Making strides towards net zero in the garden city

For new buildings in Singapore, green is not just a colour – it’s a sustainability framework for the future. 

By 2030, the Singapore Green Building Masterplan aims to achieve the goal of 80-80-80: To green 80 per cent of buildings, to see an 80 per cent improvement from 2005 levels in energy efficiency for best-in-class buildings, and for 80 per cent of new developments to be Super Low Energy (SLE) buildings.  

Schneider Electric’s East Asia headquarters at Kallang Pulse is an example of a property that has been greened to meet sustainability standards. In 2018, the building was developed and retrofitted with the company’s EcoStruxure solutions. Powered by renewable energy and green connected products, the organisation saw a sizable 45 per cent dip in electricity consumption as a result of its decision to centralise operations under one roof and Kallang Pulse’s energy-efficient infrastructure.  

CREATING CAPABILITIES FOR DECARBONISATION

Mr Yoon Young Kim, Schneider Electric’s cluster president (Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei), recognises that the energy landscape is an increasingly complex one. “Even so, the organisation is determined to do its part to drive the digital transformation needed to achieve a successful energy transition,” he shared.  

Schneider Electric has been in Singapore since 1973 and is an advocate of Singapore Green Plan 2030. The global specialist in energy management and automation welcomes the increased momentum on climate action as an opportunity to collaborate and find convergence with Singapore’s sustainability goals and net-zero vision. 

“Energy usage represents a big part of carbon emissions. Our strategy and company intent go hand in hand with government initiatives and Singapore’s environmental needs,” said Mr Kim.  

Reflecting the local trajectory, Schneider Electric’s recent report, Building a Greener Singapore 2022, revealed that 90 per cent of business leaders stated that they work for organisations that have sustainability strategies and policies in place, up from 67 per cent in 2021. In addition, compared to 2021, more businesses are aligning themselves with global standards of climate reporting, such as the Science Based Targets initiative and the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures. 

However, for small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs), the financial costs of digital transformation can be a barrier to greening efforts, said Mr Kim. 

Cognisant of this gap, Schneider Electric, in collaboration with Enterprise Singapore, established the SME Kickstarter Decarbonisation Programme last year, a first-of-its-kind mentorship initiative aimed at supporting SMEs in decarbonising their operations. 

The programme sees participating SMEs undergoing training and mentorship by Schneider Electric over three years. It will equip the SMEs with the knowledge needed to plan their sustainability and decarbonisation roadmaps, and identify opportunities for energy efficiency. These organisations will also be guided in tracking their energy consumption and emissions, as well as managing their energy usage through Schneider Electric’s digital solutions and cloud-enabled platform. 

LEADING THE WAY TO A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

In 2018, Schneider Electric opened its first large-scale Innovation Hub in Asia at Kallang Pulse. Its headquarters and Innovation Hub are integral aspects of the company’s commitment to driving sustainability in Singapore. 

Kallang Pulse has since achieved carbon neutrality and was certified with the Building and Construction Authority Green Mark Award (Platinum) in 2021. That same year, the company was one of the first few organisations to be accorded the BCA Green Mark Health and Well-being certification. The green showcase also won Schneider Electric the Leadership in Sustainable Design & Performance (Commercial) Award at the 2022 World Green Building Council Asia Pacific Leadership in Green Buildings Awards.

In 2022, almost 5,000 visitors from more than 20 countries visit the Schneider Electric Innovation Hub Singapore to learn more about energy and automation digital solutions – and to take the first step in their businesses’ sustainability journeys.

Further moving the green needle, the company has also partnered local organisations to power sustainability efforts. 

In 2021, it launched the Sustainability Experience Centre with Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) at the latter's campus. There, students from NYP’s Diploma in Electronic and Computer Engineering course learn how to integrate multiple systems and devices to collect and analyse sustainability-related data. This hands-on experience offers students valuable insights and readies the pipeline of sustainability talent to meet future industry needs.

In addition, Singapore’s 30 by 30 goal – to produce 30 per cent of the nation’s nutritional needs by 2030 – is seeing a boost from the partnership between local egg farm Chew’s Agriculture and Schneider Electric. When Chew’s Agriculture decided to relocate and scale up its egg production capability, Schneider Electric installed an additional substation, and implemented cloud-based and Internet of Things technologies at its new site in Kranji. These solutions were aimed at improving the reliability and operational efficiency of the farm’s power system.

“At Schneider Electric, we have solutions that are accessible and scalable to make decarbonisation goals a reality for all,” said Mr Kim. “The road to going green is only possible with collaboration. As we celebrate our Golden Jubilee in Singapore, we remain invested in being part of the ecosystem that supports the country’s net-zero goals.” 

Learn more about Schneider Electric’s sustainable energy automation and management solutions.