Investing in your employees' development ensures longer retention, better performance and employability. Your employees are your assets, and your role as employer is to ensure they remain at their top, continue to develop skills and adapt to changes in a meaningful and sustainable way.
This category helps you to incorporate long term and sustainable practices in their professional development and engagement.
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
Sustainability is a new field yet we do not have enough time to wait for the next generation to be educated about it. As a result, helping your staff to grasp quickly the main sustainability concepts is of vital importance.
Organise talks from specialists, movies/documentaries screenings, workshops.... Share articles... This will empower people to have a “can-do” attitude and help your action be understood better by everyone.
Browse our sustainability week kit to find ideas for raising awareness.
Browse our toolbox for ideas of movies / documentaries. [some ideas for movies: an inconvenient truth, the biggest little farm, tomorrow, movies with WWF ....... ]
To let all know, use:
Use your Employee Resources Groups (ERG) as a channel to promote awareness and actions across your company (see solution below "Promote Team Building")
8,000
kg of carbon emissions are generated by a Singapore resident annually
- A great article to read on how to increase employee engagement sustainability
- Some examples of posters:
- Some workshops:
See more workshops on the Sustainability week kit resource page
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
You can use programs to develop soft skills & visibility thanks to sustainable initiatives & stretch assignments. This is a win-win situation as it develops soft skills all companies need!
For example, your Hipos programs & Leadership programs can incorporate sustainable content (project, training, etc…) and focus on building a sustainable leadership
Develop some of the following programs to ensure your employees and managers' growth and development:
Read this Singapore Business Federation (SBF) report on Sustainable Employment
You can use some of the Team building activities to focus on sustainable initiatives, fund raising, etc... This will strenghten the bond between your teams and allow them to do good, reinforcing their commitment and sense of fulfilment, while having a real impact on communities around us.
These activities can be once-off or be built as challenges over a period of time. You can have teams compete against each others or partnering in your company for a wider involvement.
Some ideas:
Browse our sustainability week kit to find ideas for team building activities around sustainability
12%
increase in activity for happier employees
10%
less productive than the average are unhappy employees
- Browse our Sustainability week kit to find ideas for team building activities around sustainability
- Browse the Giving.sg platform
- Browse Company of good collaboration page
- Where to Volunteer in Singapore (The Smart local)
A good way to go further in your sustainability and "giving back" engagement is to propose and encourage pro-bono missions for NGOs.
You can do this in allowing a few days per year for your employees to volunteer (some of the ideas in the "Promote team building" solution above can be used).
Depending on your industry, you can organize some ideathons and hackatons for good to share new ideas for your company or community.
If need be, you may consider hiring a third party to organise it.
5 to 25
hours per year is the standard cap of volunteering hours, supported by a company within the working hours
- Browse the Giving.sg platform
- Read this 2030 Builders article on Team building and Sustainability
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.
Claire has spent more than 20 years in the HR field working in global environments, accompanying businesses in their -always complex!- development and transformations. Working across teams and cultural boundaries, she became passionate about helping teams and leaders navigate through changes and make sustainable decisions for themselves and their teams, balancing the short-term and long-term impacts in organisations.
Back in 2016, she added a coaching hat to her HR experience, got trained and certified (PCC-ICF) with the idea that most of the time what employees and leaders are missing is a space to reconnect with what is really important for them, what makes them successful, or on the contrary slows them down.
In 2021, Claire launched her own business, combining her Executive HR and Professional Coaching expertise. She is since then, helping organizations and individuals who want to do the “right thing” to develop the "S" in ESG through sustainable, human-centered HR Practices, development programs and coaching. To really be the change they want to see!
She is able to strategize, coach, train and advise in order to improve both long term executive and organizational performance, as well as ensuring that personal growth and well-being are taken care of in a sustainable and authentic manner. She is Hogan, Gallup CliftonStrengths, Individual and Team Coaching Certified.
Mary has founded Journey Makers to support organisations in their online presence blending customer experience and employee experience. She was previously in charge of Customer Experience for Lyreco Asia and worked on accelerating Digital and Marketing activities. In 2020, she was appointed sustainability ambassador as well for the region, as the topic was becoming a strategic one for the company. Thriving to drive the change internally and externally, she launched a Green Team that she co-led with her colleague.
Prior to this role, Mary had made her career essentially in the hospitality industry at global and regional role, from trade marketing, sales to Digital marketing. Before moving to Singapore in 2015, she was based in Dubai, UAE and France.
Li Seng is the founder of Green Nudge, a social enterprise that supports businesses and communities to achieve positive environmental impact through activities such as coastal cleanups and workshops, outreach talks and sustainability consulting. By raising awareness and co-creating call-to-actions with various stakeholders on sustainability efforts, Green Nudge aims to create a normative shift in the way we create and deal with waste to achieve a low carbon, zero waste future for Singapore.
Li Seng’s previous experience in the public sector in the central bank of Singapore dealing with financial regulations, combined with his current roles in the community and social enterprise sector reinforced his belief that effective public policies need to be supported by ground-up actions and engagement. Playing an interfacing role within the tri-sector, Li Seng is able to provide sectoral knowledge through a system thinking lens to make informed decisions and strategies. He is happy to discuss disposables, sustainability of events, public education, and is familiar with corporate social responsibility and community / youth engagement.
Carolin is a passionate and driven entrepreneur and sustainability advocate. She is involved in many projects and initiatives that contribute to reducing our environmental impact.
In 2020, Carolin founded the social enterprise susGain.
susGain is a rewards-based engagement app that focuses on driving behavioural change within communities (corporates, schools, NGOs etc.) whilst measuring ESG reportable data on the impact created. By better connecting the environmentally and socially conscious stakeholders, susGain hopes to accelerate the change towards more sustainable communities.
Prior to susGain, Carolin worked as Account & Project Manager in an HR consulting and change management firm, where she was responsible for business development and end-to-end project management of training and consulting projects across APAC.
In July 2021, Carolin won the Finder's Expatpreneur Sustainability Award. susGain has also been recognized by Global Initiatives at the Sustainable Business Awards Singapore 2020/21.
I am a Sustainability Change Agent who wants to help businesses implement more sustainable practices — and have fun while doing them. I am committed to the idea that small changes can make a big impact, and I am great at motivating others to act. Having worked on this issue for years, I have developed the expertise and experience needed to help businesses cultivate more sustainable actions. That’s why I founded GreenPush — to inspire, educate, and engage the next generation of sustainability champions. We are the push you need to make sustainable change.
Organizing weekly beach cleanup sessions over the past three years gave Yasser a deep appreciation for both coastal and inland nature environments. Other than being an environmental advocate, he emphasizes on the value of community building, and actively connects various organizations & individuals together in the spirit of civic engagement.
Yasser is currently the Chief Stridy Officer at Stridy which is a not-for-profit that focuses on tackling waste management issues worldwide such as littering
In 2003, I joined International SOS, world leader of medical and security assistance services and relocated to Singapore in 2008 where I have spent my life since. I held different regional leadership roles and I was a founding member of the Sustainability Committee and initially led the S (Social) part. I was also leading the Environment pillar, with a special focus on the Ecovadis certification.
I enrolled at SMU back in Sept 2020 and graduated from the Sustainability and Sustainable Business executive masterclass in Dec 2020. In July 2021, I joined a local singaporean startup H3Dynamics with the ambition to decarbonize the aviation industry! And since May 2023, I am now the managing director AsiaPacific for Ecocert, world leader in certification for organic products. I am also the Singapore Ambassador (volunteer) for Ecomatcher to help brands fight climate change, one tree at a time.
Finally, I am a French Trade Advisor and part of the Sustainability Committee to strengthen bridges between France and Singapore on this crucial agenda.
Most of my professional career was in Sales and Marketing for emissions-intensive sectors (automotive, telecom, oil and gas industries) to say the least…. But I always knew I had to look for a greater purpose. Covid19 slowed down my professional activities and helped me to follow my passion. I decided to open a new chapter and follow a new career path, but to do so, I had to study sustainability.
I particularly like innovation and tech, so I wish to pursue my career with a tech for good angle.
With 17 years of experience in IT across different sectors and industries, Benoit managed a team focusing on project management and IT application support in Singapore. In 2017, he was one of the founders, and later on leader of Credit Agricole CIB's first green team in Singapore. Since 2022, he has started in France a new adventure within Credit Agricole Assurances (CAA) and managed up to 24 people, in software integration team.
Recently, in September 2023, he was promoted to ECODESIGN Coach within CAA. He is creating and deploying a new framework for all projects to add a sustainability dimension to help CAA reduce its environmental impact.
A lawyer by training, Eliza has been in Private banking since 1996, with roles ranging from Relationship Management to Head of Strategy for PWM Latin America at Deutsche Bank New York, and a member of the Management Committee. Eliza was also the Business Manager and Head of Business Compliance for the International markets at Bank of Singapore, before joining Azqore as COO for Asia. Eliza has worked in Kuala Lumpur, Frankfurt, New York and Singapore and in addition lived in London, Tokyo and Hong Kong, an experience that has shaped her outlook and made her very much a global citizen.
A banking operations professional, Loretta has had experience across various firms, like UBS and Nomura, before joining Credit Agricole 5 years ago. Currently Azqore’s Head of Asia Operations, she has worked in Singapore, Hong Kong, China and even had a short stint in India. These experiences have opened her eyes to various cultures and cuisines.
Both Eliza and Loretta kicked off the Azqore Asia CSR initiative in 2020 and have never looked back since.
I have been working in Asia for the past 12 years (Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore since 2014) within the digital and technology space.
I have founded and run several companies in different sectors such as IT Consulting, Education, and the F&B business.
I am passionate about how to use technology as a force for good.
I'm an experienced C-Level professional with 12+ years of experience working in various industries who has developed a strong interest for climate change and sustainable development. Passionate about climate change issues, I'm now fully dedicated to supporting organizations and individuals in their transition towards a low-carbon future.
I hold a MBA degree from ESSEC Business School in France, an Executive Master from INSEAD, and a Cambridge Certificate in Sustainability Leadership.
I'm a trained facilitator of a successful climate change education workshops named The Climate Fresk. I'm facilitating it in public, with companies, schools or universities. I’m alsofacilitating other workshops of the same kind such as Digital Collage, MobilityCollage or MyCO2.
Virgile is an academic researcher who works for the CNRS (France) and the National University of Singapore. He heads an international collaborative lab between Singapore and France at the mechanobiology institute.
He is also in charge of the transition towards more sustainable practices in the lab and in the institute. He has already implemented various actions covering energy efficiency, consumables usage reduction, waste management...
I was born in Vietnam and grew up in France in Paris’ low income suburbs. My parents used to bring us to the park to have some outdoor activities and that’s where my father taught my siblings and I to observe, love and respect nature. He gave us perspective on our place in a much bigger ecosystem.
At that time, we didn’t describe our family as “sustainable”. It was very pragmatic, we didn’t waste anything, we mended everything, saved and reused, because we just couldn’t afford not to :)
In 2018 in Singapore, after what felt like a long, unfulfilling professional tunnel on autopilot, I was forced to make a pause and took the opportunity to consider what I really wanted to do with my life (I know this resonates with many!)
Then I really realised how passionate I was about sustainability and for the first time, I considered making it my job. Nothing is easy when you don’t hold the right degrees or the right amount of money, so I co-created The Matcha Initiative to jump into action instead of procrastinating. That’s how you start an amazing experience with amazing people :)
Cherry on the cake: TMI helped me land my current job at Handprint, where we help businesses embrace the next step - Regeneration.
Founder of Cultivating Wholeness, a network-based global coaching and advisory firm, Sarah is a PCC ICF certified Executive Coach and acts as a catalyst for personal, cultural and organizational transformation.
She supports leaders of purpose-led start-ups or organisations to bring forth a profound shift in their strategy through regenerative principles and empower them to role model the behaviors driven by their values and purpose. Enabling their business to be a life-affirming positive force in stewarding our planet on a regenerative path.
To do so, she leverages more than 10 years of experience coaching senior leaders in MNCs through their cultural transformations across Asia, Europe, and North America combined by her rich personal development through adversity.
