Thursday, 6 November 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Environment Champions & Green Office Ceremony 2009

In the run up to the Copenhagen talks on 24 December 2009, various groups and individuals around the world are calling on governments to agree to carbon emission targets. It was recently announced that Singapore will not be signing off on the targets but will vouch to improve efficiency.

If this year’s record number of certified offices is anything to go by, the absence of legislation does not seem to have discouraged organisations to delve into ways to improve their environmental standards.

At the combined Environment Champions and Green Office Ceremony with the National Environment Agency (NEA) this year, the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) will be acknowledging 39 offices that have been successful in implementing green programmes. Last year, the number of offices receiving the Green Office Label Certification was only 15.

The Guest-of-Honour at the ceremony will be Dr. Amy Khor, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources will be handing out the certificates to the 39 deserving offices at the Spring Singapore Auditorium.

One of the recipients this year is ABB. They decided to replace their existing photocopiers to ecofriendly,  multi-functional  devices that help to cut down on paper use and toner cartridge consumption by about 40%.

The Green Office Label is part of Project: Eco-Office, an on-going programme jointly established by SEC and City Developments Limited (CDL) in 2002. The objectives of Project: Eco-Office are to bring the environmental message to offices in Singapore by incorporating environmental practices into the daily lives of office workers, and to promote office environmental responsibility amongst all office workers by making information on how to green one’s office readily available.

 “Starting a green programme in the office does not have to be expensive or take up a lot of time. In fact, many offices find that in the long run, being green can increase productivity and result in reduction of operating costs. Growth in business can be achieved without having to use an inordinate amount of resources”, said SEC Executive Director Mr. Howard Shaw.

Another highlight is an MOU signing between the Singapore Environment Council and the Singapore Contractors Association Limited. This agreement will allow local contractor firms to build up their knowledge and capacity in the area of environmental sustainability. In the near future, companies that intend to renovate their premises can look forward to engaging contractors who can advise them how to renovate in a “greener” way. Plans to develop green certification standards for the industry are also included in the MOU. Certification will provide an avenue for contractor firms to be recognised for their environment efforts.

Since October 2005, more than 550 individuals from 250 companies have participated in NEA’s Corporate Environment Champions Programme. The Environment Champion & Green Office 2009 event provides all of our Environment Champions a chance to network and catch up with each other’s latest developments in implementing environmental initiatives.