National initiative launched to spur SMEs to report carbon footprint, go greener

SINGAPORE – Small businesses now have a 10-minute, no-cost route to basic sustainability reporting on their carbon footprint under a new national programme designed to help them stay competitive in a greener economy.

This comes as large listed companies on the Straits Times Index must begin reporting indirect emissions from the 2026 financial year (FY), in addition to their direct emissions and electricity use, which they currently report.

The indirect emissions mainly come from their supply chains, made up of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that often lack consistent emissions data. These indirect emissions typically account for 70 per cent to 90 per cent of a company’s total footprint but remain inconsistently measured.

Launched on May 21, the Green 100 initiative aims to plug the gap by getting corporate heavyweights to invite at least 100 SME suppliers, partners and customers to participate.

“When margins are tight, supply chains disrupted, and markets volatile, sustainability feels just like one more requirement, one more report, one more form to fill, one more cost,” said Singapore’s Ambassador for Climate Action Ravi Menon at the launch of the initiative helmed by the National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS) and the Singapore Business Federation (SBF).

Green 100 aims to lower the barriers for SMEs to go green and make the process less daunting, with the first step done within 10 minutes.

Firms that sign up are directed to the Gprnt (Greenprint) digital platform, where they just need to upload their fuel consumption data from vehicles and machinery, and connect to Corppass, to access their electricity, water and town gas usage.

Gprnt converts the data into carbon emissions and churns out the firms’ basic emissions report for free. SMEs then need to declare that they are developing plans to reduce emissions, energy use, water and waste.

Firms that complete this first step are certified with a badge that opens up pathways for them to bid for green procurement tenders and seek sustainable financing opportunities.

For example, certified SMEs will be listed on a Green 100 registry, which improves visibility to buyers or tenderers looking for greener vendors.

From FY2030, listed companies with a market value lower than $1 billion – that may also include SMEs – will need to submit their climate disclosures.

A 2025 report by Gprnt and PwC found that only one in four SMEs has kick-started its sustainability process.

Green 100 aims to invite 100 corporates, so that 10,000 SMEs can produce their emissions data.

So far, 33 SMEs have joined the initiative, including Hai Khim Engineering, Orchid Laundry, Lim Kee Food Manufacturing and Gee Hoe Seng, a waste management and recycling company.

More than 20 corporates have also joined the programme, including Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore Post and IHH Healthcare.

A firm needs to know its carbon footprint before making plans to reduce its emissions.

Green 100 is among the first initiatives under NCCS and SBF’s Council for a Competitive Climate Transition, which was formed in April to help businesses decarbonise while remaining competitive.

A new standard was also launched alongside the initiative on May 21, serving as a guide to help companies further improve their environmental performance.

“For many SMEs, navigating evolving sustainability expectations can be challenging due to limited resources, expertise, and fragmented requirements. (The standard) directly addresses this need by offering a structured reference point to cut through the complexity,” said the framework’s developers Enterprise Singapore, the A*STAR, Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology and Singapore Manufacturing Federation in a joint statement.

As global supply chain sustainability requirements tighten, the standard also offers a practical way for smaller firms to demonstrate their environmental performance to larger partners and customers, they added.

Gee Hoe Seng, the recycling vendor for SingPost, joined Green 100 because it noticed that larger companies have increasingly been asking for its emissions data and sustainability plans.

The firm’s main emissions come from its waste collection vehicles and electricity to run the recycling plants.

“Besides just asking about our rebates and how fast we can provide the service, nowadays they are also asking: ‘What is the fuel consumption of the company? Do you have plans to transit to electric vehicles?’” said Mr Eric Teo, managing director of Gee Hoe Seng.

Mr Teo added that smaller firms often struggle with converting their electricity or water usage into tonnes of carbon dioxide emitted, and welcomed Gprnt’s automation.

Link Capital, a local firm that manufactures agarwood, or oud products, started measuring its carbon footprint eight years ago. It is not part of Green 100.

While SMEs now face elevated costs from the current energy crisis, Link Capital’s zero-waste policy and sustainable agriculture practices allow it to separate its growth from fluctuating commodity prices, said its chief executive Denny Chong.

Once the dark resinous wood is harvested from the Aquilaria trees at its plantation in Laos, for example, the rest of the felled trees are turned into biomass to be used in bioenergy plants.

“By prioritising climate reporting now, we ensure that Link Capital remains competitive, bankable and prepared for a low-carbon future, regardless of short-term global volatility,” he added.