Singapore Environment Council to help SMEs to go 'green'

Expert help for SMEs to go 'green'
Jessica Cheam, Straits Times 11 Feb 09;

LOCAL small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) looking to make their businesses more environmentally sustainable are set to get a leg-up from the launch of a new partnership.

The Singapore Environment Council (SEC) yesterday unveiled an initiative with Washington-based World Environment Centre (WEC) that will allow local firms to tap WEC's extensive knowledge base to 'green' their supply chains.

WEC, an independent non-profit body founded in 1974 with a grant from the United Nations Environment Programme, has helped advance sustainable practices within businesses such as IBM, Shell, ABN Amro, General Motors and Ricoh.

It is this international network of companies that SEC is looking to access, following the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the two parties. The SEC plans to cull best sustainable business practices from multinational companies and use these to guide the free advice it will give local SMEs.

SEC executive director Howard Shaw told The Straits Times: 'We've found that SMEs don't get much help or advice in terms of greening their businesses, such as in resource or supply chain management, and we want to plug that gap.'

The first to benefit from the arrangement will be the electronics and food and beverage sectors, he said. SEC will focus on educating decision-makers on best business practices and the environmental standards they should demand from suppliers.

The SEC-WEC partnership will also see a series of roundtable discussions focused on engaging 'movers and shakers' within industry and government agencies, as well as international speakers, said Mr Shaw. The first will be held in August.

The SEC is also working closely with the Singapore Manufacturers' Federation in a separate sustainability initiative, which will help firms cut costs and improve resource and energy efficiency, he said.

Dr Terry Yosie, the WEC's chief executive, said yesterday that the crisis was 'a terrible thing to waste' and was the 'perfect opportunity' for firms to take a hard look at their models and practices and restructure to achieve better efficiency.

Greening businesses is not just about recycling, added the SEC's chairman, Ms Isabella Loh. 'It's about gaining a competitive edge by having a holistic approach to your business model, which considers factors such as energy, waste and water management to save costs. This, in turn, boosts the bottom line.'