New award to recognise Singapore SMEs for going green

Business Times 29 Mar 08;

AN award was launched yesterday to recognise small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that have gone green.

The Edge (Efficiently Developing Growing Enterprise) Award was launched at the 4th SME Credit Bureau Conference by Amy Khor, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources.

Organised by Dun & Bradstreet (Singapore), the Singapore Environment Council (SEC), the Association of Small & Medium Enterprises (ASME) and IBM, the award aims to identify and exemplify environmentally conscious SMEs that have cut costs by using green technology and business practices.

William Lim, executive director of Dun & Bradstreet (Singapore), said: 'By recognising SMEs that are ahead of the curve in eco-friendliness, the Edge Award aims to promote environmental awareness among the SME community and highlight the benefits of going green.'

ASME executive director Bryan Teh said: 'Enterprises must realise that the benefits of going green go beyond preserving the environment and minimising waste - it also entails promoting efficiency and reducing costs.'

The winner of the Edge Award, chosen based on criteria set by the organisers, stands to receive Green Assessment Consultancy Services from IBM worth US$10,000.

But SEC executive director Howard Shaw stressed: 'The award is not a competition.' The idea is to bring SMEs with cost efficient, eco-friendly business practices to light, so they can serve as examples to the general SME community, he said.

The 4th SME Credit Bureau Conference saw a greater emphasis placed on the environment, with presentations by Singapore Environmental Achievement Award winner Origin Exterminator on sustainable green business practices and the National Environment Agency on energy efficiency.

SMEs who wish to take part in the Edge Award can find further details at www.dnb.com.sg. Applications close on May 1.

Going green with Ease
Grant to help fund companies' investments in energy-efficient equipment
Cheow Xin Yi, Today Online 29 Mar 08;

To help companies overcome energy inefficiencies, the government has pledged monetary help, while driving home the message that going green can reduce costs in the long term.

More details will be revealed later, but the new Grant for Energy Efficient Technology (Greet) will help fund companies' investments in energy-efficient equipment, said senior parliamentary secretary for Environment and Water Resources Ministry Dr Amy Khor (picture) on Friday.

"We found that companies that have taken up the energy efficiency improvement assistance (Ease) scheme or done their energy audits … actually deferred implementation of energy-efficient measures because they felt the investment to replace inefficient equipment is too costly," said Dr Khor, referring to the National Environmental Agency's (NEA) scheme to co-fund companies' energy audits.

"In our effort to encourage more take-up and adoption of energy efficient measures, we felt that it'll be good to come out with this scheme to offset part of the investment to replace these inefficient energy equipment."

Out of 98 companies under the Ease scheme, 17 have implemented energy conservation measures while the rest are "in the process" or still at the energy audit phase, said an NEA spokesperson. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are tougher targets, making up only five of the total companies involved in audits.

While SMEs tend to overlook green solutions in their attempts to cut cost, Dr Khor said it is an area with "untapped potential" that they need to exploit.

"Increasingly, adopting green solutions is not just a matter of choice for social reasons but really a matter of necessity because that will help reduce business costs, especially in the environment of rising energy costs," said Dr Khor, who was speaking at the launch of the EDGE Awards, a private-sector-driven initiative spearheaded by Dun & Bradstreet Singapore to identify SMEs at the forefront of eco-friendliness.

To Aalst Chocolate's Chan Ying Soon, the main obstacle is still the initial cost needed for implementation — $52,000, although his estimated annual cost savings is 9 per cent in electricity costs with a payback period of less than one year.

His company is one of the five SMEs that have undergone energy audits with NEA's help but has deferred most measures requiring an "initial investment".

With Greet, however, he will "definitely" consider implementing the changes, such as replacing his old, energy-guzzling air-conditioners.

Grant gives companies a leg up in green race
It will offer SMEs incentives that cut costs of investing in energy efficiency
Tania Tan, Straits Times 29 Mar 08;

A NEW green carrot is being offered to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore to help them cut their power bills.

Under the grant for energy efficient technology, the National Environment Agency (NEA) will provide funding to help companies offset part of their investments in energy-efficient equipment.

The NEA will release details of the scheme later.

Dr Amy Khor, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, yesterday told an audience of SME businessmen that going green is not just for multinationals with deep pockets.

Speaking at the opening of the fourth SME credit bureau conference, she said local businesses increasingly need to go green to remain cost-effective.

Dr Khor, who is also the chairman of the National Climate Change Committee, pointed to a number of green incentives available to companies here.

These include a three-year-old energy efficiency improvement assistance scheme designed to help companies pay for energy audits.

Of the 98 companies that have used the scheme so far, however, only five are SMEs, noted Dr Khor. Among the five is Aalst Chocolate, which is saving some $52,000 - or 9 per cent off its electric bill - annually after implementing energy-saving measures recommended under the audit.

Dr Khor acknowledged that after conducting energy audits, companies could be put off by the amount of money needed to make the switch to more energy-efficient technologies.

This is where the new NEA grant will help reduce the financial burden. The grant is part of a wider $50 million fund the Government made available to promote energy efficiency.

As a further incentive to help companies go green, Dr Khor also unveiled a new award - the Efficiently Developing Growing Enterprise, or Edge, yesterday.

'This is timely, as feedback has shown that companies in the commercial sector are looking at better managing their rising business costs, especially energy costs, to stay competitive,' she said.

The winner - to be announced in two months - will receive US$10,000 (S$13,900) worth of consulting fees from computer giant IBM.

But are companies taking up these incentives, grants and awards? A total of $85 million has been set aside by various ministries to encourage industries and businesses to go green.

'It's a good start, but I doubt it will help much,' said Mr Edwin Khew, president of the Singapore Manufacturers' Federation.

'Most SMEs are struggling with very fundamental problems, like rising overheads and labour costs.

'Many don't have the luxury of worrying about the environment.'