An organisation's impact on the world extends far beyond its core operations. In fact, apart from a very few specific industries, the vast majority of businesses’ carbon emissions reside in their scope 3.
If you look at the upstream value chain right down to the hands of the end user, there are many sustainability measures to consider. In this Sustainable Supply Chain Best Practices Category, we look at how to establish a sustainable supply chain strategy and measure performance, as well as detailing opportunities related to Procurement, Manufacturing, Logistics & Distribution. We make reference to Circular Economy and Eco Design, as well as Employee engagement.
Engaging the entire supply chain in sustainability conversations will multiply the impact that any organisation can make towards a better world for people and the planet.
According to the International Supply Chain Education Alliance (ISCEA), sustainability in supply chain management is about "orchestrating and continuously improving the planning and execution of processes at strategic, tactical and operational levels along an end-to-end value chain to achieve the most efficient use of resources in terms of utilisation and cost, while minimising waste and carbon footprint".
End-to-end covers the entire supply chain process: from product design and raw material sourcing to manufacturing, delivery of the final product and after-sales service (including end-of-life disposal).
To be successful, there needs to be a strong alignment between corporate strategy and supply chain strategy, with a good understanding of the key priorities.
It's therefore important to first know what are the company's ESG material topics (and thus priorities) before launching a supply chain strategy.
The materiality assessment is a tool that can help companies determine how to prioritise diverse environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues by identifying which issues matter most to the business success of the company and the company's stakeholders. After identifying the SDGs that have the greatest impact in terms of risks and opportunities, companies should determine the supply chain levers/solutions to scale and improve impact in terms of procurement, manufacturing, logistics and distribution.
12% to 23%
of overall value chain revenue can be added by investing in sustainable supply chains.
(EY)
- The most widely used framework for implementing sustainability practices from both company and supply chain perspectives is the triple bottom line (TBL). The triple bottom line (TBL) is a concept that suggests that a company's success should be measured not only by its financial performance (profit or economic value) but also by its impact on social and environmental factors.
- Learn more about the Materiality assessment.
ECOCERT is pioneer and a world leader in the Certification of organic and sustainable products in the agri-food, cosmetics and textile industries. Through its consulting and training expertise, ECOCERT can also assist stakeholders in the implementation and promotion of sustainable practices, especially with the de-risking of their supply chain.
With operating capabilities in 130 countries and with 2200 employees, ECOCERT global footprint helps companies with consistent high-quality services all over the world.
Givvable is an automated data platform that helps organisations understand the sustainability profile of their suppliers and supply chain. It captures, tracks and reports on the credentials of suppliers, that are the strongest indicators of whether a supplier is taking action on sustainability. Givvable covers local to global and SME to MNC suppliers, ensuring it has the widest coverage of supplier sustainability data globally.
Givvable will help you:
Sustainable Gaia is a sustainability consultancy for strategy, reporting, training and research. We help organizations in their sustainability endeavours in the following ways:
SustainableSG was started in September 2018 to accompany companies, non-profit entities and government agencies to review and implement effective and sustainable corporate strategies. Our services include:
Sustainao supports companies in their sustainability journey by building an impactful strategy, embedding sustainable practices across operations, and reporting performance to stakeholders.
Our sustainability consulting services are designed in a continuous improvement process:
Creating and implementing a supplier code of conduct is the first step to take for a sustainable supply chain.
Establishing a supplier code of conduct presents a chance for your company to foster a shared understanding with your suppliers regarding your fundamental principles and values. This will also aid in attracting suppliers whose values align with yours, while also providing clarity to discern mismatches. Moreover, it serves as a protective measure against potential risks and fosters transparent communication between your company and your suppliers. It should cover at least labor, environment, and ethics.
ECOCERT is pioneer and a world leader in the Certification of organic and sustainable products in the agri-food, cosmetics and textile industries. Through its consulting and training expertise, ECOCERT can also assist stakeholders in the implementation and promotion of sustainable practices, especially with the de-risking of their supply chain.
With operating capabilities in 130 countries and with 2200 employees, ECOCERT global footprint helps companies with consistent high-quality services all over the world.
Givvable is an automated data platform that helps organisations understand the sustainability profile of their suppliers and supply chain. It captures, tracks and reports on the credentials of suppliers, that are the strongest indicators of whether a supplier is taking action on sustainability. Givvable covers local to global and SME to MNC suppliers, ensuring it has the widest coverage of supplier sustainability data globally.
Givvable will help you:
SustainableSG was started in September 2018 to accompany companies, non-profit entities and government agencies to review and implement effective and sustainable corporate strategies. Our services include:
Sustainao supports companies in their sustainability journey by building an impactful strategy, embedding sustainable practices across operations, and reporting performance to stakeholders.
Our sustainability consulting services are designed in a continuous improvement process:
At Tulyā, we are accredited sustainability consultants holding certifications in GRI, SASB and TCFD (now IFRS-ISSB), and ISO 14064 GHG Lead Verifiers, alongside being Singapore Certified Management Consultants. We are dedicated to driving sustainable business development across industries through Sustainable Management Accounting.
We help MNCs with:
We help SMEs with:
Conducting a baseline assessment of your company's supply chain sustainability involves assessing and understanding the current state of environmental and social impacts in your end-to-end supply chain.
You can start by asking suppliers to fill a simple pre-/re-qualification ESG assessment. Ask about their environmental policies, waste management, energy usage, labor practices, supply chain transparency, and any initiatives they have implemented to reduce their environmental footprint. Check their EcoVadis score.
For critical suppliers a more in depth assessment can be implemented including annual data collection. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you do so:
1. Define scope and boundaries
Tip: You may want to start with your internal supply chain to gain a better understanding of the baseline assessment, then extend it to your key suppliers and downstream supply chain.
2. Identify key sustainability metrics
3. Gather data
4. Assess environmental impacts
5. Assess social and ethical practices
> 90%
of natural capital impact (eg, affecting air, soil, land) of consumer sector is in supply chains.
(McKinsey)
For Carbon:
- Refer to the Carbon footprint solution
For Waste:
- Use the Industrial Waste Flow Mapping Handbook from Malardalens Hogskola Eskilstuna Vasteras to analyse your waste in manufacturing
- Leverage the SG Mandatory Waste Reporting system to report the waste generated by manufacturing and supply chain activities. Use NEA's reporting template to classify waste
For Water:
- Water Footprint Network (WFN): The Water Footprint Network offers a standard methodology for calculating the water footprint of products and supply chains. It considers both direct and indirect water use.
- ISO 14046 Water footprint: This international standard provides guidelines for assessing and reporting water footprint, helping organizations understand and manage their water-related impacts.
For Social and Ethical:
- B Corp assessment
ECOCERT is pioneer and a world leader in the Certification of organic and sustainable products in the agri-food, cosmetics and textile industries. Through its consulting and training expertise, ECOCERT can also assist stakeholders in the implementation and promotion of sustainable practices, especially with the de-risking of their supply chain.
With operating capabilities in 130 countries and with 2200 employees, ECOCERT global footprint helps companies with consistent high-quality services all over the world.
Givvable is an automated data platform that helps organisations understand the sustainability profile of their suppliers and supply chain. It captures, tracks and reports on the credentials of suppliers, that are the strongest indicators of whether a supplier is taking action on sustainability. Givvable covers local to global and SME to MNC suppliers, ensuring it has the widest coverage of supplier sustainability data globally.
Givvable will help you:
Mind Up Consulting develops supply chain resilience and purchasing sustainable performance through partnerships, fairer risks management strategies and people-oriented solutions. Upstream, we guide brands in their purchasing, risk management and traceability strategies development. Downstream, we work on the field to evaluate, support and empower manufacturers and farmers in their social practices and overall performance.
Our scope: multi-industries, worldwide.
Our clients are SME’s operating in wood, metal, textile, decoration, printing, construction and renovation businesses.
Sustainao supports companies in their sustainability journey by building an impactful strategy, embedding sustainable practices across operations, and reporting performance to stakeholders.
Our sustainability consulting services are designed in a continuous improvement process:
At Tulyā, we are accredited sustainability consultants holding certifications in GRI, SASB and TCFD (now IFRS-ISSB), and ISO 14064 GHG Lead Verifiers, alongside being Singapore Certified Management Consultants. We are dedicated to driving sustainable business development across industries through Sustainable Management Accounting.
We help MNCs with:
We help SMEs with:
A structured approach to supply chain risk management is required to assess all the vulnerabilities of the existing supply chain to current and future climate conditions. The framework should include and assess risks related to the social and environmental impacts of the entire chain.
Parts of the supply chain that are not under direct control may be more difficult to assess, so the first step is to create transparency of operations before assessing the level of risk.
An initial tabletop assessment can be conducted with all supply chain actors to get started. Risk assessment is a recursive approach where low probability, low impact risks can be discarded and high probability, high impact risks can be assessed over time.
As a minimum, the following risk components are required:
High probability/high severity risk mitigation plans need to be monitored frequently and used as input to the future state of the supply chain.
Typical risks to analyse as part of any sustainable procurement strategy are health and safety, working conditions, human rights, environmental practices and environmental risks, carbon footprint, ethics and compliance. geopolitics...
5.6 times
more of extreme heat events to occur in a 3-degrees-warmer world.
(IPCC Report)
810 Millions
people are threatened by long-term sea level rise under the 3 degrees C warmer world.
(IPCC)
On environmental risks and specifically climate change risks,
- Financial Institutions have also developed enhanced climate risk tools, which can monitor the dynamic landscape of risks with integrated platforms. Read the UNEP FI’s 2023 Climate Risk Landscape for further details. These enhanced monitoring tools can be used for larger corporations willing to get live tracking of their risks.
- The probability of future climate events can be difficult to assess. ImpactLab can provide estimates on future local temperatures based on IPCC climate scenario. Similarly easyXDI brings automated risk identification based on the location of assets.
ECOCERT is pioneer and a world leader in the Certification of organic and sustainable products in the agri-food, cosmetics and textile industries. Through its consulting and training expertise, ECOCERT can also assist stakeholders in the implementation and promotion of sustainable practices, especially with the de-risking of their supply chain.
With operating capabilities in 130 countries and with 2200 employees, ECOCERT global footprint helps companies with consistent high-quality services all over the world.
Givvable is an automated data platform that helps organisations understand the sustainability profile of their suppliers and supply chain. It captures, tracks and reports on the credentials of suppliers, that are the strongest indicators of whether a supplier is taking action on sustainability. Givvable covers local to global and SME to MNC suppliers, ensuring it has the widest coverage of supplier sustainability data globally.
Givvable will help you:
Sustainable Gaia is a sustainability consultancy for strategy, reporting, training and research. We help organizations in their sustainability endeavours in the following ways:
SustainableSG was started in September 2018 to accompany companies, non-profit entities and government agencies to review and implement effective and sustainable corporate strategies. Our services include:
Sustainao supports companies in their sustainability journey by building an impactful strategy, embedding sustainable practices across operations, and reporting performance to stakeholders.
Our sustainability consulting services are designed in a continuous improvement process:
Redesigning the supply chain is required to achieve a step change in your sustainability results. Redesign takes into account sustainability needs, cost objectives, responsiveness requirements and resiliency objectives.
The redesign work follows several steps:
1. Gather business needs, sustainability needs and environmental and social risk mitigation needs identified in previous solutions.
2. Translate needs into supply network requirements
3. Finalise the best option and document the future state of the supply chain
4. Establish a transition plan, financial implications and resources
Redesign is a complex, multi-year journey. It may require supplier confirmation to support the changes brought about by the new supply chain and/or the introduction of new suppliers.
20-30%
of total GHG emissions are estimated to be associated with international trade - production and transport of exported and imported goods.
(World Trade Organization)
- A physical representation of the supply chain helps understand simplification opportunities. E.g, Reducing distances between the supply chain node directly affects GHG emissions. The physical supply chain mapping template can be used for simple supply chain mapping to help document supply chain and visualize opportunities.
- Assessing the benefits of the targetted supply chain design is critical to ensure most business needs, sustainability needs and risk mitigation requirements can be achieved. The supply chain redesign tool helps document the future state by stating the ambition of the company and what the company can commit to externally.
ECOCERT is pioneer and a world leader in the Certification of organic and sustainable products in the agri-food, cosmetics and textile industries. Through its consulting and training expertise, ECOCERT can also assist stakeholders in the implementation and promotion of sustainable practices, especially with the de-risking of their supply chain.
With operating capabilities in 130 countries and with 2200 employees, ECOCERT global footprint helps companies with consistent high-quality services all over the world.
South Pole has been at the forefront of decarbonization since 2006, developing and implementing comprehensive strategies that turn climate action into long-term business opportunities for Fortune 500 companies, governments and organizations around the world.
South Pole is more than a consultancy, its team of 1,200+ experts have developed projects, as well as designed innovative tools across finance, climate neutral APIs, and carbon offset solutions to help clients reach their carbon mitigation and Net Zero goals.
To date South Pole has worked with over 1,000 clients, and will soon have developed 800 offset projects across 30 offices globally.
Our solutions have created tens of thousands of jobs in developing countries, hundreds of millions of dollars for business, improved brand value and better living and working conditions for countless people in vulnerable communities around the world.
Sustainable Gaia is a sustainability consultancy for strategy, reporting, training and research. We help organizations in their sustainability endeavours in the following ways:
SustainableSG was started in September 2018 to accompany companies, non-profit entities and government agencies to review and implement effective and sustainable corporate strategies. Our services include:
We support teams and organisations in developing resilience - integrating social and environmental value as a core strategic imperative. Together, we build in more sustainability.
We focus on 3 areas to optimise and create the enabling conditions for the change we need to transform our world.
Awareness:
Navigating complexity, Strategic conversations and aligning action through
Support you and your team to envision and understand implications and possibilities through
Once the transformation action plan is in place, a continuous improvement method such as Plan/Do/Check/Act (PCDA) is required to monitor, control, and adjust the plan over time. The control and monitoring of supply chain performance for environmental and social metrics require a structured approach, which can leverage already implemented ERP systems or be done out of dedicated cloud-based ESG solutions.
Outside Connectivity is critical as ongoing monitoring needs to be done for both internal and external supply chain components - see details under the procurement solutions (link to the subcategory). Aligning the reporting strategy in line with retained priorities with the supply chain stakeholders is critical to avoid multiple data sources and rework/misalignment throughout the journey.
The reporting platform can be connected to ESG databases (eg Emissions factor database for GHG Reporting) to allow transparency for both the main company and its supplier base. Beyond reporting capability, some of the platforms help for cross-supply chain collaboration to capture both targets and joined action plans of the supply chain actors.
Some common types of KPIs tracked by companies when they implement sustainable procurement processes:
ECOCERT is pioneer and a world leader in the Certification of organic and sustainable products in the agri-food, cosmetics and textile industries. Through its consulting and training expertise, ECOCERT can also assist stakeholders in the implementation and promotion of sustainable practices, especially with the de-risking of their supply chain.
With operating capabilities in 130 countries and with 2200 employees, ECOCERT global footprint helps companies with consistent high-quality services all over the world.
The mission of PlanetWise is to:
At Tulyā, we are accredited sustainability consultants holding certifications in GRI, SASB and TCFD (now IFRS-ISSB), and ISO 14064 GHG Lead Verifiers, alongside being Singapore Certified Management Consultants. We are dedicated to driving sustainable business development across industries through Sustainable Management Accounting.
We help MNCs with:
We help SMEs with:
Preliminary Note:
Steps to take:
1- Analyse your current comsumption and existing practices
2- Define Targets and KPI evolution, such as
3- Prefer
4- Make it simpler
5- Packaging: Discuss with your supplier to limit packagings, e.g. all pens in 1 carton box.
6- Involve all stakeholders in the sustainable purchasing policy and train them
Refer to the global sustainable procurement policy in Resources section for more details.
58%
of businesses better mitigate risk with sustainable procurement, 30% achieve cost reduction.
(Ecovadis Barometer - 2019)
Browse categories of the Green Label Singapore Directory from Singapore Environment Council to find labelled products or ecolabel website to find all eco labels in Singapore.
Other resources:
- Ecovadis academy on sustainable procurement
- Sustainable procurement policy
- ISO 20400
ECOCERT is pioneer and a world leader in the Certification of organic and sustainable products in the agri-food, cosmetics and textile industries. Through its consulting and training expertise, ECOCERT can also assist stakeholders in the implementation and promotion of sustainable practices, especially with the de-risking of their supply chain.
With operating capabilities in 130 countries and with 2200 employees, ECOCERT global footprint helps companies with consistent high-quality services all over the world.
EcoVadis rates more than 100,000 businesses on their sustainability performance, which helps improve the sustainability performance of global supply chains.
Givvable is an automated data platform that helps organisations understand the sustainability profile of their suppliers and supply chain. It captures, tracks and reports on the credentials of suppliers, that are the strongest indicators of whether a supplier is taking action on sustainability. Givvable covers local to global and SME to MNC suppliers, ensuring it has the widest coverage of supplier sustainability data globally.
Givvable will help you:
We help Brands quit plastic: TRULY sustainable packaging sourcing and consultancy.
SustainableSG was started in September 2018 to accompany companies, non-profit entities and government agencies to review and implement effective and sustainable corporate strategies. Our services include:
Sustainable procurement is the integration of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) principles into your company’s procurement processes and decisions while ensuring they still meet the requirements of your stakeholders. To be successful in your sustainable procurement journey, it is recommended to:
Then to have a relevant impact, the conventional procurement process needs to be enhanced with sustainability-related activities:
Internal Spending & Market Analysis: In addition to the "standard" activities, it is necessary to ensure sustainability transparency throughout the supply chain (tier 1, tier 2, etc.), assess supplier sustainability, define sustainability targets by category and qualify sustainable suppliers.
Tender management: This should include incorporating sustainability questionnaires and assessments into tender documents, as well as analysing and validating suppliers based on their sustainability maturity.
ESG screening & ESG assessments: ESG screening is applicable or new suppliers at the pre-qualification step. For existing suppliers, it is recommended to conduct ESG assessments (in house, EcoVadis). The objective is to measure the integration levels of environmental, social and governance sustainability principles in the organisation's strategies, policies, and activities of your suppliers.
Negotiation & contract awarding: Sustainability targets should be included in supplier negotiations, sustainability performance should be considered in supplier selection, and sustainability key performance indicators (KPIs) should be included in contracts.
Implementation: Once supplier selection has been communicated, ERP systems (suppliers, prices, products/services) updated and operational implementation initiated, it is crucial to monitor sustainability performance through regular audits. This should be integrated into the supplier evaluation process.
ISO 20400:2017, titled "Sustainable Procurement - Guidance," is an international standard issued by the International Organization for Standardization that provides organizations with a framework to integrate sustainability into their procurement processes.
51%
of global businesses have existing sustainable procurement policies and practices which contributes to the resilience of their value chains.
(Stanford Business School - 2023)
48%
of Global Companies experience pressure to embrace greener procurement processes.
(procurement tactics - 2023)
- How to write a sustainable procurement policy
- in 2024, Singapore's National Sustainable Procurement Roundtable published a supplier's guide to sustainability, which provides comprehensive sustainability principles and guidelines for implementation in procurement.
ECOCERT is pioneer and a world leader in the Certification of organic and sustainable products in the agri-food, cosmetics and textile industries. Through its consulting and training expertise, ECOCERT can also assist stakeholders in the implementation and promotion of sustainable practices, especially with the de-risking of their supply chain.
With operating capabilities in 130 countries and with 2200 employees, ECOCERT global footprint helps companies with consistent high-quality services all over the world.
EcoVadis rates more than 100,000 businesses on their sustainability performance, which helps improve the sustainability performance of global supply chains.
Givvable is an automated data platform that helps organisations understand the sustainability profile of their suppliers and supply chain. It captures, tracks and reports on the credentials of suppliers, that are the strongest indicators of whether a supplier is taking action on sustainability. Givvable covers local to global and SME to MNC suppliers, ensuring it has the widest coverage of supplier sustainability data globally.
Givvable will help you:
We help Brands quit plastic: TRULY sustainable packaging sourcing and consultancy.
South Pole has been at the forefront of decarbonization since 2006, developing and implementing comprehensive strategies that turn climate action into long-term business opportunities for Fortune 500 companies, governments and organizations around the world.
South Pole is more than a consultancy, its team of 1,200+ experts have developed projects, as well as designed innovative tools across finance, climate neutral APIs, and carbon offset solutions to help clients reach their carbon mitigation and Net Zero goals.
To date South Pole has worked with over 1,000 clients, and will soon have developed 800 offset projects across 30 offices globally.
Our solutions have created tens of thousands of jobs in developing countries, hundreds of millions of dollars for business, improved brand value and better living and working conditions for countless people in vulnerable communities around the world.
Measuring Scope 3 carbon emissions (upstream and some downstream activities) presents significant challenges. Achieving comprehensive supply chain decarbonisation, particularly in partnership with suppliers, is complex.
It is crucial to collaboratively establish clear decarbonisation goals with suppliers, incorporating these objectives as specific criteria in sourcing and purchasing decisions.
However, merely setting goals is insufficient; companies and their suppliers must work in tandem to achieve the targets set.
A pivotal strategy involves engaging suppliers with the highest emissions, directing attention towards categories that the company aims to influence.
The calculation of priorities can be based on either physical quantities or expenditure.
Subsequently, it is advisable to encourage suppliers to actively reduce their carbon footprint, involving the measurement of Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. Suppliers should be motivated to commit to quantified reductions, aligning with the Paris Agreement and ideally gaining approval from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Some companies as part of their SBTi Scope 3 target, ask their own suppliers to commit to SBTi. Navigating this delicate negotiation with suppliers is crucial to avoid becoming an undesirable customer.
A constructive approach is to provide support to suppliers. This can include training, workshops, technical guidance, and the provision of tools such as software and calculation files. Establishing a structured Supplier Progress Plan is paramount to achieving success in the pursuit of decarbonisation goals.
over 95%
of total emissions are Scope 3 emissions for many companies. Yet they are the most challenging to measure.
(Gartner)
> 70%
of total emissions, on average, come from a company’s supply chain. This is on average 11 times higher than direct (scope 1) emissions.
(Science Based Targets)
- A best in class example of engaging suppliers can be found in the work done by Schneider Electric. Schneider Electric supports its Suppliers with The Zero Carbon Project. In partnership with their top 1,000 suppliers, they are helping them to cut 50% of their operational CO2 emissions by 2025. A clear roadmap and a digital community has been built for all members, providing training, resources, guidance, and implementation support. By the end of 2022, the program had achieved a 10% CO2 reduction among participating suppliers [75% of them had never quantified carbon emissions and were new to the subject at the start of the project].
EcoVadis rates more than 100,000 businesses on their sustainability performance, which helps improve the sustainability performance of global supply chains.
Givvable is an automated data platform that helps organisations understand the sustainability profile of their suppliers and supply chain. It captures, tracks and reports on the credentials of suppliers, that are the strongest indicators of whether a supplier is taking action on sustainability. Givvable covers local to global and SME to MNC suppliers, ensuring it has the widest coverage of supplier sustainability data globally.
Givvable will help you:
The mission of PlanetWise is to:
Sustainable Gaia is a sustainability consultancy for strategy, reporting, training and research. We help organizations in their sustainability endeavours in the following ways:
SustainableSG was started in September 2018 to accompany companies, non-profit entities and government agencies to review and implement effective and sustainable corporate strategies. Our services include:
When screening for new suppliers, it is now fundamental to request information and documentation on the suppliers ESG policy as part of your qualification process.
Gather information about potential suppliers through their websites, annual reports, or sustainability reports. Look for certifications such as ISO 14001 (environmental management) or SA8000 (social accountability) to gauge their commitment to sustainability. Find their Ecovadis scoring.
You can also develop a questionnaire to assess the new suppliers' sustainability practices. Ask about their environmental policies, waste management, energy usage, labor practices, supply chain transparency, and any initiatives they have implemented to reduce their environmental footprint.
ECOCERT is pioneer and a world leader in the Certification of organic and sustainable products in the agri-food, cosmetics and textile industries. Through its consulting and training expertise, ECOCERT can also assist stakeholders in the implementation and promotion of sustainable practices, especially with the de-risking of their supply chain.
With operating capabilities in 130 countries and with 2200 employees, ECOCERT global footprint helps companies with consistent high-quality services all over the world.
Givvable is an automated data platform that helps organisations understand the sustainability profile of their suppliers and supply chain. It captures, tracks and reports on the credentials of suppliers, that are the strongest indicators of whether a supplier is taking action on sustainability. Givvable covers local to global and SME to MNC suppliers, ensuring it has the widest coverage of supplier sustainability data globally.
Givvable will help you:
Sustainao supports companies in their sustainability journey by building an impactful strategy, embedding sustainable practices across operations, and reporting performance to stakeholders.
Our sustainability consulting services are designed in a continuous improvement process:
At Tulyā, we are accredited sustainability consultants holding certifications in GRI, SASB and TCFD (now IFRS-ISSB), and ISO 14064 GHG Lead Verifiers, alongside being Singapore Certified Management Consultants. We are dedicated to driving sustainable business development across industries through Sustainable Management Accounting.
We help MNCs with:
We help SMEs with:
When companies purchase goods and services, they join a global supply chain where human rights violations, such as forced labour and unsafe working conditions, are unfortunately common.
Environmental damage can also impact human and indigenous rights, affecting living standards and cultural practices.
Integrating human rights requirements into procurement practices over time improves the human rights performance of suppliers and companies.
- Starting with due diligence on key suppliers and considering social and environmental impacts throughout the product lifecycle is crucial.
- Establishing minimum and desired criteria, signalling expectations through a supplier code of conduct, and supporting suppliers in meeting these expectations are essential steps.
- Regular audit and evaluation ensures progress and identifies areas for improvement in upholding human rights standards.
Human rights concerns related to the workplace include impacts on:
Human rights concerns related to broader freedoms and entitlements include impacts on:
More than 450 million
people work in supply chain-related jobs.
(International Labour Organization - ILO)
68%
of consumers say businesses must ensure all their suppliers meet high social and environmental standards.
(EY survey - May 2021)
Gifts for Good® is a premium corporate gifting company focused on empowering organizations to create measurable social and environmental impact through the act of gift-giving. To date, we have donated over $2.7 million to charitable causes, impacting the lives of millions of people around the world.
When you give through Gifts for Good, you are helping to tackle the world’s most pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges. We currently support the work of 80 nonprofits and social enterprises in 50 states and 72 countries. Each gift comes with its own detailed impact metric, allowing our business clients to benefit from unparalleled reporting into the real world impact of their gifting campaigns.
Gifts for Good is on a mission to redefine the $100 billion corporate gifts market by offering an alternative to the uninspiring, wasteful, high volume gifts of the past. Instead, we source unique, high-end sustainable products with compelling stories of impact behind them. Our GIFTforward® platform reduces the huge amounts of landfill waste caused by unwanted gifts by allowing recipients to choose a gift they actually want, or donate the gift value to a cause of their choice.
As a woman-owned small business and Certified B Corporation, our products meet the highest standards of verified social, economic, and environmental impact. In 2022, we also became certified as a Climate Neutral company after measuring, reducing, and offsetting the entirety of our carbon footprint.
Gifts for Good impact report to be found here.
Givvable is an automated data platform that helps organisations understand the sustainability profile of their suppliers and supply chain. It captures, tracks and reports on the credentials of suppliers, that are the strongest indicators of whether a supplier is taking action on sustainability. Givvable covers local to global and SME to MNC suppliers, ensuring it has the widest coverage of supplier sustainability data globally.
Givvable will help you:
Mind Up Consulting develops supply chain resilience and purchasing sustainable performance through partnerships, fairer risks management strategies and people-oriented solutions. Upstream, we guide brands in their purchasing, risk management and traceability strategies development. Downstream, we work on the field to evaluate, support and empower manufacturers and farmers in their social practices and overall performance.
Our scope: multi-industries, worldwide.
Our clients are SME’s operating in wood, metal, textile, decoration, printing, construction and renovation businesses.
Sustainable Gaia is a sustainability consultancy for strategy, reporting, training and research. We help organizations in their sustainability endeavours in the following ways:
As per the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi), effective management requires accurate measurement. The initial hurdle lies in quantifying the company's carbon emissions. Particularly in sectors where scope 3 emissions are significant, the Procurement function tends to prioritise this aspect. However, this focus limits the Procurement department's potential impact on scope 2 emissions.
For instance, negotiating contracts for the purchase of green energy, such as Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), can be a valuable strategy, especially in the context of significant energy price inflation.
The "Energize program" initiated by the pharmaceutical industry to access decarbonisation solutions in terms of renewable electricity is a good example.
40%
of global energy consumption are accounted by buildings, and 33% of greenhouse gas emissions.
(World Economic Forum)
Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs): contracts between electricity producers and buyers, typically large consumers or utilities, where the producer agrees to sell electricity to the buyer for a predetermined price over a specified period of time.
PPAs are commonly used in the renewable energy sector, where they enable developers to secure financing for new renewable energy projects by providing a guaranteed revenue stream for the electricity generated. These agreements often involve the sale of electricity generated from renewable sources such as wind, solar, or hydroelectric power, helping to support the expansion of clean energy generation. PPAs can vary in duration, pricing structure, and other terms depending on the needs and preferences of the parties involved.
This is a DIY - Do It Yourself Solution. If you want, you may ask a consultant to help you implement it.
The transition towards decarbonisation is poised to significantly increase the volume of data that purchasers must manage. This transformation will require a reassessment of Suppliers' strategies.
A top-tier procurement platform should seamlessly embed components pertinent to suppliers' decarbonisation endeavors across all stages of the procurement process. This requires the incorporation of a comprehensive decision-making tool, thus eliminating the need to rely on disparate data sources. To achieve this, the platform should establish links with specific decarbonisation repositories, encompassing emissions factor databases and platforms referencing entities like CDP and SBTi.
Moreover, integration with premium digital solutions, such as EcotransIT World for calculating transportation emissions, is essential to ensure a robust and efficient approach.
According to Natacha Trehan, at the Supplier level, the ideal platform should include
Not all elements are currently integrated into all procurement platforms, but good progress is being made.
Givvable is an automated data platform that helps organisations understand the sustainability profile of their suppliers and supply chain. It captures, tracks and reports on the credentials of suppliers, that are the strongest indicators of whether a supplier is taking action on sustainability. Givvable covers local to global and SME to MNC suppliers, ensuring it has the widest coverage of supplier sustainability data globally.
Givvable will help you:
Niji is an international digital agency that focuses on helping businesses make a success of the digital transformation.
They provide a large range of services like e-retailers and public services apps - to make the all-important switch to digital technologies in support of their strategies, multi-channel distribution and internal operations. Niji takes place in every stage of the value chain, delivering digital strategy, engineering and technology consulting services, alongside a service design and software development offering.
Especially, Niji provides methodologies, audits and websites to turn solutions greener and more sustainable.
PALO IT is an international consultancy specialised in Human-Centered Design, Agile Software Development and in the Transformation of forward-thinking companies.
They are a certified B Corporation, which means they harness the power of innovation and technology for positive social impact.
The mission of PlanetWise is to:
Schneider Electric provides energy and automation digital solutions & services, with a focus on efficiency and sustainability, for buildings, datacentres, industries and infrastructures in all kind of sectors (IT, healthcare, finance, retail etc.)
They developed EcoStruxure, an IoT-enabled platform for better control, analysis, services and connectivity.
Click here to contact their sales team.
Promoting reuse is beneficial. For a company to effectively reuse goods, accessibility is key. Business-to-business (B2B) digital platforms play a pivotal role in connecting suppliers and buyers who may not have prior connections.
From the seller's perspective, selling surplus or second-hand equipment, as well as deconstruction materials, not only generates additional turnover but also significantly reduces the company's CO2 footprint.
On the buyer's side, there are both financial and CO2 savings to be gained.
62%
of Singaporeans are receptive to receiving second-hand packaging.
(IPSOS)
Example of Innovative digital platforms dedicated to re-use:
- MACHINESEEKER: online network of second-hand machines with multiple marketplaces.
- KHEOOS: reuse marketplace for industrial maintenance parts. The products are mostly from dormant stock. Kheoos promotes reuse rather than destructionand extends the life of of equipment by making available spare parts that are no longer manufactured.
Dell Factory Outlet provides refurbished Dell computers, monitors, desktops stations and workstations, servers and storage according to stocks.
Certified refurbished products are previously open/used products and come with a 1 year warranty. These products are submitted to a careful refurbishing process to achieve quality and performance standards.
To contact them, engage conversation through their "chat to buy" button.
ElectronicsCrazy is an online electronics marketplace in Singapore.
They deal in ten most popular categories including mobile phones, computers and laptops, cameras, network switches, smart power sockets...
They have a wide range of certified refurbished computers and other refurbished items.
Givvable is an automated data platform that helps organisations understand the sustainability profile of their suppliers and supply chain. It captures, tracks and reports on the credentials of suppliers, that are the strongest indicators of whether a supplier is taking action on sustainability. Givvable covers local to global and SME to MNC suppliers, ensuring it has the widest coverage of supplier sustainability data globally.
Givvable will help you:
Safe. Secure. Stewardship.
We offer e-waste recycling and data sanitization services to help clients dispose of them responsibly while keeping their data safe.
For e-waste recycling, our focus is on laptops, PC, servers, mobile and other ICT equipment.
We also offer secured consoles, paper shredding for confidential paper waste.
Plurium Technologies is an alternative distributor of networking and IT equipment. They help companies to reduce the cost of their infrastructure by optimising the lifecycle of their hardware and by contributing actively to the circular economy.
They offer 2 different services both for companies with extra IT hardware to dispose, and for companies willing to reduce their carbon footprint and cost of ownership:
Customers do not simply purchase a product; they seek a performance-based, tailored solution.
Servitisation, also known as Product-as-a-Service, where products transition into services, is enabled by digitalisation capabilities such as sensor data collection and artificial intelligence to optimise asset conditions and consumption.
For example, the supplier commits to delivering energy-efficient performance to reduce the customer's carbon footprint. Instead of buying individual cooling or heating systems, the buyer can opt for an energy efficiency service, where the supplier designs, builds, operates, and maintains the facilities on behalf of the customer.
In a traditional model, suppliers aim to sell more equipment and consumables, often neglecting product lifespan. Conversely, customers aim to minimise goods replacement, leading to conflicting interests.
In a functional model, the supplier retains ownership of goods, incentivising quality optimisation and prolonged use. This is the end of planned obsolescence. With fewer manufactured products having longer lifespans, there's a reduced carbon footprint.
Central to this transformation is servitisation: the shift from traditional business models to outcome-based, Product-as-a-Service (PaaS) models. Companies are now compelled to rethink and revamp their service models to remain relevant in this evolving landscape.
79.4 zettabytes
of data are expected to be generated from approx. 41.6B Internet of Things (IoT) devices by 2025.
(IDC Forecast)
76%
of consumers want more customization.
(Accenture survey - 2021)
- According to the world Economic Forum, servitisation represents an effective way to accelerate the investments in energy-efficiency needed to deliver the Paris Agreement goals for achieving a low-carbon economy
- Leading organizations such as GE Healthcare, Siemens and Fresenius are starting to offer equipment via a pay-per-use/pay-per-outcome model. They are joining hospitals and other healthcare providers in offering Value-Based Care (VBC). For example, GE’s TruPay provides the complete care of certain medical equipment, such as REVACT equipment, through a pay-per-use model. It comes with built-in performance commitments including 95 percent equipment uptime, complete care for three years, and 24/7 online remote services. In return, GE determines prices based on outcomes delivered.
Chemistry is an independent, B-Corp Certified strategic design consultancy based in Singapore and Amsterdam. Established in 2000 with the belief that great ideas come from the synergy of people, we bring together a diverse and multi-talented team of innovators and designers.
We are conscious of the impact we create, for communities, organisations, and the planet. Our expertise has been helping companies from a broad range of industries find breakthroughs to complex systemic challenges.
Design can be a powerful tool for change. With people and the planet at the centre of our work, circularity has become a tenet of who we are. We're committed to playing an active role in creating a meaningful impact with design.
As an industry change maker, Ecopex enables circular economy and makes it a central part of corporate real estate. We optimize office furniture needs and offer rental solutions to reduce CAPEX spend and furniture waste. By creating visibility of idle existing furniture across a local market, we enable a ‘sharing economy’ and a circular supply chain solution through innovative systems thinking across an industry.
Loopedin is an ecotechnology packaging provider which enables food & beverage retailers and corporates to switch from single-use plastic containers to fully-reusable and food-grade recyclable inventories.
Loopedin offers its retail- and corporate clients quality sustainable and reusable packaging inventory management, collection, disposal, and recycling services designed with minimal impact on existing business processes.
We support teams and organisations in developing resilience - integrating social and environmental value as a core strategic imperative. Together, we build in more sustainability.
We focus on 3 areas to optimise and create the enabling conditions for the change we need to transform our world.
Awareness:
Navigating complexity, Strategic conversations and aligning action through
Support you and your team to envision and understand implications and possibilities through
Having a carbon simulator for procurement means having a carbon footprint per product.
To achieve this objective, 3 steps are recommended:
The Procurement Carbon Footprint Simulator serves as a decision-making tool, focusing on gathering activity data (e.g., kg, km, kWh) for the key carbon drivers during significant phases of the product life cycle, such as raw materials, production, transport, and packaging. The resulting CO2 emission value is determined using an internal price per tonne of carbon chosen by the company.
This simulator aids the company in making informed sourcing decisions, emphasizing the optimisation of the carbon impact-to-cost ratio as a criterion for reorienting the sourcing strategy. For instance, the buyer may need to consider various options, such as choosing recycled packaging over cardboard packaging or selecting a supplier closer to the factory with road freight versus a supplier farther away but reachable via railway.
more than 80%
of the environmental impact comes from the supply chain in many industries.
(ecochain)
Cargo2ZERO, our latest sustainability solution available via APIs integrates and accelerates climate action into the airfreight procurement process. By integrating CO2 emissions data in your decision-making process, we help you select the most CO2 efficient airfreight options and reduce emissions via direct purchases of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) during the booking flow.
We are a decarbonization software focussing on automating the emission measurement of Scope3 emissions, specialising in Asia Pacific supply chains.
Zuno is a pioneer in decarbonisation, carbon & ESG management. Our tech platform helps leading organizations measure, reduce and report their carbon emissions and ESG performance. Powering you towards your sustainability goals, one step at a time.
Companies recognise that it is not feasible to tackle systemic sustainability challenges alone, and that achieving their goals requires a scale that can only be achieved by pooling resources.
With all customers demanding CO2 measurement and reduction targets from their suppliers, suppliers are likely to face overwhelming demands. The lack of standardised methodologies exacerbates the impact, with a significant risk of low quality results and low commitment rates. At the very least, companies sharing common suppliers should coordinate their efforts within their respective ecosystems.
When a single company commits to a sustainability target, progress may be slow and the overall impact minimal. However, if a consortium of companies adopts the same standard and collaborates to address the issue, the path becomes more manageable and the impact is exponentially greater.
Collaboration between major customers and their suppliers is on the rise, facilitated by the emergence of prominent international environmental organisations such as the 1.5-degree Supply Chain Leaders (https://exponentialroadmap.org/supply-chain-leaders/), digital platforms such as CDP's Supply Chain Program (https://www.cdp.net/en/supply-chain), and initiatives such as the Energize Program (https://hub.zeigo.com/energize) launched by the pharmaceutical industry to access decarbonisation solutions, particularly in renewable electricity.
The message is clear: do not embark on the decarbonisation journey alone!
46%
of consumer-facing companies do not prioritize the role of ecosystems in innovation.
(EY)
231 million tons CO2e
of emissions reduction initiatives were driven in 2020 by over 200 suppliers reporting to CDP.
(CDP Global Supply Chain Report - 2021)
Givvable is an automated data platform that helps organisations understand the sustainability profile of their suppliers and supply chain. It captures, tracks and reports on the credentials of suppliers, that are the strongest indicators of whether a supplier is taking action on sustainability. Givvable covers local to global and SME to MNC suppliers, ensuring it has the widest coverage of supplier sustainability data globally.
Givvable will help you:
Sustainable supply chain manufacturing can be defined as a method for manufacturing that minimizes waste and reduces the environmental impact.
These goals are to be obtained mainly by adopting practices that will influence the product design, process design and operational principles.
Production engineers, factory planners and product designers must identify improvement measures for existing manufacturing systems as well as innovative concepts for new facilities.
As the scope of work may be very wide when we are refering to sustainable manufacturing, we are focusing below on initiatives that may be implemented :
Almost half of
executives report that their environmental sustainability initiatives measurably boosted their corporate financial performance.
(Deloitte’ survey - 2021 Climate Check)
10% lower
are the operating costs of companies having strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) credentials.
(NSPR, citing a 2021 McKinsey study)
At Saxon Renewables, headquartered in Singapore, we focus on providing sustainable solutions to organizations looking to reduce their carbon footprint and greenhouse gases emissions.
We offer services in the form of sustainability consulting and reporting, solar power purchase agreements (PPA) as well as environmental attribute solution such as carbon credits and Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs).
Lean Manufacturing provides organisations with tools to improve their competitiveness based on increasing customer value in terms of productivity, efficiency, quality and consumer satisfaction by reducing resource consumption through the elimination of 7 wastes (transport, inventory, motion, waiting, over-processing, over-production).
Green Manufacturing can be defined as Lean Manufacturing with a renewed interest in developing greener solutions capable of not only minimising waste, but also reducing the negative environmental and social impacts (minimising health risks) of traditional industrial practices throughout the product life cycle.
The objective of both approaches is the same - to minimise non-value added activities with a focus on waste reduction, people and organisation, lead time reduction, supply chain relationships, KPI service levels tools and practices. They can be very effective when unified and implemented simultaneously (see figure in additional information Affiliation amid Lean-Green Methods).
The International Standard Organisation (ISO) has developed an international standard for environmental management systems known as ISO14001:2015. These standards act as a systematic continuous improvement tool to implement Green Manufacturing.
- Additional details on how to incorporate green and lean can be accessed in J.P. Rishi's publication available here. This read is recommended for existing lean manufacturing professionals.
- OECD organization provides another publication and toolkit, which offers two components: a step-by-step Start-up Guide and a Web Portal where technical guidance on measurement are provided.
We are passionate about people, the environment, and technological progress. We anticipate technological developments and facilitate change – defining standards and going beyond regulatory compliance. Staying true to our founding principle, we add value by creating a safer and more sustainable future.
Carbon emission verification ISO 14064, LCA ISO14067, Green Compass Trainer, other sustainability courses from TUV SUD Academy, Energy audits.
The term cleaner production is a response to the question of how to produce in a sustainable manner.
Its core element is prevention vs. clean-up or end-of-pipe solutions to environmental problems: resources should be used efficiently thus reducing environmental pollution, improving health and safety and reducing waste costs.
Cleaner production focuses on conservation of natural resources such as water, energy and raw materials and avoiding the end of pipe treatment.
By considering production processes, cleaner production includes:
For products, the strategy focuses on reducing impacts along the entire life-cycle of the product, from raw material extraction to the ultimate disposal of the product. Cleaner production is achieved by applying know-how, by improving technology, and by changing attitudes.
Changing attitudes is the most challenging and the most important step in applying cleaner production concept.
Cleaner production techniques are also good business for the industry as it will:
On a broader scale, cleaner production can help alleviate the serious and increasing problems of air and water pollution, ozone depletion, global warning, landscape degradation, solid and liquid wastes, resource depletion, acidification of the natural and built environment, visual pollution and reduced biodiversity.
To decrease waste in manufacturing, please browse our waste management best practices on production area and packing & Unpacking area
Zero Waste City is an engineering consulting business specialised in waste reduction for commercial and industrial facilities. They help businesses to save money by reducing waste and to achieve Zero Waste goals. Their services include:
Sustainable organizations strive to balance the triple bottom line of people, planet, and profit to achieve long-term success and viability. This means that organizations cannot be sustainable without protecting the safety, health, and welfare of their most vital resource: The workers.
A stronger commitment to safety and health can benefit workers by decreasing the number of illnesses, injuries and fatalities; increasing their engagement and satisfaction; and enabling them to be productive participants in the organization and their communities. When emphasizing the safety, health and welfare of workers, businesses also see benefits in decreased costs associated with workers’ compensation payments, training and recruitment; increased productivity and quality; and improved reputational and financial performance.
Integrating safety and health into sustainability strategies can transform an organization into one that strives to protect the environment for future generations, ensures longterm economic viability and allows all people to thrive.
$200 billion / year
is the estimated cost for the US economy of, occupational illnesses, injuries and fatalities.
(journal of safety research)
Worker Safety and Health Considerations in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (un.org/sustainabledevelopment)
A number of the SDGs have direct and indirect connections to worker and labor issues.
For example: GOAL #8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
Second Example: GOAL #12: Responsible Consumption and Production
Mind Up Consulting develops supply chain resilience and purchasing sustainable performance through partnerships, fairer risks management strategies and people-oriented solutions. Upstream, we guide brands in their purchasing, risk management and traceability strategies development. Downstream, we work on the field to evaluate, support and empower manufacturers and farmers in their social practices and overall performance.
Our scope: multi-industries, worldwide.
Our clients are SME’s operating in wood, metal, textile, decoration, printing, construction and renovation businesses.
We are passionate about people, the environment, and technological progress. We anticipate technological developments and facilitate change – defining standards and going beyond regulatory compliance. Staying true to our founding principle, we add value by creating a safer and more sustainable future.
Carbon emission verification ISO 14064, LCA ISO14067, Green Compass Trainer, other sustainability courses from TUV SUD Academy, Energy audits.
In recent years, manufacturers have implemented, lean processes as well as digital capabilities to boost productivity, create safer workplaces, and reduce costs. By providing manufacturers integrated and complimentary capabilities, they can gain greater visibility into their production processes, equipment wear-and-tear, and energy usage. These capabilities can empower organizations to optimize production, improve predictive maintenance, and minimize material waste.
The emerging digital technologies can significantly accelerate the Supply Chain transformation implemented in the companies :
~ 10 % of GDP
will be stored on BlockChain and similar technologies by 2025.
(World Economic Forum)
1 million
of working robots and machines are powering the world. In car manufacturing sector, they account for 80% of the work.
(International Federation of Robotics)
With more than 15 years expertise, EcoXplore provides integrated automation, smart meters and IoT products in Singapore.
Their solutions range from Datacentres Infrastructure Management (DCIM) and Energy Management System (EMS) to Building Management System (BMS) and Lighting Control Management System.
UnaBiz is a global Massive IoT service provider and integrator that specialises in solution design, manufacturing, connectivity and data platform services across a hybrid of network communication technologies such as Sigfox, LoRa, LTE-M, NB-IoT and Satellite, to power sustainable business growth. Founded in 2016, the company is headquartered in Singapore, with R&D centres in Taipei and Labège (FR), and operates regional sales offices in Tokyo, Paris, Toulouse and Madrid, with virtual offices globally.
UnaBiz owns the Sigfox 0G technology that connects 12 million sensors for 1500 B2B customers on the global 0G Network, owned and commercialised by 70+ national Operators worldwide. The company focuses on Utilities, Supply Chain & Logistics, Security and Facilities & Building Management.
UnaBiz envisions a closely connected world powered by simple technology because it believes in “Less is More”. By uniting people and IoT technology, it aims to create an impact on a massive scale, to help every person and every organisation on the planet live smarter, simpler, and more sustainable way.
Whether you own/rent your own warehouse or pay for warehousing services, a best-in-class green warehouse would consider the following green initiatives at the operations level:
200 tons CO2e
is emitted by a fuel-based forklift over 10 years.
Greenpac offers environmentally friendly packaging solutions in Asia, especially pallets with its RSCP Pallet. They are made to use few material to light weight and decrease freight costs, to be reused or easily recycled.
There is one area of immediate opportunity that organisations can leverage for CO2 reduction: operational efficiency in transport. Operational efficiency is usually aligned to cost reduction. Adding CO2 impact to the decision-making process can lead to real reduction opportunities.
Three of the main areas of focus around efficiency are Mode, Fill, and Fuel:
8 Giga tons of CO2
are emitted each year by the transport sector globally.
(statista)
46%
of the transport sector emissions are related to the sole transportation of goods (road, sea, air and rail).
(statista)
The very basic formula for calculating CO2 related to transportation is a (weight * distance * CO2 emissions factor) calculation. This is important to remember as any of these three parameters can be drivers on the CO2 reduction journey.
Here is a carbon calculator for logistics.
Cargo2ZERO, our latest sustainability solution available via APIs integrates and accelerates climate action into the airfreight procurement process. By integrating CO2 emissions data in your decision-making process, we help you select the most CO2 efficient airfreight options and reduce emissions via direct purchases of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) during the booking flow.
The main entry points for renewables in the transport sector are:
95%
of energy in transport is from fossil fuels in 2018.
(SLOCAT)
Cargo2ZERO, our latest sustainability solution available via APIs integrates and accelerates climate action into the airfreight procurement process. By integrating CO2 emissions data in your decision-making process, we help you select the most CO2 efficient airfreight options and reduce emissions via direct purchases of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) during the booking flow.
Whether you own/rent your own warehouse or pay for warehousing services, a best-in-class green warehouse would consider the following green initiatives at the building level:
14
warehouses in Singapore currently hold a Green Mark certification.
(SLEB)
The Green Mark certification scheme was launched in January 2005. It is a green building rating system designed to evaluate a building’s environmental impact and performance. It provides a comprehensive framework for assessing the overall environmental performance of new and existing buildings to promote sustainable design,and best practices inconstruction and operations in buildings.
Most existing air-conditioning systems use refrigerants from the HFC gas family (hydrofluorocarbons) which are extremely harmful to the environment. The detection of gas leakage and the recovery of refrigerants at end of life is crucial to avoid GHG emissions to the atmosphere.
For new built, it is encourage to opt for low Global Warming Potential refrigerant gases such as R32 or R290.
Singapore has a roadmap to reduce emissions from refrigeration & air-conditioning
We are beez-fm, a Singaporean head quartered Facility Management company specialized in the delivery of BMS as a Service (BaaS). Thanks to our state-of-the-art technology, smart devices, IoT, Cloud and Artificial Intelligence, we deliver highly efficient and innovative BMS solutions, without initial investments from the customer.
Our model is based only on OPEX fees, which are a portion of the energy savings realized on the customer’s building, a rent-to-own solution allowing customers to save energy and money from day one without any investment nor risk. An evolved and matured version of the old ESCo (Energy Saving Contracting) concept.
With more than 15 years expertise, EcoXplore provides integrated automation, smart meters and IoT products in Singapore.
Their solutions range from Datacentres Infrastructure Management (DCIM) and Energy Management System (EMS) to Building Management System (BMS) and Lighting Control Management System.
Company providing End-to-End sustainability and Energy Efficiency intelligence services. It contains three main components:
At Saxon Renewables, headquartered in Singapore, we focus on providing sustainable solutions to organizations looking to reduce their carbon footprint and greenhouse gases emissions.
We offer services in the form of sustainability consulting and reporting, solar power purchase agreements (PPA) as well as environmental attribute solution such as carbon credits and Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs).
Optimizing packaging for sustainability involves a combination of strategic planning, material selection, design considerations, and operational practices. Here some steps that you can take:
38%
only of cardboard and paper waste were recycled in Singapore in 2020.
(NEA)
900 million
Kilograms of plastic waste are discarded every year in Singapore.
(WWF)
Chemistry is an independent, B-Corp Certified strategic design consultancy based in Singapore and Amsterdam. Established in 2000 with the belief that great ideas come from the synergy of people, we bring together a diverse and multi-talented team of innovators and designers.
We are conscious of the impact we create, for communities, organisations, and the planet. Our expertise has been helping companies from a broad range of industries find breakthroughs to complex systemic challenges.
Design can be a powerful tool for change. With people and the planet at the centre of our work, circularity has become a tenet of who we are. We're committed to playing an active role in creating a meaningful impact with design.
Greenpac offers environmentally friendly packaging solutions in Asia, especially pallets with its RSCP Pallet. They are made to use few material to light weight and decrease freight costs, to be reused or easily recycled.
LHT Holdings Limited is a manufacturer of wooden pallets, boxes and crates in Singapore. In addition to the manufacturing business, they also organise the recycling of wood products to be repaired, reused, or recycled into new wood products.
Plaspulp Union Company is a Global Waste Management Company that offers comprehensive recycling services, including logistics and dismantling, recovery of material for recycling and non-recyclable material disposal. Plaspulp Union looks into partnerships with companies, to work out a resource recovery business model.
Singapore is a unique market where many consumers have their food or products delivered to their homes. E-commerce has grown significantly in the last few years, providing a convenient way for many Singaporeans to shop.
Opting for a Sustainable Last Mile Delivery (or GLAD - green last mile delivery) is mainly about taking action:
One area to watch in the coming years is drone delivery, which will dramatically reduce the carbon footprint of delivery.
60,000
EV charging point will be available in Singapore before 2030.
(LTA)
- Singapore EV roadmap
- Example of adoption of EV for last mile delivery: Foodpanda teams with Gogoro and Cycle & Carriage Singapore for green last mile delivery pilot
This is a DIY - Do It Yourself Solution. If you want, you may ask a consultant to help you implement it.
Retail is the interface with the end customers. Going green in this space helps to raise awareness among a wide audience.
Green retailing is the practice of running your business with eco-friendly processes. Below are some sustainable practices in retail that can be implemented:
88%
of consumers express that they will stay loyal to a company placing importance on sustainability.
(Forbes)
Chemistry is an independent, B-Corp Certified strategic design consultancy based in Singapore and Amsterdam. Established in 2000 with the belief that great ideas come from the synergy of people, we bring together a diverse and multi-talented team of innovators and designers.
We are conscious of the impact we create, for communities, organisations, and the planet. Our expertise has been helping companies from a broad range of industries find breakthroughs to complex systemic challenges.
Design can be a powerful tool for change. With people and the planet at the centre of our work, circularity has become a tenet of who we are. We're committed to playing an active role in creating a meaningful impact with design.
Custos provides data intelligence on carbon handprint and carbon emissions reduction to help improve corporate sustainability initiatives, starting with employee-related activities.
Yindii is a mobile app connecting quality restaurants, bakeries, hotels & grocery stores with surplus food to consumers. Merchants sells “surprise bags” at affordable prices that customers can pickup at the end of the day. It’s a WIN-WIN-WIN for the merchant, the consumer and the planet.
Reverse logistics refers to the supply chain process of returning products from end users back through the supply chain to either the retailer or manufacturer.
Challenge: In reverse logistics, a company must expect its products to be returned from multiple origin sources, the volumes will be far less than those going down through forward logistics and handling costs will be much higher than the generic logistics because the assortment of returned goods is irregular, unlike manufactured goods.
Opportunity: customers benefit from a positive experience, it reduces customer waste and represents a "free" input back into the company's production process. The circular economy is the way forward, so the sooner a company embraces the change and rewires the supply chain, the higher the ROI will be.
You could:
x3
the reverse logistics market is expected to triple by 2030.
(Precedence Research)
- DELOITTE - Sustainable manufacturing From vision to action. Read, Page 18, example 3 on reverse logistics.
Chemistry is an independent, B-Corp Certified strategic design consultancy based in Singapore and Amsterdam. Established in 2000 with the belief that great ideas come from the synergy of people, we bring together a diverse and multi-talented team of innovators and designers.
We are conscious of the impact we create, for communities, organisations, and the planet. Our expertise has been helping companies from a broad range of industries find breakthroughs to complex systemic challenges.
Design can be a powerful tool for change. With people and the planet at the centre of our work, circularity has become a tenet of who we are. We're committed to playing an active role in creating a meaningful impact with design.
Green Team, CSR Task Force, Sustainability Team…They have many names, yet the same goal and the fantastic power to accelerate and amplify all actions taken toward sustainability. Choose the set up most adapted for your organisation.
Think transversal. Identify a leader, according to your scope / priorities / objectives... It can be one person from each department. Identify the sponsor or mentor at Executive or Board level responsible to advocate the actions of the Sustainability Team.
Here is a quick guide to start one and develop it.
Officially allocate time for it on your employees worksheets and objectives. Remember that if you give it on top of another job responsibility, it should still be performed as part of the employee's job description.
If your team can not manage extra tasks, engage an external consultant that could act as a part-time sustainability manager.
When you are ready, or when the sustainability tasks demands it, fight for a full time Sustainability Manager and ensure a budget for a Sustainability team.
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”
(African proverb)
S$70k
is the average base salary for a Sustainability Manager in Singapore.
(Payscale)
We are a not-for-profit organisation, a network of sustainability practitioners who share their expertise to create a ripple effect. Through our platform, we showcase best practices, suppliers and peers who have walked the talk. We educate the public on sustainability through our online platform, themed evenings and masterclasses.
We also work with companies to educate their employees on sustainability through tailored workshops, trainings (from half a day to 6 days) and Lunch & Learn discussions. We share best practices, possible roadmaps & actions.
We welcome volunteers to help enrich the content on the platform, build the Best Practices & Solutions, write articles, organise events or help create a vibrant community.
Focus on whole person, ensure all employees feel represented and develop awareness across different groups (under represented minorities). Use your initiatives to support greater equity between your employees.
Especially, accompany women and discrimated or under represented staff population to fulfill personal and career development.
You may use:
87%
of those engaged as cleaners, labourers and related employees earn below $2,000 a month.
(SBF)
15.7%
only of board members are women in the top 100 Singapore-listed companies by market capitalisation
Our mission is to empower businesses to embrace sustainability and improve environmental and social impacts through the employee engagement and change management programs we provide.
EDLT.global is a boutique Executive Coaching & HR Consulting firm focused on enabling sustainable change. It is based in Singapore and operates worldwide.
Powered by +20 years of experience in the Human Resources field, with the most progressive companies, EDLT.global shares this expertise through Consulting as well as Coaching missions, to propel organizations and individuals to the next level.
Ivydale is a boutique executive coaching practice that supports leaders to deliver positive impact. Ivydale works with sustainability leaders on a one-to-one or group basis to deliver on sustainability commitments. Clients include Fortune 100 companies, investors, government, and start-ups.
Ivydale also supports sustainability transformation through a digital platform to build in-house sustainability capabilities.
Implementing sustainable practices implies a systemic change in companies, and it becomes critical to prepare our staff in terms of change management, agile thinking, creativity ("think out of the box"). In a fast pace changing world, upskilling employees and allowing them to build and adapt their knowledge through personal training, is a critical asset.
Sustainability also requires expertise so you need to train each department team on its specific role. For example:
You can allow your employees to access e-learning on a on-demand basis:
Build a knowledge repository of your core processes, the way you do things:
Train your staff and offer them opportunities to develop their soft skills such as: change management, critical thinking, problem solving, agility, initiative, resilience, flexibility, disruptive design, systemic change. According to the World Economic Forum, 50% of all employees will need reskilling by 2025. Developing these soft skills will ensure their long term employability remains high.
Digitalise your trainings as much as possible, make them easy to follow in shorter length. You may be eligible to grants from governments. See below additional information and examples for Singapore.
1 in 16
workers will need to make occupational transitions by 2030.
(McKinsey)
180M$
Enterprise Sustainability Program to help at least 6,000 Singapore firms tap green economy opportunities
Here are some courses & training existing on sustainability in Singapore:
- GCNS - Foundations in Corporate Sustainability
- TMI - Sustainability Awareness Program
- SMU - advanced certificate in sustainability and sustainable businesses
- BSI environmental Management Systems
online:
- Cambridge Sustainability Leadership
- Harvard Sustainable Business Strategy
- Coursera MOOC and online trainings
General Online training platforms:
- Coursera
Our mission is to empower businesses to embrace sustainability and improve environmental and social impacts through the employee engagement and change management programs we provide.
SustainableSG was started in September 2018 to accompany companies, non-profit entities and government agencies to review and implement effective and sustainable corporate strategies. Our services include:
ACTIVATE - DESIGN - ACCELERATE. Our expert consulting services and trainings help business leaders understand the complexities of sustainability, consider climate- and nature-related risks and opportunities to make informed decisions and alleviate the administrative burdens of:
We work directly with SMEs or collaborate with other sustainability consulting companies on specific projects. We are actively involved in networks of sustainability professionals who share knowledge with public and educate other professionals to bring awareness and accelerate the transition in Singapore and worldwide (incl. The Matcha Initiative, Climate Fresk, etc.).
Our unique strength stems from understanding sustainability from the risk management perspective, creating a business case and using financial reasoning to adopt sustainable business practices and decarbonize.
We are a not-for-profit organisation, a network of sustainability practitioners who share their expertise to create a ripple effect. Through our platform, we showcase best practices, suppliers and peers who have walked the talk. We educate the public on sustainability through our online platform, themed evenings and masterclasses.
We also work with companies to educate their employees on sustainability through tailored workshops, trainings (from half a day to 6 days) and Lunch & Learn discussions. We share best practices, possible roadmaps & actions.
We welcome volunteers to help enrich the content on the platform, build the Best Practices & Solutions, write articles, organise events or help create a vibrant community.
We support teams and organisations in developing resilience - integrating social and environmental value as a core strategic imperative. Together, we build in more sustainability.
We focus on 3 areas to optimise and create the enabling conditions for the change we need to transform our world.
Awareness:
Navigating complexity, Strategic conversations and aligning action through
Support you and your team to envision and understand implications and possibilities through
The « green journey » may feel overwhelming sometimes, but you are not alone.
Our Buddies have tried, succeeded, failed to implement change in their companies. They share their experience so you can learn, take shortcuts, get inspired and ask questions.
Everybody can become a Buddy and give back to the community; if you are keen, get in touch with us.
In 2023, I co-founded Greenfinity, a Singapore-based supply chain sustainability venture focusing on sustainable and low-carbon transformation for supply chains. The objective is to help people and companies strategize their sustainability action plans to make a difference for the planet, the people, and the business.
I have a background in industrial engineering and supply chain management and 20 years of multi-national company experience in Europe and Asia, driving best-in-class logistics, manufacturing, customer services, and planning processes (S&OP/IBP). With climate change becoming an additional consideration to supply chain management over the past decade, I decided to help supply chain professionals juggle between achieving the best service, optimal cost, cash efficiency, and now decarbonization.
I hold a master's degree in Strategic Procurement (DESMA) and have nearly 20 years of experience in procurement and supply chain transformation within the services industry (Facility Management, Food, Textiles, Hospitality, and remote sites). My career spans across Europe, Asia, and currently the Middle East.
I am passionate about transformation and change management, with expertise in the following areas:
Mun Wei is the founder and principal consultant of SustainableSG, which provides advisory and training services in sustainability, strategy, risk and entrepreneurship.
He has worked with corporate, government and non-profit clients on strategy and implementation, reviewing organizational programmes and targets related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, benchmarking and communicating sustainability and other corporate programmes and achievements, promoting inclusive hiring, developing compliance policies and reports, and formulating innovative business models.
He is also an Adjunct Lecturer at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.
I am a leader in Procurement with over 15 years of experience spanning diverse industries such as Energy, Rail and Maritime across regions including Europe, Australia and Singapore. I believe Procurement has the huge responsibility to influence the supply chain to make a difference for our planet and communities. This belief fuels my passion and elevate my ambitions. There are countless opportunities to embed sustainable practices in Procurement, which fascinates me!
With a background in sustainability consulting and audit, Ivona supports businesses in their sustainability journey by building an impactful strategy, embedding sustainable practices across operations, and reporting performance to stakeholders.
She is the founder of Sustainao, a Singapore-based company specialized in sustainability consulting. Previously, Ivona worked as a sustainability auditor at KPMG France. She holds an MBA in CSR & Sustainability and a Master’s degree in Environmental Management.
Founder and Director of the consulting business Zero Waste City, Rémi provides engineering consulting services to large commercial and industrial facilities on waste management, energy efficiency, and packaging design.
He has gained a strong experience as a consultant covering a wide range of industries and technologies in New Zealand, Australia, and Singapore.
He is a certified TRUE Advisor (Total Resource Use Efficiency) by the U.S. Green Building Council Inc. This certification recognised his knowledge in Zero Waste programs and his ability to support businesses to achieve the TRUE Zero Waste certification.
I am Naomi, currently co-founder & director of givvable. I started my career as an Australian diplomat with postings in East Timor, Thailand and Switzerland then moved into private banking where my interest in ESG and sustainability was seeded.
Today my company helps businesses screen and track the sustainability profile of their suppliers to help them achieve their goals and targets.
Sammie is the Director of Social Impact & Sustainability at Williams-Sonoma.
At Williams-Sonoma, she collaborates with leadership across the business to achieve the goal of 75% of products purchased from suppliers who offer worker wellbeing programs by 2030.
She is a CSR practitioner with 20 years of experience. She has managed CSR and sustainability programs at Target, C&A, Abercrombie & Fitch, and American Eagle Outfitters.
I have over 15 years experience in Responsible Value Chain. I started as a Sustainable material experts to slowly cover the entire Value chain and life cycle of products.
Radhika is the Co-founder of Tulyā, A Sustainability Management Accounting (SMA) Services company. Her work includes measurement and understanding of the impact environmental and social factors will have on the value creation for SMEs. She develops tailored tools and practices that integrate material topics (ESG & Business) with accounting statements line items to demonstrate financial impact of action vs inaction.
She has worked with Lehman Brothers, Barclays and IT services companies before starting her entrepreneurial journey in sustainability.
She is a graduate in Chemical Engineering and has been certified in SASB , PMP, CSM & Design Thinking-MIT.
I am a change management practitioner with more than 12 years of experience in this field. In this context I have accompanied various initiatives to drive operational excellence, to improve cross-silo collaboration, and strengthen leadership qualities. In addition, I accompanied companies to establish new strategies, values and behaviours with the result to nudge cultures.
With Hive17, I focus on supporting companies along their sustainability journey. Key questions are how are the targets & strategies implemented across the organisation? And how can we create a culture that leads to success in sustainability.
I am the Co-Founder of Sustainable Gaia, a Singapore based sustainability consultancy, focusing on sustainability reporting using GRI, TCFD, UNSDGs, ISO 14064 and other frameworks. I also help companies through sustainability consulting, training and research to help them meet and go beyond ESG compliance needs, to manage risks and to unlock opportunities while transitioning to a net zero world.
I have a background in Finance (MBA from IIM Calcutta), Financial Economics (M.Sc from University of London) and ESG (through various certifications and sustainability experience). I have done curriculum development and training for a wide range of companies, and agencies like National Environmental Agency and Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy around Systems Thinking and Social Entrepreneurship respectively.
I have more than 20 years experience leading change and transformation in Europe, Africa and Asia. I have had the privilege of managing and contributing to diverse industries, organisation (Humanitarian and corporate) to secure engagement and impact. In my last role I worked in a large MNC supply chain environment engaging external partners to increase our impact in sustainability.
I enjoy improving processes and creating data-driven insights. My background is in process development and operations as Quality Manager and COO. A few years back, I decided to re-purpose my career and have since then studied different aspects of Sustainable Business Development at the University in Sweden as well as the Sustainability Reporting Standards (GRI, SASB, TCFD and ISSB work in progress).
Now, I am here to help SMEs integrate sustainability into their business strategy and operations, focusing on the impact that environmental and social aspects will have on the organisation's ability to create value. By reducing the scope to the most relevant materiality topics, even SMEs with limited resources have a chance to start their transition to more sustainable practices.
Graduated in IT and marketing, Nicolas started his career at SAUTER, a Swiss BMS Supplier, in the HQ in 2008 and has been a product manager for several years. After the successful launch of the first BMS Cloud in Europe, he became business developer in the APAC region in 2015. He relocated to Shanghai for 20 months to be closer to the markets, before moving to Singapore in 2018 where he created and directed the SAUTER APAC Competence Centre until June 2022. Since then, he has taken on the role of CEO at beez-fm, a green tech startup he founded in December 2019.
I work at Terrascope, which offers an end-to-end decarbonisation SaaS platform that enables enterprises to measure and manage their Scope-1, Scope-2 and Scope-3 emissions across operations, supply chains, and portfolios. As Climate Regulations Specialist, I help ensure that our product stays ahead of the regulatory curve and advise clients to navigate the dynamic and complex climate regulatory landscape.
Prior to joining Terrascope, I worked at EcoVadis - a global ESG ratings company - where I launched its Singapore office which served more than 800 companies within its first year of operations. The ratings include environmental, social, ethics and sustainable procurement metrics.
I started my career with the Singapore Government, spanning portfolios including manpower, education, transport and decarbonisation. I also helped spearhead the government's measures to fight Covid-19.
I graduated from the London School of Economics, SciencesPo Paris, and Oxford University. As an undergraduate at Oxford, I helped launch the inaugural Oxford Climate Forum - the UK's largest student-run climate change event.
At South Pole, Chris supports Asian clients in their climate leadership and circular economy journey. The scope of services includes both carbon credits & sustainability consultancy. Chris currently manages clients from more than 10 Asian countries in categories such as conglomerate, agriculture, property development, asset management, retailing, information technology, and energy.
Ex-fashion designer and entrepreneur, Roxane first started in the fashion industry holding several Head designer positions for high-end and high street activewear brands, leading product development from specs and material sourcing to supply chain management and production. She, then, went on an unexpected and career changing entrepreneurial journey, which included co-founding barePack, a container-sharing business in Singapore.
Roxane has also been engaged as a public speaker and expert advisor for all matters regarding sustainable materials and textiles, plastics economy, circular packaging, reuse models and recycling. She is currently a Sustainable Fashion Advisor and Curriculum Developer at the Textile and Fashion Industry Training Centre (TaF.tc), delivering sustainability curriculum and support to students and management, respectively, and board advisor to the materials traceability and circularity platform Orobo.