGENCIES UNDER PSTLES

General Environmental Sustainability

Energy Efficiency Water Efficiency

Waste Management

Agencies should achieve the Eco-Office Green Office label.

All existing government buildings owned by government agencies with more than 10,000m2 air-conditioned floor areas should attain the Green

Mark Gold Plus by 2020.

All new public sector buildings with more than 5,000m2 air-conditioned

floor areas, including buildings whose development costs are fully or partly

funded by government agencies, should attain the Green

Mark Platinum.

Agencies should attain the Water Efficient Building (WEB) label.

Agencies should implement recycling programmes (e.g. for paper products

and aluminium cans.)

Existing office buildings with central air-conditioning systems and more than 10,000m2 of air-conditioned floor areas should undergo energy audits.

The ambient indoor air temperature in all air-conditioned public sector premises should be maintained at 24oC or higher.

In retrofitting their chiller plants, agencies should aim for higher performances, e.g. at specific consumption of 0.185 kWE/kWT (0.65 kW/RT), where it is cost

effective to do so to improve the long term return on investment.

All in-house Facility and Operation Managers (FOMs) should be trained in energy management. Where FOM services are contracted out, the contractor’s team should comprise at least one Singapore Certified Energy Manager (SCEM).

TAKING THE LEAD IN ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

062

greater than 10,000 m2 account for 60 per cent of the total energy consumed by the public sector. Since 2006, the focus of the PSTLES initiative has been on getting owners of large public sector buildings to reduce energy consumption and attain Green Mark Goldplus by 2020. All new buildings with floor spaces of 5,000m2 or more must be Green Mark Platinum. To ensure that agencies are able to manage their buildings in an energy efficient manner, public sector facilities managers have undergone training in energy management as part of the PSTLES initiative.

Chiller plants account for about 50 per

cent of total energy consumption in a large building. Recognising this, NEA has been encouraging and assisting public sector agencies to retrofit their chiller plants and other energy-intensive equipment under

guaranteed energy savings performance (GESP) contracts. An accredited Energy Services Company (ESCO) is engaged to provide a turnkey solution to implement energy efficiency retrofits and guarantee the savings achieved. The scope of work of the appointed ESCO include conducting an investment grade energy audit of the facility, designing and implementing energy efficiency improvement measures, measuring and verifying the performance, and finally maintaining the retrofitted equipment throughout the duration of the contract. The process flow of a GESP contract can be found in Figure 2.

Agencies that have adopted the GESP contracting model in their energy efficiency retrofit are better able to secure energy savings and ensure that the performance of the retrofitted plant is maintained at the guaranteed level. Ten public sector buildings have so far retrofitted their chiller plants under the GESP contracting model. The improved efficiency of the chiller plants has helped these public sector agencies save 13 GWh, worth $3.4million annually (see next page for some case studies).

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

FIGURE 2: PROCESS FLOW OF A GESP CONTRACT

The GESP contract is divided into two phases, the consultancy phase and the implementation phase.During the consultancy Phase, the ESCO will conduct a detailed investment grade energy audit of the key energy-

consuming equipment in the building. Thereafter, the ESCO proposes a set of energy efficiency improvement measures to be implemented.

If the agency agrees with these measures, the contract enters into the second phase, where the ESCO implements the energy efficiency improvement measures and guarantees the performance of these measures once they are implemented.

Recommend Energy Conservation Measures

(ECMs) (e.g. chiller plant retrofit)

Carry out an Investment Grade Energy Audit

Implement ECMsGuarantee chiller plant

efficiency/annual saving

Phase 1 (Consultancy Phase)

Phase 2 (Implementation Phase)

Over the term of contract: usually 5 years

“THE GOVERNMENT SEEKS TO SEND A STRONG SIGNAL TO ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC SECTOR TO FURTHER DEVELOP THEIR

PROGRAMMES ON SUSTAINABILITY TO THE NEXT LEVEL AND IMPROVE THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE”

BCA Zero Energy Building

063ISSUE 6

The guaranteed energy savings performance (GESP) contracting model has been used in a number of public sector energy efficiency retrofit projects. The lion’s share of energy savings of these projects is from the retrofitting of the chiller plants. The chilled water plants of some buildings may be retrofitted when they reached the end of their economic life, which is typically around 15 years, or as in the case of HDB Hub, earlier to maximise financial savings.

MEWRNEA has been working closely with the owner of the Environment Building, the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR), since the beginning of 2011 on a GESP contract to retrofit their central chiller plant at the Environment Building. An accredited Energy Services Company (ESCO) was engaged to carry out the investment grade energy audit as well as the chiller plant retrofit. To improve the performance of the chiller plant and reduce the system’s energy use, some of the key efforts were:

i) Elevating the mounting level of equipment like pumps and opting for split-casing pumps to reduce pumping energy,

ii) Modifying pipes and connections to avoid 90o sharp

bends so as to reduce frictional and pressure losses in pipe connections to the chillers, pumps and pipe headers,

iii) Installing variable speed drives (VSD) to modulate the speed of pumps and fan motors to match demand so as to save energy, and

iv) Sizing of the retrofitted equipment correctly based on the actual building’s cooling load and future requirements.

As part of the GESP contract, the ESCO installed highly accurate permanent measurement and verification instruments to continuously track and monitor the chiller plant’s performance. This is to ensure that the chiller plant’s performance guarantees can be objectively and accurately verified and prompt measures can

be implemented if the efficiency deteriorates.

Upon completion of the retrofit in 2012, the five years guarantee period kicked in. For Environment Building, the chiller plant is guaranteed to consume no more than 0.170kWE of electricity per kWT of cooling load produced (0.6kW of electricity per refrigerant ton (RT)). During this period, the ESCO

is obliged to ensure that the chiller plant performs at or better than the performance guarantees over a period of five years. If the plant fails to meet this level of performance, a penalty, equivalent to the loss in savings, is imposed on the ESCO. The guaranteed performance is within the “Excellent” range under the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) chiller plant efficiency chart. (See Figure 3 below). It is notable that the average performance of the chiller plant at Environment Building is at a specific consumption of 0.154kWE/kWT (0.54kW/RT), which is 10 per cent better than the guaranteed performance.

HDB HubHDB engaged an accredited ESCO using the GESP contracting model to retrofit their chiller plant at HDB Hub. During the investment grade energy audit, the ESCO measured the baseline specific consumption of the chiller plant to be 0.318 kWE/kWT (1.12 kW/RT). The guaranteed specific consumption of the chiller plant is at 0.182 kWE/kWT (0.64 kW/RT). The savings in electricity to HDB amounts to 6.5 million kWh of electricity and S$1.6 million in energy bills, based on an electricity tariff of $0.25 per kWh. HDB will recover their investment of S$4.5 million within three years.

Case studies on how the public sector saves energy

Pre-retrofit specific consumption

Guaranteed specific consumption

Actual post-retrofit specific consumption

1.20

1.00

0.80

0.60

0.40

0.20

0.00Spec

ific

Cons

umpt

ion

of c

hille

r pa

lnt

(kW

/RT

)

Connectionone

ENV Building

HPB MOE STB HDB Hub HSA RevenueHouse

FIGURE 4: PRE-AND-POST RETROFIT SPECIFIC CONSUMPTION

Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources

“PUTTING IN PLACE A HIGHLY ACCURATE PERMANENT

MEASUREMENT AND VERIFICATION SYSTEM TO

CONTINUOUSLY TRACK AND MONITOR PERFORMANCE IS ESSENTIAL TO DETERMINE

AND SECURE ENERGY SAVINGS IN A GESP CONTRACT”

FIGURE 3: ASHRAE CHILLER PLANT EFFICIENCY CHART

New technology all-variable speed

chiller plants

High-efficiency optimised

chiller plants

Conventional code based chiller plants

Older chiller plants

Chiller plants with correctable design or operational problems

Average annual chiller plant efficiency in kW/ton (C.O.P.)(input energy includes chillers, condenser pumps and tower fans)

Based on electrically driven centrifugal chiller plants in comfort conditioning applications with 42oF (5.6oC) nominal chilled water supply temperature and open cooling towers sized for 85oF (29.4oC) maximum

entering condenser water temperature. Local climate adjustment for North American climates is +/- 0.05 kW/ton

kW/ton 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 1.1 1.2C.O.P. (7.0) (5.9) (5.0) (4.4) (3.9) (3.5) (3.2) (2.9)

EXCELLENT GOOD FAIR NEEDS IMPROVEMENT

Figure 4 shows the pre- and post- retrofit energy consumption and performance of the chilled-water plants of the GESP projects at Environment Building and HDB Hub.

066

IT IS OFTEN SAID that among the environmental initiatives an organisation can take, energy efficiency is the “low-hanging fruit”. Sure, there may be ample opportunities and even speedy returns on investment, but there are numerous barriers that need to be addressed. From management mindset, to tight

budgets, to change-resistant company cultures, such “fruit” picking exercises aren’t always as easy as energy managers might like.

But industry is changing, and a new breed of award-winning energy

managers in Singapore is helping pave the way to substantial energy savings and bottom line boosts. In plant operations, production lines, and even the humble office pantry, several companies have demonstrated innovative ways to plug into energy efficiency.

Through half-yearly sharing sessions hosted by NEA’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Department, best practice is promoted among local energy managers by sharing front-line experience.

These are the insider tips, tricks, and results of their efforts.

AWARD-WINNING ENERGY EFFICIENCY INSIGHTS THAT GET RESULTS

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

067ISSUE 6

Company energy efficiency snapshot

As part of their energy management system, MSD has a target of 30 per cent reduction in energy consumption from 2011 to 2015, by optimising usage and eliminating waste. This will be done by using efficient and cost-effective technologies, improving waste heat recovery, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, promoting employee energy awareness and continual participation. MSD was also an Energy Efficiency National Partnership (EENP) Awards 2011 recipient for the Best Practices category.

So far, the greatest savings have come from optimising use of a clean steam generator which saves 2,532 MWh, optimising the south water chiller which saves 2,520 MWh, and shutting down the south campus admin building which saves 1,775 MWh.

Following an “Energy Efficiency Treasure Hunt” exercise in 2013, MSD has begun ramping up projects in 2014 with total energy savings of 6,782 MWh. The greatest savings have come from optimisation of Glycol system supply & return pump (865

MSD’s Singapore West Campus. Through 10 categories of projects implemented in 2013, the company saved 11,522 MWh of energy.

MWh), Area 7000 Production facility optimisation (700 MWh), AHU optimisation (2,336 Mwh), Synthesis production facility optimisation (1,433 MWh), LED’s lights conversion (366MWh), Laprasova Fuzzy logic control for cooling tower fan (251 MWh), Lab fume’s optimisation (589 MWh) and other optimisation (242 MWh) in 2014.

Innovative initiatives

The company hosts a competitive annual “Energy Efficiency Treasure Hunt” globally. The objective is to reduce cost, drive reductions in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, and improve efficiency. This involves teams performing in-depth site investigations, documenting and making wastage visible, eliminating waste, replicating the results, and reflecting on what other implications might result from the changes.

In the 2013 MSD Singapore Treasure Hunt, the goal was to reduce energy use by 16 per cent and save US$4 million. Preparation started two months ahead of the three-day event.

MSD International GmbH

(Singapore Branch)Industry Pharmaceuticals, Vaccines,Biologics, Consumer Care and Animal Health Target Areas Production facilities and office space Practitioner Syed YousuffAssociate Director EngineeringEnergy Management and Business Improvement Background Syed Yousuff has been withMSD since 2008 and has led the Singaporesite Energy Management and BusinessImprovement team to deliver the energytarget of 30 per cent reduction by 2015from the year 2011. In 2014, Mr Yousuffaims to deliver 35 GWh of energy reductionsby implementing new technology andsystem optimisation.

Pharm West

Biotech Plant

API Warehouse

MPP Plant

Synthesis Plant

Steroids Plant

Synthesis (Small Scale) Plant

Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) plant

068

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

In the end, nine teams examining areas across the company’s operations identified potential 40 per cent energy reduction opportunities, with corresponding elimination of 23,300 MT of greenhouse gas emissions, and potential operational savings of US$9.77 million – far exceeding the initial goals.

The key to the initiative’s success included good preparation and planning, management involvement and support, energy expertise from both internal and external sources, energy management team involvement, team leader and members’ training, participant background diversity and knowledge, sharing of best practices, and communal learning.

Tipsl Planning is crucial: get early buy-in

and communicate to all stakeholders a clear action plan.

l If a Treasure Hunt-like activity needs to take place over a weekend, to view the plant in “Sleep or Low-activity Mode”, give staff members encouragement to sign up, and time off in lieu.

l Tackle immediately solvable operational issues first and handle the rest step-by-step.

Brainstorming after finding and quantifying waste

Enthusiastic discussion among team members Reporting of group findings

Dropping coins into a ‘treasure box’ as part of MSD’s ‘Energy Efficiency Treasure Hunt’ exercise

069ISSUE 6

Company energy efficiency snapshot

Infineon’s approach focuses on five main work areas: users (tasked with being prudent in their energy consumption and aiming for zero wastage), enablers (focused on reporting, awareness, culture building and communications), trainers (who educate the community), buyers (who help design-in efficiency through technical innovations and specifications), and providers (charged with handling efficiency and optimisation in operations). The energy management team has a committee overseeing these work areas, with a programme lead taking a coordinating effort.

The company regularly tracks key energy data and aims to reduce usage by 10 per cent. Some planned initiatives included switching off energy intensive equipment, optimising pumps, replacing lighting and chillers, and a number of other smaller initiatives like powering down fridges and hot water heaters outside office hours. In 2013, the company ran an eight-month-long Energy Challenge campaign to reduce energy consumption in admin areas. Internal communications, events, workshops, and meetings were conducted to get all staff on board. The result was a surprising 22.6 per cent energy reduction over the course of the campaign, far exceeding the anticipated target.

Tipsl Older and more entrenched employees

can be resistant to change. Newer people joining the company are more flexible and likely to adapt to the culture. Communications strategies should carefully target and approach both groups to get participation.

l To zoom in on energy usage trends and identify savings opportunities, each floor or even department can have its own meters put on circuits to carefully track usage.

Innovative initiatives

Energy usage was available to all employees in the company through a bar chart showing each department’s performance. This psychological approach fostered competitiveness, as no department wanted to be seen as the biggest energy consumer. Numerous other visual reminders on energy saving were placed around the office to further reinforce conservation efforts, including a lighting plan so staff could turn off work areas not being used, and notices on fridges and hot water heaters notifying of their timer-activated down-time outside of office hours. The company even made an energy efficiency mascot that featured on many of the internal communications. Communication aspects like these, coupled with events like Earth Hour and an energy carnival, reinforced the importance of the campaign.

Infineon Technologies

Asia Pacific Pte LtdIndustry Semiconductor company providingsystem solutions, focusing on EnergyEfficiency, Mobility and Security Target Areas Office and Production Practitioner Quah Han SongSenior Facilities Engineer and Energy Manager Background Mr Quah graduated from NTUwith a degree in Mechanical Engineering.He is a senior facilities engineer and anenergy manager and has been with InfineonTechnologies for eight years. He was arecipient of the EENP Awards 2013 underthe Outstanding Energy Manager of the Year category.

Infineon uses high energy efficiency motors for pumping applications

Infineon uses 45° bends instead of 90°

Power off on weekends

070

Company energy efficiency snapshot

Nestlé has been setting – and on average achieving – annual targets in energy and water efficiency since 2010. The company aims to cut energy use by four per cent and water use by four per cent in 2014. So far, the company has saved 545,000 GJ of energy.

The company’s energy management system is led by the ETF, driven by the energy manager and plant heads. Reflecting the diversity of plant operations, the task force is multi-function and multi-level – all managers and engineers are included. Energy savings targets are set to KPIs and linked to the overall management team’s performance. A budget is available

for small changes and the Maintenance & Improvement (M&I) budget can also be utilised to carry out work leading to energy savings. Numerous operational improvements can also deliver benefits, and it is stressed that any budget should be properly allocated to energy efficient technologies for upgrades and replacements.

They have implemented a number of

Nestlé Singapore Pte Ltd Industry Nutrition and health Target Areas Industrial operations Practitioner Muthusamy Ravichandran (Ravi) Factory Engineer and Energy Manager Background As the energy managerfor Nestlé’s Jurong factory, Mr Ravi leadsthe energy task force (ETF) to develop asustainable energy management system,including creating an energy saving culture.Mr Ravi was recognised at the EENPAwards 2013 under the Outstanding EnergyManager of the Year category.

Biomass generated steam in wet spent grain drying operation

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

2010Target:Energy = 3.37 GJ/tonWater = 2.70 m3/tonActual:Energy = 2.88 GJ/tonWater = 2.62 m3/ton

2011Target:Energy = 2.82 GJ/tonWater = 2.52 m3/tonActual:Energy = 2.74 GJ/tonWater = 2.46 m3/ton

2012Target:Energy = 2.69 GJ/tonWater = 2.36 m3/tonActual:Energy = 2.59 GJ/tonWater = 2.33 m3/ton

2015Target:Energy = 2.12 GJ/tonWater = 2.03 m3/tonActual:Energy = 2.17 GJ/tonWater = 2.03 m3/ton

2016Target:Energy = 2.03 GJ/tonWater = 1.95 m3/tonActual:Energy = 2.06 GJ/tonWater = 1.95 m3/ton

2017Target:Energy = 1.96 GJ/tonWater = 1.87 m3/tonActual:Energy = 1.99 GJ/tonWater = 1.87 m3/ton

2013Target:Energy = 2.54 GJ/tonWater = 2.24 m3/tonActual:Energy = 2.36 GJ/tonWater = 2.17 m3/ton

Nestlé’s journey towards energy and water efficient manufacturing

WE ARE HERE

2014Target:Energy = 2.21 GJ/tonWater = 2.11 m3/tonActual:Energy = 2.28 GJ/tonWater = 2.11 m3/ton

14.5% saving in energy due to SPG dryer operation discontinued

071ISSUE 6

The sharing session is exclusively organised for partners of the Energy Efficiency National

Partnership (EENP). The EENP is a voluntary partnership programme for companies that wish

to be more energy efficient, thereby enhancing their long-term business competitiveness and

reducing their carbon footprint. The EENP aims to support companies in their energy efficiency

efforts through learning network activities, energy efficiency-related resources, incentives and

recognition. Visit www.e2singapore.gov.sg to learn more about the EENP programme.

The EENP Awards are organised by the National Environment Agency, Energy Market

Authority and the Economic Development Board. It aims to foster a culture of sustained

energy efficiency improvement in industry and to encourage companies to adopt a proactive

approach towards energy management by identifying and sharing best practices for

companies to emulate. There are three categories for the EENP Awards – Excellence in Energy

Management, Best Practices and Outstanding Energy Manager of the Year.

Tipsl Design engineers can help build in

efficiencies when establishing new plant and processes. Safety and reliability should be carefully balanced with operational efficiency so none are compromised.

l Manpower and budget constraints may at times dampen some energy efficiency efforts and ambitious targets. Successful achievement means setting priorities, careful scheduling, and phasing of initiatives as resources allow.

l Making a clear case of what initiatives may bring substantial savings can help fast track implementation.

l Implement simple projects as quick wins as these can help build confidence, demonstrate results, and allow for studying of bigger improvement projects.

initiatives including using biomass generated steam in wet spent grain drying operations, reusing condensate overflow during recipe change over, recycling boiler blow-down waste heat to feed the water system, and reducing power by optimising cooling water pumping. Performance is monitored using a corporate intranet, and by the factory team. Energy use is reviewed in weekly operations meetings and quarterly task force meetings.

Recycling boiler blow-down waste heat to feed water system

Nestlé’s achievements in reducing energy use

Product volume Total Energy used in GJ/year

Energy GJ/ton Linear (Energy GJ/ton of product of product

4.50

4.00

3.50

3.00

2.50

2.00

1.50

1.00

0.50

0.00

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

Innovative initiatives

Operational areas are complex both technically and in terms of manpower resources, and involving all members has been a challenge. For example, the engineering team may have different KPIs to the operations team, resulting in different priorities. So, harmonising not only human resources but also KPIs was important to reinforce energy savings as a line function. Getting meetings and project flows organised also took careful calibration. Timing had to be carefully coordinated to ensure all relevant parties were participating at relevant junctures, and

with big projects kicked off at earlier intervals and during shut down periods to maximise successful energy efficiency outcomes. Through careful coordination efforts, as well as internal communications and culture building activities, employee participation has greatly improved.

073ISSUE 6

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

ALONGSIDE MAJOR industrial energy efficiency programmes underway in Singapore, those focused on residential energy users

are also being improved. Consumers can soon make even better informed decisions when purchasing energy intensive home appliances due to enhancements to the NEA Mandatory Energy Labelling Scheme (MELS) and extension of the Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) to include more appliances. By purchasing appliances with lower energy costs, consumers stand to gain significant cost savings over the life-cycle.

The improvements to MELS and MEPS seek to encourage more households to choose energy efficient appliances with low life-cycle costs. This in turn will allow them to reduce their utility bills as well as greenhouse gas emissions.

Revised energy labelsStarting from 1 September 2014, the revised energy labels will carry estimated annual energy cost and energy consumption information. This will help inform consumers of the life-cycle cost of an appliance before purchasing it. With the introduction and tightening of MEPS, and the continuous improvements in the energy performance of appliances over the years, the existing tick rating system has limited bands to differentiate appliance models. To better differentiate more efficient models from the less efficient ones and reflect the improvements in the energy efficiencies of appliances in today’s market, the energy rating system will be recalibrated.

Under the new rating system, the most efficient models will be awarded 5-ticks. 1-tick products will make up the lowest efficiency band. The “no-ticks” band will be removed as some consumers were confused when they came across labels without any ticks.

The energy label design will also be updated to boost its readability. However, to retain consumers’ familiarity of the previous energy label, the rounded-top, rating descriptor and rating scale design will be retained.

Extension of MELS to televisionsMELS was extended to televisions in April 2014, making it the first appliance under the

MELS umbrella to carry the revised labels. As consumers may be attracted to buy large screen high-performance televisions, MELS could help heighten consumers’ awareness of the energy performance of such televisions and assist them in their purchasing decisions. Potential energy savings for the whole of Singapore from switching from low to medium or high efficiency televisions are estimated to be between $12.2 million and $19.7 million annually.

Following NEA’s consultation with suppliers, the revised energy labels have been affixed on televisions since April 2014 and will come into effect for air-conditioners, refrigerators and clothes dryers in September this year. Progressively, NEA intends to extend MELS to other energy intensive home appliances.

Extension of MEPS to clothes dryers and lightingBesides the energy labelling scheme, MEPS is another initiative by NEA aimed to help consumers lower their energy consumption at home. MEPS was implemented for clothes dryers in April 2014 and MEPS for general

lighting will be rolled out later in 2014. NEA’s household energy consumption

study commissioned in 2011 showed that clothes dryers are widely used in private apartments and landed housing where the penetration rates are 32 per cent and

18 per cent respectively. For such homes, clothes dryers can account for about 5 per cent of their total energy consumption. Lighting is used in all households and is among the top five energy consuming household appliances and devices.

Ongoing enhancementsOver the next few years, NEA will progressively tighten MEPS levels and also extend MELS and MEPS to other appliances to further encourage suppliers to continually bring in even more energy efficient household appliances.

As suppliers have been introducing more and more energy efficient models since the implementation of MELS and MEPS, there is now an increased availability of such appliances in the market. Energy efficient appliances become more affordable with lower upfront cost.

ENHANCED LABELS FOR BETTER DECISIONSRevised energy labels and extension of performance standards to enable household energy efficiency

CREATINGLIVEABLE CITIES

074

CREATING LIVEABLE CITIES

075075

Cities are bustling centres of commerce and industry. But in order to maintain their desirable nature, preserve a quality living environment for residents, and attract inward investment, business interests must also be tempered with pragmatism and careful policy

interventions to ensure cities remain liveable and thriving places. ENVISION Magazine surveys how advancements in areas like noise control, public cleansing, technology, and infrastructure can enable a high standard of living in modern Asian cities

ISSUE 6

076

CREATING LIVEABLE CITIES

ONGOING DEVELOPMENT is a given in dense Asian cities. Construction of new buildings and infrastructure is an essential part of improvement

and urban renewal. But with it can come a host of problems if not handled carefully, the most noticeable being noise.

If you’ve ever lived or worked next to a construction site, you’ll know it can be a painful experience. However, it needn’t be so: a wide range of noise control equipment and quieter machines exist to take the edge off for urban citizens.

Case in point: as a highly urbanised city, Singapore recognises that a balance must to be struck between meeting residents’ expectations for a quieter living environment, and ensuring that construction

can keep pace with the country’s developments.

In recent years, public feedback on construction noise has been rising, averaging over 16,000 referrals per year due to the increasing number of construction projects over the past five years. Enforcement actions taken by the NEA on errant construction sites have also increased. Companies that violate the permissible noise limits could be fined up to a maximum of $40,000.

To help reduce the impact of construction noise on the public as a result of increasing residential and infrastructural developments in Singapore, the NEA introduced a Quieter Construction Fund (QCF) in April 2014, to incentivise construction companies to use quieter machines and noise control equipment.

The QCF complements an existing enforcement framework regulating noise from construction sites. Construction companies can tap these incentives to adopt quieter machines and noise control equipment.

The fund will reimburse companies up to 50 per cent of the cost of purchase or leasing of supported items, subject to individual equipment caps. The maximum grant that will be disbursed to each project site is capped at $100,000 or 5 per cent of the project contract value, whichever is lower.

To be eligible the applicant company must be Singapore-registered, operating on an existing or proposed construction site located less than 150m from any hospital, home for the aged sick, residential building

PUMP UP THE VOLUME CONTROLNew incentives to quiet construction site noise

077ISSUE 6

QCF FUNDING INFORMATION

Total Funding $10 million

Application period 1 April 2014 – 31 March 2016

Disbursement period 1 April 2014 – end 2017

Target recipients Construction companies operating at construction/demolition sites located close to residential or noise sensitive premises

Supported categories Quieter construction of equipment machines, noise control equipment and other

innovative solutions

MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE NOISE LEVELS FOR CONSTRUCTION WORK AND ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS(MONDAY TO SATURDAY ONLY)

Types of affected buildings 7am–7pm (Mon-Sat) 7pm–10pm (Mon-Sat) 10pm–7am (Mon-Sat)

Hospitals, schools, institutions of 60 dBA 50 dBA higher learning, homes for aged sick, etc (Leq 12 hrs) (Leq 12 hrs) 75 dBA 55 dBA (Leq 5 mins) (Leq 5 mins)

Residential buildings located less than 75 dBA 65 dBA 55 dBA 150m from the construction site (Leq 12 hrs) (Leq 1 hr) (Leq 1 hr) 90 dBA 70 dBA 55 dBA (Leq 5 mins) (Leq 5 mins) (Leq 5 mins) Buildings other than those stated 75 dBA 65 dBA in the rows above (Leq 12 hrs) (Leq 12 hrs) 90 dBA 70 dBA (Leq 5 mins) (Leq 5 mins)

CONSTRUCTION SITE WORK PROHIBITIONS FOR SITES NEAR SENSITIVE AREAS

Construction project dates: Construction work not allowed from:Construction sites that commenced work 10pm on Saturday till 10am on Sunday; and 10pm on on or after 1 September 2010 Public Holiday eve till 10am of the Public Holiday

Construction sites that commenced work on 10pm on Saturday till 7am on the following Monday; and or after 1 September 2011 10pm on Public Holiday eve till 7am on the day after the Public Holiday

or other noise sensitive premises. Eligible companies can apply to NEA to tap the fund and find out more information.

An example of quieter construction machines is jack-in piling machines, which generates about 20 dBA less noise than bore piling machines. Noise control equipment includes perimeter noise barriers, which can reduce noise by 5 dBA to 10 dBA. When used as part of a good noise management system, such equipment will be effective in reducing construction noise.

Some other examples include silent sheet piling, system formwork, concrete crushing machines, noise curtains, enclosures for plants and machines, acoustic silencers and mufflers, vibration absorption devices, crack inducers, modified piling systems, and other innovative solutions.

While these incentives aim to help improve noise reduction performance on sites, contractors still must abide by the noise limits stipulated by NEA when carrying out construction works. The noise limits are more stringent for construction projects near to noise sensitive premises such as hospitals, homes for the aged, schools and residential areas.

Since 2010, NEA has also implemented a rule prohibiting work during specified periods for construction sites located less than 150 metres away from these sensitive areas.

NEA requires construction sites near residential and sensitive premises, such as hospitals, schools and homes of the aged sick, to install real-time noise monitoring systems or to submit their noise charts to NEA on a weekly basis. Through these

measures, NEA is able to monitor the noise generated from construction activities.

With both incentives and strict enforcement measures in place, Singapore is better placed to manage noise from construction projects and enable a more liveable city for its population.

“NEA REQUIRES CONSTRUCTION SITES

NEAR RESIDENTIAL AND SENSITIVE PREMISES TO

INSTALL REAL-TIME NOISE MONITORING SYSTEMS”

in decibels (dBA)

LEVELS OF NOISEPAINFUL & DANGEROUSUse hearing protection or avoid

140 Fireworks

Gun shots

Custom car stereos (at full volume)

130 Jackhammers

Ambulances

UNCOMFORTABLEDangerous over 30 seconds

120 Jet planes (during take off)

VERY LOUDDangerous over 30 minutes

110 Concerts (any genre of music)

Car horns

Sporting events

100 Snowmobiles

MP3 players (at full volume)

90 Lawnmowers

Power tools

Blenders

Hair dryers

Over 85db for extended periods can cause permanent hearing loss

LOUD

80 Alarm clocks

70 Traffic

Vacuums

MODERATE

60 Normal conversation

Dishwashers

50 Moderate rainfall

SOFT

40 Quiet library

30 Whispers

FAINT

20 Leaves rustling

Perm

issi

ble

rang

e fo

r co

nstr

uctio

n

Source: Adapted from American Academy of Audiology

080

NEA launched ENVISION magazine because it believes informed discussions are crucial for achieving a cleaner, healthier and more beautiful world.

It’s now easier than ever to read compelling articles on environmental management by accessing its tablet-friendly edition.

Simply visit www. nea.gov.sg or scan the QR codes found below for the latest government and industry news and perspectives, or see http://tinyurl.com/b85h8xs to download a PDF version.

Previous Issues

Read ENVISION on your tablet

Out Now!

081ISSUE 6

CREATING LIVEABLE CITIES

Raising standards, productivity and professionalism in Singapore’s

cleaning industry

GETTING SPOTLESSGETTING

SPOTLESS

082

CREATING LIVEABLE CITIES

THIS QUOTE EMBODIES the commitment Singapore’s leadership has made to public cleanliness and hygiene even at the early stages of the

country’s development. Till today, cleanliness remains a central part of Singapore’s identity.

A clean and hygienic environment enables Singaporeans to lead healthy, comfortable and secure lives and creates a liveable and sustainable Singapore for present and future generations. It enables the city-state to maintain its competitiveness by positioning it as an attractive place to live, work and play.

Likewise, in many cities in Asia, their overall cleanliness, maintenance and appearance is becoming a central part of their identities and international profiling, and is also a barometer of how liveable they are. It is also a lynchpin factor for inward business investment considerations and competitive positioning.

As Asia continues to strengthen its economic competiveness and become highly urbanised with the proliferation of more compact and densely populated cities, the demand for cleaning services will correspondingly increase. Increasing affluence and rising public expectations in these cities have also accelerated the demands for higher cleanliness standards

and better service delivery.Amidst today’s changing landscape and

stronger business competition, meeting rising demands and staying competitive in the cleaning industry continues to be an uphill task.

Industry challengesIn many modern cities, cleaning companies continue to face manpower shortages as the industry is supported by more elderly and less educated workers. The poor image suffered by the industry is a result of the low skills, low pay and poor employment conditions, which perpetuate the mindset that cleaning is a manual and low end job. This mindset prevents younger and educated workers from entering the industry.

Building owners and managing agents too play an important role in influencing the standard of the cleaning industry. Head-count based contracts give cleaning companies little motivation to carry out cleaning in a more efficient and productive manner through greater innovation and use of technology. The common use of such contracts is primarily due to the lack of knowledge of service buyers, in particular on cleaning standards, methodologies and machines, productivity benchmarks, etc,

“WE HAVE BUILT. WE HAVE PROGRESSED. BUT THERE IS NO HALLMARK OF SUCCESS

MORE DISTINCTIVE AND MORE MEANINGFUL

THAN ACHIEVING OUR POSITION AS THE CLEANEST

AND GREENEST CITY IN SOUTHEAST ASIA”

PM Lee Kuan Yew at the launch of the Keep Singapore Clean Campaign, 1 October 1968

083ISSUE 6

coupled with a mindset that cleaning is a manual and low skilled job.

While improving the standards of cleaning operations and strengthening the knowledge of the service buyers are key drivers, support from government is equally important. Policy, regulatory measures and active collaboration between stakeholders in the cleaning value chain are essential in shaping and sustaining the cleaning industry for the future.

Uplifting the Singapore cleaning sectorIn Singapore, the cleaning industry is large and diverse, providing both general and specialised cleaning services. The general cleaning, such as cleaning of commercial premises, food & beverages establishments and conservancy areas, make up the majority of the services in the industry, employing some 69,000 cleaners.

In a tighter labour market, sustaining the heavily manpower-reliant cleaning industry to meet increasing cleanliness standards and service quality demands is a continuous challenge.

Like other industries, raising the value of the cleaning profession, raising productivity of the cleaning workforce and providing better employment standards and wages are key. Building a better trained and skilled workforce, coupled with the use of sustainable cleaning products and technologies, ie cleaning equipment/machines, info-comm solutions, etc, will relieve some of the manpower demands on the cleaning industry. More than ever, cleaning companies will need to find innovative ways to reduce their reliance on manpower.

That is why uplifting the productivity and professionalism of the cleaning industry is a priority. The NEA has been working since 2010 with various government agencies, industry partners and the union to do just this. It is a joint effort with the Ministry of Manpower, Ministry of Finance, Work Development Agency, NTUC’s U-Care, Employment and Employability Institute (e2i), Environmental Management Association of Singapore (EMAS), Singapore National Employers Federation, and the Building, Construction and Timber Industries Employees’ Union.

Cleaning industry productivity roadmapNEA developed a Cleaning Industry Productivity Roadmap as part of the national effort under the National Productivity and Continuing Education Council (NPCEC) to uplift the productivity of priority sectors including cleaning. The five-year Roadmap comprises initiatives and programmes under four thrusts:

1. Capability and standards development2. Training and manpower development3. Technology and innovation4. Education and outreach

Policy and regulatory measures are also implemented to bring about a level playing field for cleaning companies and effect an industry wide improvement in standards and professionalism.

In tackling the challenges of the cleaning industry, a step approach was adopted in implementing the initiatives under the Roadmap. The key initiatives which formed the pillars of the Roadmap include:

�The Clean Mark Accreditation scheme, which aims to help cleaning companies put in place proper structures and systems, especially in human resources and training, as well as to push for greater productivity through mechanisation, automation and redesign of work processes to allow companies to optimise their manpower. This formed the key lever that NEA adopted to implement various initiatives under the roadmap. The voluntary scheme, first introduced in July 2010, was enhanced in November 2012 to raise the overall standards and professionalism of the cleaning industry through better employment practices and productivity initiatives, together with a new accreditation requirement on progressive wages.

Development and launch of the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) in October 2012 with the tripartite partners to provide a progressive ladder for cleaners’ wages to progress with training and improvements in productivity and standards.

Mandatory requirement for government agencies to engage accredited cleaning companies with effect from April 2013.

Building capabilities of cleaning companies through the:

l��Introduction of the QIANG (Quality Initiative to Assist, Nurture and Grow)Programme to train the supervisor and senior management of cleaning companies on productivity improvement measures.

l��Launch of the Pictorial Guide for Washroom Cleaning in November 2013. This pictorial guide helps remind cleaners on the cleaning procedures, use of cleaning equipment, and the safety measures.

l��Development of the Technical Reference on Cleaning Performance for Retail, Food and Beverages Premises in November 2013, which serves as a service quality measuring system to assess the performance of cleaning services.

l��Encouraging technology adoption through the Inclusive Growth Programme (IGP). A list of pre-approved common cleaning equipment is available to facilitate technology adoption.

l��Sectoral Productivity Call-for-Collaboration, a multi-agency effort led by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) to collectively adopt infocomm technology for the cleaning sector

Mandatory licensing of the cleaning industry with effect from 1st April 2014.

The collective effort will improve the quality of cleaning companies as a result of proper systems to better manage cleaning and business operations; better trained and skilled workers paid according to a progressive wage model; better employment conditions and welfare to improve manpower attraction and retention; improved productivity through greater technology adoption and continuous productivity improvement efforts.

Together with stakeholders and tripartite partners, the aim is to build a skilled and professional industry, providing quality cleaning services, to achieve a clean and healthy living environment.

“BUILDING A BETTER TRAINED AND SKILLED

WORKFORCE, COUPLED WITH THE USE OF SUSTAINABLE CLEANING PRODUCTS AND

TECHNOLOGIES WILL RELIEVE SOME OF THE MANPOWER

DEMANDS ON THE CLEANING INDUSTRY”

085ISSUE 6

CREATING LIVEABLE CITIES

THE WORLD’S population is increasing and urbanising, which has led to mounting volumes of waste, depleting landfill spaces, soaring

energy prices and growing concerns for air pollution. These have given rise to Waste-to-Energy (WTE) as a leading solution for sustainable waste management, where Keppel Seghers has experience. Their proprietary WTE technology can help in landfill diversion by reducing the volume of waste by as much as 90 per cent, allow

BUSINESS PROVIDING URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS TO DEVELOPING CITIES

One recent project includes a new WTE combined heat and power plant project in Bailystok, Poland which Keppel Seghers will deliver as part of a consortium. The facility will process 120,000 tonnes of waste per year and generate approximately 7.5 MW of electricity during summer and 17.5 MW of thermal energy for district heating and 5 MW of electricity to the grid during winter.

In China, the company has also supplied technology packages for 19 WTE plants, with a total capacity of 22,000 tonnes per day. Technology packages allow clients to benefit from critical components and performance guarantees provided by Keppel Seghers, while reaping the cost efficiencies from sourcing construction locally. In Yangzhou city, Jiangsu Province, it is providing a technological package for the second phase of a WTE plant. This was the third contract awarded by the Yangzhou TEDA Environmental Protection Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of Tianjin TEDA Group Co Ltd. The new project, Yangzhou II, has a capacity of 610 tonnes per day (tpd) and will be built next to the existing Yangzhou I plant, which has a capacity of 1,000 tpd and which also uses Keppel Seghers’ technologies.

Projects like these demonstrate growing municipalities have access to valuable technological solutions for solving environmental challenges and are better enabled to maintain the liveability of city life.

energy to be reclaimed from waste material, while emitting flue gases compliant with international standards. From compact WTE plants in land-scarce Singapore to a first of its kind Domestic Solid Waste Management Centre (DSWMC) in Qatar, the company has worked on more than 100 WTE projects in over 25 countries worldwide.

COMPANY SNAPSHOT KEPPEL SEGHERS

086

MANAGING ECOLOGICAL PUBLIC HEALTH RISKS

087ISSUE 6

MANAGING ECOLOGICAL PUBLIC HEALTH RISKS

088

ENGAGEMENT

INCREASINGLY, LEADING socially responsible businesses have ramped up programmes to engage youth and their local communities. They have

recognised the need to engage with these segments to ensure environmental and social initiatives carry beyond their operations and create a ripple effect in society.

To maximise outreach efforts, businesses have leveraged a wide range of education and public sector players to spark new projects. These include creating new public infrastructure to raise awareness of environmental issues, forging new partnerships to maximise involvement, and providing funding and guidance for emergent initiatives.

Developing public awarenessBustling city life and busy schedules may offer precious view entry points for environmental learning. To help provide the next generation’s exposure to environmental knowledge, as well as better perspective on Singapore’s own environmental heritage, property developer and CSR pioneer City

Developments Limited (CDL) has made significant investments in learning spaces in Singapore, especially for the young.

Among its numerous CSR activities, CDL, collaborating together with National Library Board (NLB), created “My Tree House – World’s First Green Library for Kids”, an immersive and experiential learning space based at the Central Public Library.

My Tree House serves as a resource centre in facilitating environmental literacy for children. Aptly named after the centrepiece which features a tree house structure constructed with recyclable materials, the library was designed specifically with children in mind.

Good environmental habits can become particularly engrained in the early years of a child’s development, and youth can also serve as multipliers of environmental know-how as they interact with family, friends, classmates, and the larger community.

Through My Tree House, both CDL and NLB aim to cultivate children’s interest in environmental conservation through reading, discovering, and engagement in green activities, and to nurture them to be environmentally-conscious adults.

Purposefully conceptualised, constructed and operated with environmental sustainability in mind, My Tree House was the first library in the world to be steered by green principles in all facets from design, infrastructure and use of sustainable materials, to collection and programming. Eco-friendly building materials such as energy-efficient LED lighting, refurbished bookshelves and carpets with green properties were used. The canopy of the tree house centrepiece was built and installed with over 3,000 recycled plastic bottles collected from the public via public libraries,

GROWING THE COLLABORATIVE SPIRITLeading companies scaling CSR efforts with youth and communities

“MY TREE HOUSE SERVES AS A RESOURCE CENTRE IN FACILITATING

ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY FOR CHILDREN”

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MANAGING ECOLOGICAL PUBLIC HEALTH RISKS

schools and visitors to CDL’s Eco-mall, City Square Mall.

Children can learn about the environment through a multi-sensory experience. They can interact with The Knowledge Tree, which is a shadow play wall, to learn about the environment and energy conservation. Budding meteorologists can also discover Singapore’s temperature, rainfall and wind speed “live” through The Weather Stump which charts real-time weather information provided by the Meteorological Service Singapore.

With the green library’s collection of 45,000 books, children can choose from a wide variety of green themed books to borrow and read. A significant 30 per cent of these books focus on green topics such as animals, plants, nature, water resources, weather, environment, recycling and climate change. Fiction books including fairytales, fantasy and folklores which are related to the theme of the enchanted forest make up the other 70 per cent of the collection. Young users can also read green themed eBooks and play educational games through

Children can learn about the environment at The Knowledge Tree

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“WE AIM TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONSERVATION OF SCARCE RESOURCES, AND

DRIVE HOME THE MESSAGE THAT RECYCLING IS A

SHARED RESPONSIBILITY”

ENGAGEMENT

interactive and child-friendly eReading kiosks.

In the past year, programmes at My Tree House attracted over 4,000 participants. NLB also saw a fully-subscribed attendance for the first Eco Camp held in December 2013 – an environmental education programme which saw 80 children enjoying various learning experiences such as movies, tours, eco-quizzes and storytelling sessions.

Elaine Ng, Chief Executive Officer, NLB said, “We are grateful to CDL and its partners for their support in creating this enchanting place which excites children to learn more about the environment. This library is a popular place for parents and their little ones to bond and read together. Teachers are also using My Tree House as a resource for their lessons and have been bringing bus-loads of students to the library. With our collection of green-themed books and a year-round calendar of programmes, we hope to see our young visitors growing up to be green champions.”

Commenting on progress to date, Esther An, CDL’s Chief Sustainability Officer, said: “We are glad that so much has been achieved within a year of the inception of My Tree House, and we look forward to seeing more children imbibing its message of environmental conservation and demonstrating a greater sense of eco-consciousness.”

Besides My Tree House, CDL has also implemented other similar community outreach initiatives. These include the CDL Green Gallery @ Singapore Botanic Gardens Heritage Museum, which is Singapore’s first zero-energy green gallery that aims to raise public awareness of the nation’s natural heritage, and the CDL E-Generation Challenge, an annual eco-themed national competition for youths.

Expanding partnerships In a similar interactive vein, electronics manufacturer Panasonic developed a programme to both raise awareness of e-waste in Singapore and encourage active public involvement in proper recycling. Called the Heartland E-Waste Recycling Programme, Panasonic worked with a few local businesses and the South East Community Development Council to pilot the project.

Mr Junichiro Kitagawa, Managing Director, Panasonic Asia Pacific, commented, “In striving towards a better life and a better world, we are glad to partner with various stakeholders to provide an integrated channel from which the community can recycle both their home appliances and other e-waste responsibly and conveniently. Through the Heartland

E-Waste Recycling Programme, we aim to contribute to the conservation of scarce resources, and drive home the message that recycling is a shared responsibility.”

The six-month trial in 2013 was successful, collecting a total of 10,204kg of e-waste. The pilot was supported by NEA’s Call for Ideas Fund, and encouraged residents to participate in Monthly Collection Drives, held every first Sunday of the month.

Collection of recyclables was a collaborative and coordinated effort. Drop-off points for portable e-waste and general waste such as paper, aluminium cans and plastic bottles were also set up at 10 Resident Committee Centres in Mountbatten and Marine Parade districts.

In addition, HDB residents were able

to engage either Marine Parade Town Council Bulky Items Removal Service or BEST Denki Disposal Service for recycling of unwanted bulky home appliances. All collected e-waste was processed by Cimelia to retrieve essential raw materials such as plastics and precious metals, which can be used for production of new products. General recyclables were sent to SembWaste for recycling.

Extending its CSR efforts, Panasonic also pledged a donation of up to 5,000 energy-efficient light bulbs to the less privileged families in Mountbatten and Marine Parade, based on the amount of recyclables collected. This initiative serves as an important call to action for the community. At the conclusion of the pilot, 2,719 energy-efficient light bulbs were donated. Following the success of the programme, it is now under discussion for nationwide roll-out on an ongoing basis.

Empowering new initiativesWhile the Panasonic approach demonstrates how businesses and public sector bodies can come together to work on an environmental issue, Senoko Energy has taken a slightly different tack.

Senoko Energy, Singapore’s largest power generation company, chooses to spread the environmental message through educational outreach to schools and the public.

The company currently runs several programmes in parallel. Senoko participated in NEA’s Corporate and School Partnership Programme (CASP) over a decade ago that puts students and teachers in the driver’s seat to create new environmental initiatives. Over the years, the company has adopted 20 schools under the CASP.

Mr Kwong Kok Chan, Vice President for Environment and Special Projects at Senoko

Launch ceremony of the Heartland E-Waste Recycling Programme

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“WE TRY TO LINK STUDENT ACTIONS TO AN IMPACT ON THEIR

LIVES. AS AN EXAMPLE, WE DEMONSTRATE

HOW LITTERING CAN INDIRECTLY LEAD TO

DENGUE OUTBREAKS IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD”

Energy, is a familiar face at these schools. He shares his time and technical expertise to assist many environmental education committees and student lead projects. With his extensive experience and knowledge, he is able to bridge the gap between academic learning and the larger, real-world environmental perspective.

“We try to link student actions to an impact on their lives,” he says. “As an example, we demonstrate how littering can indirectly lead to dengue outbreaks in the neighbourhood by providing breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Students can hence understand the link between two apparently separate issues, and helps show their everyday action has an impact on a broader environmental perspective.”

Mr Kwong also finds that students relish the opportunity to venture outdoors. Whenever he brings school students to

Sungei Sembawang for either litter-picking or for water-monitoring tests, the students would compete with one another to complete their assigned tasks. “Their curiosity and enthusiasm are extremely infectious, and they are very energetic,” remarked Mr Kwong.

Collaborating with other partners, Senoko Energy was also able to share innovative solutions to environmental issues. For instance, when Senoko Energy purchased an electric vehicle (EV) under a government test-bed scheme, it worked with the National Climate Change Secretariat to display the EV at the NCCS’s roving climate change exhibition, “Our Green Home”, between September 2012 and January 2013. The EV was a key attraction at the exhibitions,

drawing many curious looks and questions such as “where can I buy one?”

The Senoko Sustainability Challenge (SSChallenge), originally the National Weather Study Project (NWSP), is an internally-driven community initiative. It was launched in 2005 with a $1 million sponsorship of mini weather stations in every school in Singapore. The NWSP possibly saw the largest deployment of mini weather stations across Singapore.

The NWSP was relaunched as the Senoko Sustainability Challenge (SSChallenge) in 2012. Students from primary, secondary schools and junior colleges are invited to participate by proposing and executing research projects relevant to the competition. The initiative has seen enthusiastic participation from schools, with many teams creating interesting and innovative projects to examine climate change-related issues such as food choice, water’s effect on farming and alternative lighting schemes.

Going the distanceExamples like these demonstrate that a company’s CSR extends far beyond more traditional notions of philanthropy, or merely creating short term brand extending initiatives.

To gain maximum traction on environmental issues, serious business involvement in the community must be immersive and long-term. These projects also demonstrate a spirit of collaboration between like-minded parties can help scale a small, well-meaning initiative into a larger sustained movement that becomes culturally engrained. Especially where youth are concerned, the impacts of such investments can be life-long.

SSChallenge 2013 Prize Award winners with Minister Heng Swee Keat (centre)

Jack

Yam

094

HACKS

INSPIRING INTERNATIONAL IDEASCreative and innovative environmental solutions

sourced globally

Hiding odourResearchers at the University of California are also investigating a chemical that will effectively help hide their human targets from mozzies. In part, mosquitoes use carbon dioxide to find their host. Researchers have tested a chemical mix that shuts down their ability to smell humans a large percentage of the time. This provides a new approach that spares people from being bitten. Research summary available here: http://tinyurl.com/oj7l3nr

Pandemi-visionOf course, dengue isn’t the only public health threat. From SARS to bird flu, contagions readily spread in our ever globalised world. Dirk Brockman, a theoretical physicist, and his colleagues have used new mapping tools based on flight patterns and aviation hubs that can accurately predict spread of diseases. He showed the approach’s efficacy during both the 2003 SARS outbreak and 2009

H1N1 pandemic, and believes geometry can help explain how diseases and other phenomena spread. Check out the models and visualisations here: http://tinyurl.com/pnrjmcs

Watch the video

Food poisoning app University of Rochester

researchers developed an app called nEmesis to help

identify food poisoning cases via social media. Working

through Twitter’s API, the app identifies users with typical symptoms like vomiting and the restaurant they visited.

Results for restaurants scored from the app were then

correlated with scores from the health department, and the

idea was to help identify and take action on businesses with poor food hygiene. More on the

research here: http://tinyurl.com/psmkukb

Optical confusionDiseases like dengue and malaria are a big deal worldwide, sickening and killing many people each year. Mosquitoes that serve as disease vectors are a force to be reckoned with. Simple plastic bags filled with water are often used in Mexican markets with the goal of distorting mozzies’ vision using light refraction to repulse them from an area. A designer has redesigned a more permanent glass version of the tool to accomplish the same goal, called “Anti-Fly”. Check out how it is made: http://tinyurl.com/oexlvke

Pssst: make sure to check out ENVISION Issue 5

on environmental data analytics and green apps! It can be viewed for free by

visiting http://tinyurl.com/m7wekz3

PUBLIC HEALTH

095ISSUE 6

COMMUNICATION

Watch the video

Watch the video

Questioning consumptionIn a sophisticated attempt to raise awareness of the wastefulness of buying products like bottled water, Yarra Valley Water utility in Australia created a spoof pop-up shop selling bottled air. Poignant and funny, the approach gets would-be customers to interact and question their consumption habits. Check out the video: http://tinyurl.com/nvynkh9

Climate change report as a haikuIPCC reports aren’t exactly known for being reader friendly, especially for the layman. But getting the word out on climate action is important. Stuck at home with a cold, oceanographer Greg Johnson turned key notes from the report into haiku poetry, and coupled them with thematic watercolour paintings. The result was a simplified rendering of the Fifth Assessment report’s 2,000+ pages into an easy-to-understand work of art. Your sobering moment of climate zen here: http://tinyurl.com/m8fgun2

Portraying the environmental damage of cigarette buttsWorldwide, cigarette butts are among the most rapidly discarded items, and the worse news is they are highly environmentally toxic as well. To draw attention to the problem of these pollutants being discarded in natural spaces, photo artist Chris Jordan used found butts from Austin and Denver and cloned images to form a landscape scene. Surreal and smoky, the image speaks to the seriousness of the problem. Check out the paintings http://tinyurl.com/nbzu2w8

North Pole AppealClimate change pushes Santa to cancel Christmas? Here’s a thought provoking approach to communicating climate change to youth. Check out the video: http://tinyurl.com/lcz83ac

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HACKS

Crowdsourcing solar in the USActor Mark Ruffalo and crowdsourcing solar investment company Mosaic have pulled together a new campaign inviting people to pledge to put solar panels on their properties. Mosaic will offer assistance, tools, and network to help meet these pledges in 2014. Previously, the company had crowdfunded $100 million in solar projects in the USA. More on the campaign at www.putsolaronit.com

UPCYCLING AND WASTE ELIMINATIONALTERNATIVE ENERGY

DATA VISUALISATION TOOLS

Tracking treesTrees that fall in the forest not only make a sound, they can also be tracked by sophisticated satellite and mapping technology. Aiming to make the lives of NGOs, governments, and businesses easier to track down and stop illegal deforestation, Google and the World Resources Institute partnered to create a new mapping tool to monitor tree cover worldwide. Check out the interactive map at: www.globalforestwatch.org

Government data... made easyEven if government data is made open source, pouring through spreadsheets trying to analyse trends doesn’t make life easier. Enter DataViva, a data visualisation project by MIT Media Lab using

data from Brazil as a pilot project. Through the tool, datasets can be rendered as charts, webs, scatterplots, and maps, making cross-eyed Excel headaches a thing of the past. More at: DataViva.info

Cities seeking unconventional new energy sourcesTo help power citizen energy needs, two cities are turning to alternative means. New York City aims to turn food waste to energy via biogas, and Islington in the UK wants to transform the subway tube to heat homes. Read more on these projects at www.nyc.gov/dsny and www.islington.gov.uk

Binary chairs make e-waste leftovers into sexy furnitureIf it is good enough for Lady Gaga, your office might need a few: salvage designer Benjamin Rollins Caldwell reused obsolete computer components into some

WaterbenchIn other news of exotic seating, a Dutch-Chinese product called Waterbench helps collect and store rainwater for use in landscaping. Holes disguised as buttons in the surface of the bench channel rain water into the tank inside. A further 1,000 litres of storage can be put underground beneath. Hoses can be attached when it comes time to garden. Check it out at www.waterbench.com

very slick furniture. Benjamin pioneered multiple designs, one of which featured in a recent celebrity interview by the pop queen herself. Tables and sofas are also available. Face it – your old desktop computer never looked better. More at: http://tinyurl.com/pp6symh

... and if you liked that, Chilean architect Marcele Godoy turns e-waste components into stunning avant-garde jewellery: http://tinyurl.com/pft5yhw

097ISSUE 6

Check out the video

“Screw You” recycles bottle capsDesigner David Graas used 3D-printing to recycle PET bottle caps, recombining them into a variety of useful devices including vases and bracelets. Cheekily entitled “Screw You”, these clever products take a common form of waste and turn it into something that is useful, beautiful, and a real conversation starter. More on this unconventional art at: http://tinyurl.com/q44gg8z

Paying with Plastic in BeijingHitting two birds with one stone, this is genius: aiming to up recycling rates and encourage public transport use, Beijing put recycling-for-payment machines that take plastic bottles from commuters and credit them a small amount for each deposited towards their rechargeable subway cards. Get the full low-down here: http://tinyurl.com/kv4ny9c

Running out of phosphorus? Meet the “peecycler”Clever Dutchmen have also come up with another invention to help capture phosphorus from urine for agricultural use. The utility Waternet established processing facilities and public urinals that will enable separation of struvite. They reckon Amsterdam may be able to annually obtain 1,000 tonnes of fertiliser. Unzip the story at http://tinyurl.com/l7bfqtn

Bins that interact and reduce litterElsewhere, in Japan (seriously, where else would this happen?), robotic trashcans patrol for rubbish, then vocally solicit help from passersby to pick it up for them. It’s a great way to get people involved in keeping their neighbourhoods tidy. Watch the little robots at work: http://tinyurl.com/q5y395b

Cheese leftovers keep roads icelessUS dairy capital Wisconsin decided that rock salt wasn’t the best way to de-ice wintery roads. It was discovered that surplus cheese brine, normally sent for waste treatment, can be used by municipalities to discourage formation of ice. Cities and dairy companies each save money through reuse, and the local environment benefits from the use of a more benign substance. For all the briny details, visit: http://tinyurl.com/pgupzax

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GREEN JOBS

GREEN JOBS

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WHILE SINGAPORE MAY be a land and resource scarce country, the government recognised this back in the 1960s. Leaders

implemented a number of key strategies to meet these existential sustainability challenges head-on to continue to develop as a nation.

In recent years, the government’s sustainability trajectory has been articulated in policy like the Singapore Sustainability Blueprint 2009, the National Climate

Change Strategy 2012, and the Singapore Green Plan 2012 which is deployed by the Ministry for the Environment and Water Resources. The Singapore Green Plan quite concisely describes the fundamental approach: “to ensure that Singapore, through sound environmental management,

achieves economic development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the needs of future generations.”

This has many implications for economic development. It has led to the emergence of initiatives like Green Mark ratings for buildings, a range of energy efficiency programmes and funds for industry, increasing uptake of Building Information Modelling Systems (BIMS) now mandatory across the building sector, as well as

Singapore’s emergence as an Asian green job capital

WORKING IN THE LITTLE “GREEN” DOT

ContributorAndy Clapham, Director, Amida Recruitment

Asia-Pacific

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GREEN JOBS

developing new areas such as cleantech parks to test new technologies and designs actually in situ. The culmination of these activities puts Singapore at the cutting edge compared to many countries in the world.

Defining a “green” jobThese national initiatives have helped stimulate new opportunities and development of so-called “green jobs”.

As defined by the United Nations Environment Program, a green job is work in any sector “that contribute(s) substantially to preserving or restoring environmental quality. Specifically, but not exclusively, this includes jobs that help to protect ecosystems and biodiversity; reduce energy, materials, and water consumption through high efficiency strategies; de-carbonise the economy; and minimise or altogether avoid generation of all forms of waste and pollution.”

In a general sense, this encompasses anyone who contributes to the greater good of creating a more sustainable environment, be it through research, technology, building or industry.

Wide scope of green career pathsFrom the Singapore context, green jobs can touch on a diversity of career paths. These range from developers to architects and designers to project consultants, contractors, energy service companies, and integrated facilities management companies. Most of the focus areas seen so far are centred on disciplines like green design, energy efficiency and energy management.

Buildings and energySeveral typical positions to be filled include ones like Green Mark Certified

Project Managers, building professionals, and environmental sustainable design consultants. In general, there is a growing need for sharp engineering talent to maintain old and new buildings alike with greater energy responsibility and efficiency.

Roles like these have in turn stimulated need for a wide range of energy auditing skills and the IT capacity to capture, record, monitor, and interpret the energy data. In any major modern building, smart meters are effectively utilised on an industrial scale, with a section of the plant room dedicated to monitoring equipment. From the data, a wide range of actions can be implemented and/or lessons learned. Singapore’s Building and Construction Authority estimates some 20,000 workers will need to be trained to fill these jobs in the coming years.

CleantechThere’s also the cleantech sector, which refers to green or renewable technologies such as solar or wind power, carbon capture or filters and improved engineering systems which seek to minimise their environmental impact. Opportunities range from R&D to engineering, manufacturing, construction, renewable energy, waste management, clean water and clean air. Regionally, these areas have also seen growth. Singapore has set the pace already in this area and is a hot bed for developing and delivering clean tech solutions. The Economic Development Board predicts these “green collar” roles alone to provide some 18,000 jobs by 2015.

Corporate sustainability In the corporate space, ongoing government-led efforts and strategies have led to increasing awareness and action on sustainability. Performance in this area in turn has led to consumers and procurement teams being increasingly influenced. Companies increasingly have a need to employ professionals and technicians to guide and manage their ongoing corporate sustainability practices.

The roles and scope in this area vary depending on the size of the company, but most MNCs will have a regional leader either directly focused on sustainability, or as part of a broader CSR or corporate communications team.

Up until recently, organisations in Asia have been primarily led by a need to comply with regulations where they exist. But in the future, the agenda may be led by a need to excel and differentiate. It can therefore be expected to see demand for candidates rise, both in terms of numbers but also level of expertise – for example, from a tactical

“MOST OF THE FOCUS AREAS SEEN SO FAR ARE

CENTRED ON DISCIPLINES LIKE GREEN DESIGN,

ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND ENERGY MANAGEMENT”

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transactional level of expertise needed for compliance functions to more strategic roles, where a broader transformational level of expertise is sought after.

Job market dynamicsOverall, the underlying levers and resulting trends are very much upwards in the green jobs market. With Singapore hosting the World Architecture Festival 2013, amongst a number of other market leading conferences and events, we are truly beginning to position ourselves as a trailblazing city in smart, high performance and user-focused sustainable design. What impact has all this had on the demand and supply of Green jobs in the sector? A few of the trends experienced over the last year have included:

l Growing global awareness in sustainability and environmental issues.

l Increase in education: with many schools and universities making sustainability central to the curriculum or with specialist courses available it’s no wonder more and more young people have a keen and nurtured interest in this area, which they in turn impress upon their family and peers.

l Influence and knock-on effect: the above behaviour also indirectly influences management principles, corporate strategies, and therefore the jobs market over a period of time.

l Growth in highly capable executive-level candidates attracted to the Singaporean and other Asian markets from overseas: originating particularly in the UK, Europe, and the US, candidates with sustainability expertise and professional experience are increasingly absorbed into the job market.

l Nominal increase from hiring companies, particularly the large international consultancies, for quality candidates with a range of skill sets: These have included environmentally sustainable design, urban design,

project managers, energy managers and auditors, with an increased expectation from facilities managers and all building professionals in improving energy monitoring and efficiency.

l Desire by hiring companies to remain at the forefront of net positive environmental and social urban development through recruiting the right people.

l Candidates’ requirements to work in an exciting company that leads in sustainable project delivery.

l The competition for local talent becoming increasingly fierce: employment pass restrictions are placing pressure on firms which again allows candidates to be confident and selective with who they choose to work for; often it will be the company with the most

impressive sustainability credentials.l Continued and sustained pressure from

the government and regulatory bodies to push commerce and industry towards greener practices and this in turn has led to increasing demand for green job skill sets.

SummaryThis merely scratches the surface. Both regionally and in Singapore, industries like shipping, investment, resources, and agriculture have lots of room to improve and are slowly gaining traction with regards to green jobs. With the momentum seen so far, both from government policy support and increasing market competition, the market for green jobs is likely to grow for the foreseeable future.

“SINGAPORE HAS SET THE PACE ALREADY IN

THIS AREA AND IS A HOT BED FOR DEVELOPING

AND DELIVERING CLEAN TECH SOLUTIONS”

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TEMPORARY MANAGEMENT SUPPORT OFFICER (ADMINISTRATION – SERVICES)As part of a dynamic team in the Administration and Projects Department, you will be responsible for managing Administration Services for the entire agency. These duties include: liaising with external vendors, monitoring payments, billing and settlement, and coordinating with other departments and offsite offices.

Requirements:Educated to Diploma level, with at least 1 year’s relevant experience. You will be IT savvy with a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office (MS Word and MS Excel). You will also be proficient in report writing, self-motivated, meticulous and able to work well in a fast-paced environment and as part of a team.

TEMPORARY EXECUTIVE (LEARNING & LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT)Working as part of a team of HR professionals, you will initiate, develop and implement learning plans in line with NEA’s strategic objectives. You will also review/recommend learning development initiatives and assist in the review of learning policies, and be involved in maintaining the Learning Website.

Requirements:Educated to degree level, you will have some years of relevant experience in Learning and Development and be experienced in public sector HR practices. A knowledge of SAP HR system and other software applications relating to the creation/maintenance of websites would be advantageous.

CUSTOMER CARE EXECUTIVE (WRITTEN CORRESPONDENCE)Reporting to the Team Manager in the Customer and Quality Service Department, your duties will include responding to public feedback promptly, resolving customer issues and concerns, and liaising with departments and other government agencies.

Requirements:A good team player, you will have a recognised degree in any discipline, have proficient writing skills, be service-oriented, and have excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills.

EXECUTIVE (QUALITY SERVICE UNIT)You are dynamic and highly motivated, able to handle appeals, feedback and enquiries related to environmental health issues. Your responsibilities will include: drafting and vetting reports and replies; handling service-related matters; responding to customers’ queries; analysis of feedback and appeals; and proposing improvements to customer service.

Requirements: You will have a good degree, and a keen interest in environmental public health. You will have a passion for working with the community, excellent communication and writing skills, strong leadership skills and be a good team player. Plus you will have a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office.

TECHNICAL OFFICER (POLLUTION CONTROL DEPT)As part of the pollution control administrative team, you will help to formulate action plans and carry out compliance checks in one or more of the following three areas: 1) Air and Water, 2) Hazardous Substances and Toxic Industrial Waste; 3) Construction Noise Control.

Requirements: You will have a diploma in Civil/Mechanical/Chemical Engineering/Chemical Process Technology/Environmental Science/Automotive/Manufacturing or equivalent. You will also be able to perform shift work and night duties and preferably have your own transportation for site inspections.

TEMPORARY DIAGNOSTIC ANALYSTAs part of the Environmental Health Institute Diagnostics team, you will process clinical samples and perform routine diagnostic tests for dengue and Chikungunya infections.

Requirements: A Diploma in Life Sciences, Biology or related discipline. You will also have experience in molecular techniques, such as Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Serology, and have strong analytical skills. Also able to work on Saturdays.

HUMAN RESOURCE OFFICER (REWARDS MANAGEMENT)Working in the HR Division, you will provide support in the implementation of NEA-wide payroll and benefits, including system enhancements and handling system-related issues. You will work with HR Business Partners and outsourced HR admin/IT service providers to resolve day-to-day payroll and benefits issues, and also provide accurate information for government surveys.

Requirements: Educated to Diploma level, you will have 2-3 years of relevant experience in HR administration/payroll. You will also be proficient in Microsoft Excel and Word and understand the SAP HR system or other HR/payroll software applications.

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR/ASSISTANT MANAGER (INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS)The International Relations Department of the NEA promotes, facilitates and enhances cooperation with countries and international organisations on environmental issues. You will be part of a team that formulates and reviews policies and strategies to enhance Singapore’s environmental interests as well as its standing in the bilateral, regional and international environmental arena.

Requirements: Degree-educated, you will have 3-5 years of relevant work experience. You will be able to travel overseas at short notice, have a strong power of analysis and good interpersonal skills, excellent verbal and written skills and be able to motivate others.

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OPPORTUNITIES

FINANCE EXECUTIVE (DECISION SUPPORT & FINANCIAL ANALYSIS)You will work closely with NEA departments as a business partner, providing them with financial advisory and support services. Reporting to the Senior Assistant Director, your duties will include evaluating strategic projects, analysing monthly financial performances, evaluating departments’ operating/development budget requirements and providing financial advisory support.

Requirements: You will have a Degree in Accountancy or Business/ACCA/CPA and at least 2 years of relevant working experience. You will be proficient in MS Office, in financial modelling skills, and with the use of MS Excel, have strong analytical skills, effective written and oral communication skills and be able to work under pressure.

ASSISTANT MANAGER/ASSISTANT DIRECTOR (PROCUREMENT)You will be an integral part of a professional team that is responsible for upholding proper procurement governance in NEA. As a Facilitator, you will assist in procurement activities by NEA departments; as a Gatekeeper, you will ensure that government and NEA procurement policies and guidelines are applied and maintained; as a Catalyst, you will formulate and review procurement policy with a view to improvement.

Requirements: You will hold a good degree in any discipline, and have 5 years of relevant experience in government procurement. You are performance driven, results oriented and a good team player.

SENIOR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR (OPERATIONS AUDIT/PLANNING)You will work within a dynamic Operational Excellence Department that oversees operations departments. Among your responsibilities will be leading a team of auditors to plan and perform operational compliance audits; formulating and developing internal operations and evaluating operations.

Requirements: You will hold a Degree in Accountancy or related fields (a professional qualification of CPA and/or CIA); at least 5 years of auditing experience in medium to large CPA firms and/or corporate IA departments and/or at least 5 years of internal operational audit and process improvement work experience in the public sector.

SENIOR EXECUTIVE/EXECUTIVE (PLANNING & ANALYSIS)As part of a dynamic team, you will be responsible for planning customer research

strategies and managing internal and external resources to successfully deliver plans. You will also undertake project work for all phases of the research process, including writing survey questionnaires and performing data analysis.

Requirements: Applied quantitative skills gained through a Masters or Bachelor’s Degree in one of the following disciplines or quantitative sciences related to the study of consumer behaviour: Market Research, Statistics, Sociology, Marketing/Communications, Systems Engineering. Plus 2-3 years of experience in quantitative research and analysis preferred.

FINANCE EXECUTIVE (FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING)Your duties will include working across departments to finalise month-end General Ledger closing figures, and ensuring expenditures and charges are accounted according to NEA’s guidelines. You will also review NEA’s fees and charges in accordance with NEA’s and Ministry of Finance (MOF)’s guidelines and ensure correct accounting of Fixed Assets.

Requirements: Independent, hardworking, positive and highly motivated, flexible and resourceful, you will have a Degree in Accountancy or related discipline. You will also have excellent interpersonal and communication skills and be a good team player.

SENIOR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR/ASSISTANT DIRECTOR (ORGANISATION DEVELOPMENT)This is an integral role within NEA as you will dream up new initiatives, organise events and enhance processes to transform NEA. You will have managerial experience and preferably be a Business Excellence Assessor. The job calls for a well-rounded individual who can conceptualise, make a plan come alive and both empathise with and engage our staff and partners, inspiring them to reach for higher goals. Requirements: A Masters or good Honours degree, with 5-10 years of management experience. You will have the ability to engage and inspire others and be resourceful, resilient and performance oriented, showing strong leadership, analytical and communication skills.

MANAGER, CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS (MEDIA RELATIONS)As part of a dynamic team in a fast-paced environment, you will actively engage the media to enhance NEA’s reputation as the lead agency in improving and sustaining a clean and green environment. Interested applicants should submit at least three samples of their written work.

Requirements: A Degree in Mass Communications or relevant discipline, and a minimum of 6-8 years of experience in media relations, public relations or corporate communications. You must also be bilingual, with excellent oral and written skills, and good analytical skills.

METEOROLOGICAL OFFICERWe are looking for individuals with passion and interest in understanding and predicting the weather and climate. You will provide advisories, early warnings and alerts of meteorological, environmental and geological hazards to the general public and key customers, such as the civil aviation sector. Officers may also pursue other areas such as climate and weather research where they may be offered a postgraduate scholarship in Meteorology, Atmospheric Science, Climate Science or related studies.

Requirements: You will have at least an Upper 2nd Class Honours Degree in Physics, Mathematics or Meteorology, and good command of spoken and written English and excellent communication skills.

EHO (PERFORMANCE & MANAGEMENT) (CONTRACT)You will be responsible for performing audits on the performance and compliance of contractors, and working with them to improve their work processes and standards. You will also attend to feedback related to public cleanliness, and carry out enforcement against contractors’ lapses. Requirements: A Diploma in Public Health Engineering/Environmental Engineering/Civil & Environmental Engineering or from Royal Society of Health or Public Inspectors (RSH Diploma)/Certificate in Environmental Public Health (CEPH). You will also have experience in sanitation works.

TECHNICAL OFFICERAs a Technical Officer (Inspection) in the NEA’s Radiation Protection and Nuclear Science Department, your duties will include inspecting medical and industrial premises that store/use irradiating apparatus, enforcing the Radiation Protection Act, and assessing the health and environmental impacts of radiation.

Requirements: You will have a polytechnic diploma in a science related discipline, good knowledge of Microsoft Office, and good analytical and writing skills. Highly motivated, you will also be willing to perform night inspections. You may be required to perform inspections at elevated locations such as rooftops.