Going Green: MICE Singapore Sustainability

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Overview

Overview

For People and Planet To Profit

As the global conversation around sustainability grows, event organisers across the globe have rallied to drive positive impact. Committed to responsible hosting, the Food and Hotels Asia-Food & Beverage (FHA-F&B) 2022/2023 trialled 100% recyclable carpets, partnered food banks to cut food wastage, and piloted a zero-waste prototype booth that has a 45% lower carbon footprint than wooden disposable booths¹.

The 2023 World Congress of Dermatology developed and implemented its own Green Policy with sustainable guiding principles for all decision-making, event planning, production, and participation². On top of featuring recyclable cardboard booth stands and digitised conference materials, the congress also supported Singapore’s OneMillionTrees movement, which aims to plant a million trees over the next decade, through a fundraising campaign ³.

In addition to environmental stewardship, event organisers worldwide are embracing social and cultural sustainability, fostering community engagement, inclusivity, and cultural exchange. The World Stroke Congress 2022, for example, convened over 800 healthcare professionals, stroke survivors and members of the public for a fundraising walkathon, raising over S$94,000 to support stroke survivors and their caregivers. Similarly, the Singapore International Water Week unites leaders from various sectors to exchange experiences and innovative solutions, bringing us one step closer towards solving the climate and water sustainability crisis in Asia.

These examples show how both people and planet can profit as events increasingly embrace sustainability, rally communities, and provide a platform for strengthening international partnerships. By choosing a destination partner that shares your commitment to sustainability, you can ensure a truly impactful and environmentally responsible event.

Singapore’s Commitment to Sustainability

Singapore has always prioritised environmental sustainability and placed it at the forefront of its long-term plan. Unveiled in 2021, our Singapore Green Plan 2030 outlines concrete targets aligned with the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and Paris Agreement. It advances Singapore’s national agenda on sustainable development, positioning us to achieve our long-term goal of net-zero emissions by 2050⁴.

Key targets under the Green Plan include adding 1,000 ha of green spaces by 2035, increasing solar energy deployment by five-fold, and increasing local food production to meet 30% of the country’s needs⁵.

Singapore is committed to continually improving its performance in sustainability, as a member of various globally recognised sustainability initiatives. In 2022, Singapore joined the Global Destination Sustainability-Index (GDS-Index)⁶, a sustainability benchmarking and improvement programme for destinations around the world. Singapore received the highest score any new Asia-Pacific destination to the GDS-Index has ever achieved since the start of the index in 2016⁷.

Key stats:

Singapore is fifth among 30 world economies on the Hinrich-IMD Sustainable Trade Index 2022, after New Zealand, United Kingdom, Hong Kong and Japan.

Singapore placed 2nd in Asia Pacific on the 2022 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) by Yale University⁸

Recognitions:

Ranked #2 in APAC and #17 globally in the Global Destination Sustainability-Index (GDS-I) 2023

Ranked #5 in Tripadvisor's Travelers' Choice Best of the Best Sustainable Destinations 2024

Green Port for 3 consecutive years
Awarded to Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Port Services Network (APSN)⁹

2019 Apex Corporate Sustainability Award Awarded to Changi Airport¹⁰

New initiatives include goals to double electric vehicle charging points, reduce waste by 30 percent by 2026, and to review carbon tax so that only the best-in-class carbon-intensive investments enter the country. Plans are also in place to transform Jurong Island into a sustainable energy hub, as well as for greater emphasis on sustainable tourism, sustainable packaging, decarbonisation, waste up cycling urban farming and water treatment¹¹.

Infrastructure for Sustainability-Focused Events

The effects have positively impacted the events sphere, giving event organisers plenty of support when embarking on their sustainability journey.

To help Singapore’s MICE industry reduce the carbon footprint of events and align with national sustainability goals, the Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (SACEOS) and the Singapore Standards Council (SSC), which is overseen by Enterprise Singapore, launched two new sets of guidelines in 2023.

The first is the Workshop Agreement (WA) 3 Sustainable MICE – Guidelines for waste management, which provides best practices for MICE stakeholders on setting waste management goals and reducing specific types of waste through the reduce, reuse, and recycle approach. The second is the Workshop Agreement (WA) 4 Sustainable MICE – Guidelines for carbon emissions management, which details how the industry can better manage carbon emissions.

In January 2024, SACEOS also launched the Singapore MICE Sustainability Certification (MSC) serves to equip and certify businesses for adopting sustainable practices in events and raise sustainability standards across Singapore’s MICE industry¹².

Event venues in Singapore, too, are going green, paving the way for positive lasting impact. Resorts World Sentosa is the first destination in Southeast Asia to obtain the GSTC-Destination Criteria and Industry Criteria for Hotels certification¹³ while Marina Bay Sands (MBS) Sands Expo and Convention Centre has become the country's first carbon-neutral MICE venue¹⁴. Specialised business event spaces and MICE facilities such as Singapore EXPO’s meeting rooms wing, have received the Building & Construction Authority Green Mark Platinum standard for its eco-friendly building design. Singapore EXPO also houses the largest single-site solar panel installation in the country, capable of generating renewable energy that covers 60% of Singapore EXPO's annual consumption and avoiding 5000 metric tons of CO₂e, making it an ideal sustainable event venue.

Finally, to ensure event organisers reach their sustainability goals, event venues such as Sands Expo & Convention Centre offer special Impact Meeting Packages that include dedicated sustainable event advisory services and sustainable culinary experiences¹⁵.

A Desirable Destination To Meet for Business

For the eco-conscious business delegate, Singapore's commitment to sustainable practices and wealth of green MICE venues and event organisers provides assurance that attending an event in our country does not come at a heavy environmental cost.

Besides traversing across the island in electric vehicles and meeting in the growing number of Green Mark certified buildings, they can also reside more sustainably, thanks to the sheer number of green hotels catering to different budgets.

For example, larger hotel chains such as Pan Pacific Hotels Group has renovated its existing establishments to include eco-friendly design features that reduce electricity usage¹⁶. It also offers a “Meet Lite, Feels Right” meeting package featuring eco-friendly writing materials and a farm-to-table lunch made with locally sourced ingredients and plant-based meat alternatives.¹⁷ Another hotel with green initiatives is Hilton Orchard Singapore. Since 2009, Hilton has used LightStay, a comprehensive global platform to measure energy, water, and waste, enabling the hotel to manage their environmental and social impact. Hilton was also accredited the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Recognized Standard status in 2019.¹⁸

As for local brands, Oasia Hotel Downtown now features a massive vertical garden that both reintroduces biodiversity and reduces temperature in the building¹⁹.

Driving Interest in Sustainability-Focused Events

As a global-Asia node for quality events, Singapore continues to attract and nurture large-scale sustainability events. These include:

Ecosperity Week

An annual confluence of events anchored by the Ecosperity Conference organised by Temasek. It brings together global business leaders, policy-makers, investors, and other communities across the region to discuss pertinent trends in sustainability. In 2023, discussions were focused on fast-tracking decarbonisation, enabling net-zero cities, and financing Asia’s net-zero transition²⁰.

Singapore International Energy Week

The Singapore International Energy Week (SIEW) is an annual platform for energy professionals, policymakers, and commentators to share solutions within the global energy space and accelerate the adoption of clean energy technologies.

The event’s impact extends beyond Singapore's borders. Notably, the Memorandum of Understanding signed at SIEW 2020 between Singapore and Australia on low-emissions solutions paved the way for the Green Economy Agreement (GEA) in 2022. This first-of-its-kind agreement facilitates knowledge sharing and business opportunities, propelling the region towards a sustainable energy future.

The renewed focus on a green economy and the green growth opportunities that come with it indicate potential for more events and conferences in this area, especially revolving around the topics of sustainable tourism, carbon services and green finance.

Besides support in holding sustainability-focused events and finding an eager audience, event organisers may also benefit from avenues to network and collaborate with experts as Singapore leads the way to a greener future for us all.

Footnotes

^{¹https://fhafnb.com/about/sustainability/}

^{²https://www.wcd2023singapore.org/sponsors-exhibitors/a-sustainable-congress-experience/}

^{³https://www.wcd2023singapore.org/about-wcd2023/sustainability/}

^{⁴https://www.nccs.gov.sg/files/docs/default-source/default-document-library/ssb-2015-(2016-version).pdf}

^{⁵https://www.greenplan.gov.sg/targets/}

^{⁶https://www.stb.gov.sg/content/stb/en/media-centre/media-releases/Singapore-joins-the-GDS-Index-with-the-support-of-Singapore-Tourism-Board.html}

^{⁷Also mentioned in the speech by Minister of State Alvin Tan at the MICE Sustainability Summit}

^{⁸https://epi.yale.edu/epi-results/2022/country/sgp}

^{⁹https://www.porttechnology.org/news/port-of-singapore-recognised-for-drive-to-cut-emissions/}

^{¹⁰https://apexawards.unglobalcompact.sg/archive/}

^{¹¹https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/singapore-green-plan-2030-to-change-the-way-people-live-work-study-and-play}

^{¹²https://saceos.org.sg/sustainability/}

^{¹³https://www.gstcouncil.org/resorts-world-sentosa-joins-gstc/}

^{¹⁴https://www.marinabaysands.com/content/dam/singapore/marinabaysands/master/main/home/company-information/media-centre/Sep2020/sands-expo-and-convention-centre-is-now-a-carbon-neutral-venue-8-sep.pdf}

^{¹⁵https://www.marinabaysands.com/expo-events-and-convention-centre.html}

^{¹⁶https://www.meetings-conventions-asia.com/News/Hotels-and-Resorts/Pan-Pacific-puts-its-green-thumb-on-new-eco-friendly-brand}

^{¹⁷https://www.panpacific.com/en/offers/meet-lite-feels-right.html}

^{¹⁸https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/sinorhi-hilton-singapore-orchard/amenities/sustainability/}

^{¹⁹https://www.oasiahotels.com/-/media/StayFarEast/Images/Oasia/Press-and-Media/Media-PDF/2021/PDF/010422---Singapores-greenscraper-hotels-The-best-green-stays-in-Asias-greenest-city.pdf}

^{²⁰https://www.ecosperity.sg/en/events/ecosperity-week-2023.html}

RehabWeek 2023

RehabWeek made its first-ever debut in Asia in 2023, with Singapore playing host to the 7th edition of the biennial event. The well-established international conference facilitates meaningful cross-disciplinary discussions on advancing rehabilitation and showcases how technology can be harnessed to deliver better patient outcomes. It shone a light on the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities, fostering critical dialogue for solutions that will deeply impact their lives and reintegration into society.

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World Congress of Dermatology 2023

Held in Southeast Asia for the first time, the 25th World Congress of Dermatology (WCD) was the largest medical congress Singapore has ever hosted. The event developed and implemented its own Green Policy with sustainable guiding principles for all stakeholders involved. It also adopted extensive sustainability measures such as providing recyclable booth stands and digitised materials, and fundraising in support of Singapore’s OneMillionTrees movement.

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Food and Hotels Asia - Food & Beverage (FHA-F&B) 2022

Asia’s leading F&B business-to-business (B2B) trade show drew more than 57,000 attendees and 2,000 exhibitors. This year saw the introduction of a new Alternative Protein Asia zone, exploring innovations and trends in sustainable food alternatives. FHA-F&B also embraced sustainability throughout the event, from reducing disposable carpet usage to utilising recycled paper and renewable electricity.

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Singapore International Water Week (SIWW)

The biennial Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) is a premier global event for sharing and co-creating innovative solutions in water, coastal, and flood management to address urban water and climate challenges. It serves as a key platform to accelerate climate action, catalysing initiatives and public-private partnerships that make a substantial impact on environmental and sustainability issues.

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