Innovation Day Singapore 2023: Rallying companies together to achieve the city-state’s net-zero ambitions

As the world races towards meeting urgent decarbonisation and net-zero goals, governments and businesses worldwide are creating alliances to drive new synergies to prevent the climate emergency.

There have been increasing calls for businesses to get involved in the fight to achieve net-zero emissions. For instance, a recent report by Schneider Electric showed that 99 per cent of business leaders believe decarbonisation goals and targets should be linked to C-suite remuneration.

Mr Eugene Seah, global board member and chief operating officer at Meinhardt Singapore and one of this year’s Innovation Day guest speakers, says: “The role of governments in setting targets and providing support is critical, but even more crucial is the unity of businesses and their ability to come together to address climate change and net-zero aims.”

“When companies rally behind common objectives, this fosters a cohesive ecosystem where necessary business and supply chain processes naturally align,” adds Mr Seah.

Schneider Electric is one of the companies that has been championing sustainability for over a decade. The organisation commemorates 50 years in Singapore in 2023 and remains deeply committed to doing its part in advancing the country towards its aim of attaining net zero by 2050.

As a leading global digital partner for sustainability and efficiency, Schneider Electric has established numerous local initiatives in collaboration with other industry leaders to ensure greater equity as businesses embark on their decarbonisation pathways.

This includes the SME Kickstarter Decarbonisation Programme, which was conceived in tandem with Enterprise Singapore. By providing training and mentorship, it endeavours to help SMEs – which often lack the required skills and resources – to build the capabilities they need to decarbonise.

“We are encouraged that among businesses here in Singapore, there is growing momentum to pursue decarbonisation efforts,” said Mr Yoon Young Kim, cluster president of Singapore and Brunei at Schneider Electric. “To propel the green movement forward, it is essential that all stakeholders in the value chain work closely together to decarbonise operations by drawing on their respective strengths and resources.”

Schneider Electric’s upcoming Innovation Day Singapore 2023 celebrates the value of strategic partnerships in meeting sustainability and decarbonisation goals in the city-state. The event will welcome Mr Lim Tuang Liang, government chief sustainability officer, Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, as the guest of honour.

“Advancing Singapore Towards Net Zero” is the theme of this year’s Innovation Day, aligning with the organisation’s goal of journeying with the city-state to achieve a greener, more efficient and environmentally responsible future for the country.

This premier annual stakeholder event also doubles as the organisation’s Golden Jubilee celebrations and will be held at Marina Bay Sands on July 6, 2023.

This year's Innovation Day features various keynotes, panel discussions and breakout sessions on how organisations can collectively work together to leverage technology and digitisation to realise sustainability targets, and will be led by senior members of Schneider Electric’s Singapore office and involve senior business leaders from its partner companies.

Harnessing digitalisation to attain net-zero goals is a central focus of Innovation Day Singapore 2023.

Besides an engaging panel discussion that explores the intersection of decarbonisation and digitalisation, there will be a breakout session on how businesses in the industrial manufacturing industry can use digital transformation, automation and sustainable practices to drive efficiencies while reducing environmental impact.

Other interactive breakout sessions will provide a deep dive into industry-specific challenges, solutions and innovations on the road towards decarbonisation. These will cover sectors that Schneider Electric has strong expertise in: buildings, life sciences, energies and chemicals, and data centres.
 

In Singapore, buildings account for over 20 per cent of the country’s carbon emissions, and the government's plan to green at least 80 per cent of these buildings by 2030 will be key to ensuring the country will be better placed to meet its net zero goals.

However, a joint report by Schneider Electric and the Singapore Green Building Council revealed a lack of deep understanding about green buildings among business leaders, with costs and return on investment among the biggest barriers to implementing them.

These challenges will be addressed at a breakout session for buildings, where participants can engage in thoughtful discussions regarding energy efficiency, green building design and retrofitting existing constructions for net-zero emissions.

Separate breakout sessions will feature conversations on how those in the life sciences, industrial manufacturing, energies and chemicals, and data centres sectors can facilitate greater sustainability across their operations.

Participants attending the breakout session for the life sciences industry will learn about how smart buildings, digital technologies and sustainable practices can enable the sector to achieve greater resource efficiency, while those at the energies and chemicals breakout session will discover industry best practices and how they can tap into Schneider Electric’s digital solutions to boost decarbonisation efforts.

In the same vein, participants attending the data centres breakout session will learn more about Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) in data centres, sustainable data centre operations, including the latest innovations in data centre cooling and energy management technologies. The data centre industry has long been recognised for being a major emitter of carbon emissions and for being energy intensive. 

Reaching Singapore’s net-zero targets is ultimately a team effort. Through Innovation Day Singapore 2023, Schneider Electric aims to encourage collaboration and productive dialogue between businesses to chart a greener future for the country.

“We hope this event will empower our partners and customers to better leverage technology and accelerate their green journeys,” says Mr Kim. “This is also a testament to our conviction that no one innovates alone.”