Why a programme on European Excellence in Sustainability?
EuroCham has embraced the “European Excellence in Sustainability” programme for the year 2020-2021 and we have designed a line-up of activities to position European companies as leaders in sustainability and also share how European and Singapore companies can work together in the area. EuroCham is working with Accenture as our knowledge partner to develop the framework of this sustainability programme.
The programme focused on five areas:
- Green Finance
- Smart Mobility (Urban Mobility)
- Green Consumer
- Biodiversity and Agri
- Sustainable Workforce
The five topics were covered by 2 pillars of activities:
- Monthly Excellence in Sustainability Sharing Sessions
- Sustainability Awards Gala
We also published a Sustainability Whitebook 2020/2021.
Five Areas of Focus

Green Finance
- Enhance understanding of latest regulations and standards
- Improve ESG reporting and ensure investors are considering climate and environmental risk
- Provide an overview of existing and emerging green and sustainable finance products
- Demonstrate that high ESG performance corporates exhibit stronger financial performance, presenting an opportunity for investors to reward long-term value creation

Smart Mobility (Urban Mobility)
- Enhance understanding of the latest regulations and trends in the urban mobility landscape, including the rapid transition towards the electrification of vehicles or e-mobility
- Shared mobilities in urban areas and bring light on emerging smart and sustainable mobility new technologies

Green Consumer
- Share knowledge of main consumer’s behaviour and consumption patterns evolution towards more sustainable future
- Understand the key drivers of consumers’ shift to more sustainable consumptions habits
- Highlight the opportunities and obstacles to roll out and increase adoption rates of best consumption practices

Biodiversity and Agri
- Enhance regulatory understanding
- Encourage innovation in sourcing for rising food and land space demands while minimizing strain on the environment
- Improve agriculture and aquaculture technologies, and deforestation practices to reduce loss of biodiversity

Sustainable Workforce
- Change the Workforce Vision: Understanding how organisations can better integrate Sustainable Human Development in their strategy and roadmap
- Become a leader: Understanding innovations and best practices and know how to take leadership for your sustainable workforce
- Two-Way value proportion: Build a sustainable value proposition – human development drives business sustainability and business drives human development sustainability
Read more about the Five Areas of Focus below

Green Finance
Share knowledge and enhance understanding of the latest regulations and standards. Improve ESG reporting and ensure investors are considering climate and environmental risk. Provide an overview of existing and emerging green and sustainable finance products. Demonstrate that high ESG performance corporates exhibit stronger financial performance, presenting an opportunity for investors to reward long-term value creation.
Special focus will be put on (but not limited to):
- European Union Green Deal (2020)
- Singapore Green Finance Action Plan (2030)
- Singapore Carbon Trading & Services Hub
- ESG Performance & Analytics
- ESG Rating Standards & Regulatory Framework
- ‘Greenflation’ (ESG inflation)
- Sustainable Asset & Wealth Management

Smart Mobility (Urban Mobility)
Share knowledge and enhance understanding of latest regulations and trends in the urban mobility landscape, including the rapid transition towards the electrification of vehicles or e-mobility as well as shared mobilities in urban areas and bring light on emerging smart and sustainable mobility new technologies
Special focus will be put on (but not limited to):
- Singapore Green Plan 2030 and implications on mobility (carbon management, e-vehicles, cycling etc.)
- Leverage of Smart Mobility tools and technologies (intelligent fleet management, robo-taxis, sharing platforms, smart public transport etc.)
- Impact on consumers (private car sales and ownership, leasing, vehicle as-a-service etc.)

Green Consumer
Share knowledge and understanding of main consumer’s behaviour and consumption patterns evolution towards more sustainable future, Understand the key drivers of consumers’ shift to more sustainable consumptions habits and highlight the opportunities and obstacles to roll-out and increase adoption rates of best consumption practices
Special focus will be put on (but not limited to):
- Circular Economy & Waste Management: Reduce, Reuse, Recycling, Composting trends and evolution
- New technologies (digitally enable DRS, smart bin etc.)
- Singapore Green Plan 2030 and its implications on Consumers’ habits and ways of consuming

Biodiversity and Agri
Share knowledge and enhance regulatory understanding, Encourage innovation in sourcing for rising food and land space demands while minimizing strain on the environment, Improve agriculture and aquaculture technologies, and deforestation practices to reduce loss of biodiversity
Special focus will be put on (but not limited to):
- Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and Digital Sequence Information (DSI)
- EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and hereunder natural capital financing
- Urban farming/high-tech farming/digital farming
- Use of chemicals and biotechnological derivatives of natural resources to counteract ecological footprint
- Effects of deforestation and haze on the biodiversity of the region, and ways to mitigate such effects
- Traceability across supply chain for sustainable sourcing

Sustainable Workforce
Share knowledge and enhance understanding of the need for Sustainable Human Development in delivering New Value for Business and Society and understanding how organisations can better integrate Sustainable Human Development in their strategy and roadmap. How to become a leader by understanding innovations and best practices and know how to take leadership for your sustainable workforce.
Special focus will be put on (but not limited to):
- Integration of Human Development metrics and KPIs in Talent Strategy, Leadership practices, Performance & Productivity Management
- CSR/ESG Performance & Compliance monitoring
- Organisation Agility best practices (including remote working & Sustainable Ways of Working)
- Diversity & Inclusion (Gender Equality, LGBT, Ethnic and racial diversity in the workplace, people with disabilities etc.)
- Work flexibility, resilience & mental health
- Digital adoption and implied technology requirements
- Integration of contingent workers (freelancers, remote and part-time workers)
- Role of education bodies
- Digital and new technology impacts
Two Activity Pillars

Sustainability Awards
Closed-Door Dialogue with the Ministry of Trade and Industry
- Sustainability,
- Digital Economy Partnership Agreement,
- Deepening the position of Singapore as a regional hub and the business-friendly support,
- Working towards a COVID-19 Resilient Singapore with open borders and
- investing in local talent as well as foreign talent to secure economic growth.