Sustainability has increasingly dominated discussions in recent years, often appearing in news cycles and workplace conversations. The biggest development in conversations has been the Singapore Green Plan 2030.
However, due to its ever-evolving nature, the opportunities and role of tech in sustainability are still vague and broad for many in Singapore’s tech industries. In particular, Singaporean small and medium tech enterprises (SMEs) and startups still perceive sustainability as intimidating and an additional burden on already lean resources.
Yet, unbeknownst to many, exciting horizons have been quietly opening up worldwide as businesses, organisations, and supply chains inexorably shift into sustainability-driven, digitalised operating models. Foreseeing an acceleration of this global sea-change, the Government has reaffirmed in the Singapore Budget 2024 its determination to achieve the targets of the Green Plan.
Thus far, technology has been playing an oft-overlooked, yet critical role in enabling large organisations to spearhead this evolution. This role is set to escalate in importance over the next few years in Singapore, beginning as soon as next year when companies go into their FY2025.
Unravelling the tech-sustainability nexus
Entrepreneurs know well that with new challenges, new opportunities will soon ensue. SGTech, in our close collaboration with the Singapore Government, is steadily growing a pool of tech SMEs and startups that exemplify viable use cases of tech being deployed to improve the sustainability performances of organisations and supply chains.
Greater transparency and efficiencies in sustainability claims
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practice and reporting is highly relevant for technology applications. Increasingly sophisticated software is deployed in supply chains, especially large supply chains spread across countries, time zones, tech and internet access, and behavioural cultures. This has improved inefficiencies and accuracies in data compilation, accounting, analysis, forecasting, and reporting, aiding corporate decision makers with better data clarity to set targets and commit resources.
Today, data analysts and marketeers are learning to acquire sustainability know-how to provide their employers and clients with data-driven insights, balancing resource commitment, profit, and sustainability outcomes.
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Improved accuracy and resource intensity of production planning
In manufacturing, the speed and accuracy of production planning for lesser footprints can mean the difference between achieving or missing output and cost projections.
During SGTech’s 2023 TechBlazer nominations, we saw how AI-driven digital twin tech could decrease production simulation times and resource consumption from months into a mere fortnight into zero resource input, or how deploying Internet of Things devices enabled real-time data collection, facilitating more accurate responses to environmental challenges.
If scaled up, such technologies can enable manufacturers to significantly improve the sustainability, productivity and resource consumptions of their production lines.
Technology: The unsung backbone of sustainability
These use cases are only the beginnings of the expanding horizons for the role of technology in an increasingly sustainability-driven and digitalised world.
Today, technology is a ubiquitous tool and capability across all sectors from hardware to software, and the digital space. As technology is increasingly integrated into supply chains operations, tech will also be increasingly used to improve sustainability and profit performance.
Contrary to popular perceptions, data centres and tech equipment producers today have incorporated sustainability ahead of the game and are in the midst of aiming for net zero environmental impact in their operations and supply chains. A rising number of software and tech consulting companies are now acquiring sustainability know-how to augment their tech-enabled green offerings to clients, while the tech sector’s expertise and influence on data privacy and security are fast becoming a critical pillar of organisational governance.
Additionally with generative A.I. changing the technology game, untold opportunities are lying in wait for tech applications to drive more sustainable organisational decision-making and behaviours.
Also Read: Why these startups focus on informal plastic waste workers in the fight against climate crisis
The Government is introducing changes at a measured and inclusive pace to enable our businesses to adjust and keep up. SGTech is also evolving along with industry shifts and regulatory developments, as we enable tech companies to achieve sustainability through our suite of SGTech Sustainability Programmes.
Echelon X: Exposure and industry leadership for Singapore’s tech companies
In May, I attended e27’s 10th edition of Echelon X, a tech business conference that connects industry leaders and provides access to market insights, growth programmes, and other opportunities. This year’s conference focused on AI’s future, market expansion opportunities, and for the first time, explored the relationship between sustainability and tech.
As the Head of Sustainability Strategic Programmes at SGTech, I spoke at a featured session about sustainability’s impact on the tech sector in both national and international contexts, especially on the impact and opportunities for Singapore tech SMEs and startups.
Echelon X has been a renowned platform in Singapore for tech companies to hold dialogue, network, find inspiration and synergise, and even co-create opportunities for developing new innovations to the benefit of the wider economy.
As e27 shifts to include addressing sustainability for the tech sector, I believe Echelon X can become the next big platform for tech companies to not only brainstorm and collaborate in solving Singapore’s sustainability problems with tech, but also to demonstrate industry leadership in leading change by becoming sustainable themselves.
Singapore has what it takes to lead sustainability in Asia – and I look forward to continued collaboration with platforms like e27 and Echelon X to intensify public-private collaborations for moving the needle of change for our national sustainability goals.
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