Local firms were honoured for their green business practices by the Singapore Environment Council at its annual Singapore Environmental Achievement Awards (SEAA) on Tuesday.
The three top achievers singled out for recognition were building firms Gammon Construction and Samwoh and Siloso Beach Resort - a rare departure from the usual one top achiever each year.
For the first time in its 14-year history, the awards were organised with the Singapore
Manufacturers’ Federation (SMa), which highlighted the drive in Singapore’s manufacturing sector - which contributes 25 per cent of the city-state’s gross domestic product - to green its operations.
SEC said on Tuesday both organisations were committed to reaching out to local manufacturers to spread the message that sustainable manufacturing is key to gearing for an imminent shift towards a green global supply chain.
Guest-of-Honour, Dr. Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, presented the merit and top achievers for the SEAA with their awards at the Shangri-la Hotel.
Gammon Construction was chosen for its leadership in the ITE College West development, which delivered results in energy and water efficiency, site environmental management, and indoor air quality.
It is also the first contractor in Singapore to have its site offices certified with the Eco-Office label, and it recently introduced an innovative internal carbon trading scheme that allows employees to offset their carbon footprint.
Samwoh was recognised for its innovative green products such as the 100 per cent recycled concrete aggregate, while Siloso Beach Resort’s efforts in sustainability and ecological preservation helped it clinch the top achiever spot in the services sector.
A waste management and recycling firm, Winrigo, bagged the SEC-Senoko Energy Green
Innovation Awards for its eco- cutlery products.
SEC’s executive director Howard Shaw said at the ceremony that driving sustainability
within industry is a “key factor in reforming our economy such that it remains competitive in the global arena”.
“I am happy to report that the SEAA has fielded out increasing numbers of success stories annually, which is indicative of how excellence in environmental management has grown to become an integral part of business.”
SMa secretary-general Gwee Seng Kwong added that more consumers are voting with their money today for greener products.
“This is gaining momentum and presenting manufacturers the opportunities to use sustainability as a competitive advantage to grow market share. But more importantly, manufacturers must do their part for the environment, as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility much or even more than what they have gained and benefited from the environment for the businesses.”
SEC chairman Isabella Loh told the 250-strong audience that going the extra mile out of choice and not compulsion, the award recipients ‘represent an emerging breed of green companies’.
She also said the SEC will be announcing a new certification for environment management consultants and that the council was working with government organisations to provide funding to subsidise the cost of such consultancy for small and medium-sized enterprises.
