In this series, NUS News explores how NUS is accelerating sustainability research and education in response to climate change challenges, and harnessing the knowledge and creativity of our people to pave the way to a greener future for all.

Singapore is often considered safe from major natural disasters, but climate change is quietly changing that.

In fact, Singapore experiences around 200 days of thunderstorms each year. Over the past few decades, the Meteorological Service Singapore has observed a steady increase in both annual rainfall and intense downpours.

When rain falls faster than the ground can absorb it, saturation excess and infiltration excess can occur, causing the excess water to become surface runoff (also called overland flow).

In a low-lying city like Singapore, sudden and intense rainfall can quickly overwhelm the ground and drainage systems, resulting in flash floods. Understanding how rainfall generates runoff is therefore critical, particularly as hydrologists still do not fully understand these processes in tropical environments due to the limited field data. With climate change expected to intensify extreme rainfall events, improving flood prediction is increasingly important for safeguarding Singapore.

At the NUS College of Design and Engineering, Professor Simone Fatichi from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is working on the first-of-its-kind research in a tropical city, to track what happens from the moment rain hits the ground.

Using the campus as a living laboratory, Prof Fatichi and his team have been studying an 8.6 ha land area stretching behind NUS Central Library to NUS Business School in order to track what happens when it rains – how much water seeps into the soil, how much of it turns into runoff, and how it flows through the drainage system.

Using meteorological stations, soil moisture sensors, groundwater wells, and pressure transducers and cameras to measure water flow in drains, the team records data every five minutes to capture the rapid changes in infiltration, soil moisture and runoff caused by Singapore’s short but very intense rainfall.

After 22 months of research, the team found that saturated hydraulic conductivity – a measure of how easily water can move through soil – is generally very high in parks and forests, allowing water to be absorbed quickly. However, during major rainfall events, soils in many areas become nearly fully saturated, producing hydrological responses that are almost as intense and rapid as those from impervious areas.

To illustrate, imagine a lake just a few tens of centimetres below the ground, which leads to large volume of water released as flash floods. This effect can be mitigated by highly vegetated areas which deplete soil water storage by up to a few meters below the ground during dry periods, thereby buffering the runoff response during intense rainfall events.

“Generally, if we can make better predictions of the catchment response to these extreme rainfall events and convective storms, we can alert the public to avoid certain areas. We can even come up with models which allows simulation of floods all around Singapore ─ to pinpoint and forecast flood risk hotspots,” explained Prof Fatichi.

Staying one step ahead

This research goes beyond simply understanding rainfall-runoff response as it has the potential to transform how Singapore prepares for floods by improving its model capabilities.

With more accurate predictions, authorities can identify flood-prone areas earlier, enabling better planning and more targeted deployment of resources to mitigate impact. The public can also be alerted in advance, allowing them to take necessary precautions.

This is the second story in a two-part feature on NUS’ sustainability research on coastal protection and flood prediction. Read the first part here.

In this series, NUS News explores how NUS is accelerating sustainability research and education in response to climate change challenges, and harnessing the knowledge and creativity of our people to pave the way to a greener future for all.

By 2100, Singapore’s sea level is projected to increase by up to 1.15 metres. Coupled with extreme weather conditions, sea levels could surge to as much as 5 metres, according to The Straits Times. With about 30 per cent of the country lying less than 5 metres above mean sea levels, this places increasing pressure on Singapore’s coastlines, threatening our infrastructure, ecosystems and most importantly, the people living here.

Traditionally, coastal protection has relied on “grey” infrastructure such as seawalls and breakwaters. While effective, these structures can disrupt natural processes and damage ecosystems. In contrast, “green” infrastructure such as mangroves, wetlands, and coral reefs, offers a nature-based approach that reduces wave energy, absorbs floodwaters, stores carbon and supports biodiversity.

Nature-based solutions alone, however, may not withstand extreme weather conditions. As a result, hybrid “green-grey” approaches, which combine the strength and reliability of grey structures with the ecological benefits of green systems, are increasingly being adopted.

At NUS, Associate Professor Peter Todd from the Department of Biological Sciences has been researching how to increase the ecological functioning of existing artificial shorelines for over a decade. Creating new green-grey shorelines from scratch is a much bigger challenge. “Designing and building a hybrid shoreline is a substantial undertaking that requires inputs from engineers, ecologists, architects, planners, and even social scientists. It is critical to understand the local conditions, especially hydrodynamics and ecological processes, as well as human use and needs,” he shared.

With funding from the Public Utilities Board through their Coastal Protection and Flood Management Research Programme, Assoc Prof Todd is developing hybrid green-grey systems for more sustainable coastal protection, as well as optimising the growth and survival of coastal species within these systems. The team will first research existing hybrid solutions and their efficacy. Thereafter, they will determine the best species-structure combination that is suitable for Singapore’s coastal environment and conditions. Through satellite imagery, the team will then identify suitable sites to implement these green-grey systems. Together, these efforts aim to strengthen shoreline resilience in the face of rising sea levels.

Through this work, he aims to develop innovative, cost-effective, and sustainable coastal protection strategies grounded in ecological knowledge, while mitigating some of the impacts of climate change and restoring vital coastal ecosystems.

This is the first story in a two-part feature on NUS’ sustainability research on coastal protection and flood prediction. Read about the second part here.

In this series, NUS News explores how NUS is accelerating sustainability research and education in response to climate change challenges, and harnessing the knowledge and creativity of our people to pave the way to a greener future for all.

In 2022, the NUS Sustainability Academy was established with the aim of nurturing Singapore's green talent pipeline. Now in its fourth year, it outlines its upcoming plans for 2026, including a new learning journey for Institute of Technical Education students to prepare them for the green economy, and courses aimed at training overseas government officials to build capacity in carbon markets and blue carbon ecosystem management.  

In line with Singapore’s growing demand for a skilled green workforce, the NUS Sustainability Academy – a collaborative effort between NUS Sustainable Futures and the NUS School of Continuing and Lifelong Education – curates and develops a range of 13 continuing education and training (CET) courses from across the University. Through hands-on living labs and an integrated curriculum, these courses are designed to upskill professionals and educate future generations to take on future sustainability challenges.

Beyond its national upskilling efforts, the Academy also aims to be a leading force in regional climate action by fostering interdisciplinary research for tropical and urban solutions.

Launched in 2022 under the CET Pillar of the NUS Centre for Nature-based Solutions (CNCS), the Academy was founded to translate research into practice and action by cultivating a green talent pipeline, as envisioned in the Singapore Green Plan 2030. Its integration with NUS Sustainable Futures in May 2025 further refined its mission. It now serves as the University’s central hub for sustainability-related lifelong learning programmes, delivering practical, workplace-oriented education that addresses key capability gaps and connects learners to vital industry networks.

This commitment to actionable change underpins the Academy’s approach. Ms Melissa Low, Head of the NUS Sustainability Academy, said, “As individuals and members of the University, local and global communities, it is our responsibility to address the climate crisis through a combination of institutional change advocacy, supporting systemic solutions through research and application, as well as community engagement and personal actions. Through the sharing by NUS faculty and researchers on their latest findings with participants at the courses that we offer, the Academy bridges the gap between research and industry through workplace training programmes.” 

Translating knowledge into practice, driving meaningful change

In 2025, the Academy ran a total of 13 courses and trained close to 350 participants from the public sector, industry, non-governmental organisations, and members of the public – an increase from just four courses in its first full year of operations. Since inception, 614 learners have attended the programmes which are curated by the Academy.

Among the courses is the “Climate Change and Sustainability 101 Course for Public Officers”, which has now become a recognised primer for government agencies. The programme equips policy officers with a common language and the capabilities to understand international developments and their impact on Singapore, identify sustainability trends, and confidently develop sustainable policies in their domain. Designed in 2022 in close collaboration with the National Climate Change Secretariat and the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, the course is aligned with the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Climate Change’s Competencies Framework. Following a curriculum review in 2024, it was expanded to include topics on green supply chain and procurement, water sustainability as well as waste recycling.​

The Academy also launched the “Professional Carbon Certificate in Carbon Services and Trading” in May 2025, to equip practitioners with competencies in carbon project development while convening a trusted community of practice. To date, the course has trained over 110 professionals to help Singapore realise its ambition of becoming a carbon services and trading hub. The programme was developed in collaboration with industry professionals and government agencies such as the Singapore Economic Development Board and Enterprise Singapore.

Fostering green citizenry beyond Singapore

Extending its outreach, the Academy has also been awarded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under its Singapore Cooperation Programme and the Singapore Cooperation Enterprise to conduct capacity-building  programmes for overseas government officials. An inaugural batch of 21 overseas government officials from across 17 countries attended the “Nature-based Carbon Project Development and Measurement, Reporting and Verification” programme that was curated by the Academy, in February 2025. 

Further demonstrating its global reach, the Academy hosted a delegation of five participants for an “Article 6 Implementation Capacity Building (AICB) for African nations” learning journey in August 2025. Participants visited the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve to assess the site’s hypothetical potential as a project under the Verified Carbon Standard, a benchmark for certifying carbon credits to offset emissions.

Article 6 of the 2015 Paris Agreement creates a framework for international cooperation on climate action, primarily through market-based carbon trading and non-market approaches to help countries meet their Nationally Determined Contributions.

The learning journey also showcased the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve’s history and its importance to Singapore’s society and natural heritage, with research facilitators from the Academy, CNCS and the NUS Climate Governance of Nature-based Carbon Sinks in Southeast Asia (CGSEA) project introducing mangrove science, morphology, and ecosystem dynamics. Participants explored the ecosystem services that mangroves provide – coastal protection, biodiversity support (including habitats for migratory birds and nurseries for fish), ecotourism, and carbon storage – and examined why mangroves are under the spotlight for climate mitigation.

Looking ahead, the Academy is set to expand its educational offerings in 2026, having been awarded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to deliver two new programmes. These include the “Article 6 Implementation on a National Basis” course from 9-13 February 2026​ and “The State of Blue Carbon Science, Policy and Finance for Small Island Developing States” course from 23-27 March 2026. The courses will explore how nations can implement the comprehensive requirements of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement effectively and realistically, and enhance participants’ understanding of the science, policy and financing tools available to conserve and restore coastal blue carbon ecosystems in the region.

“These programmes offered by NUS are a response to the urgency of the climate crisis. Across the University, the number of sustainability-themed courses have grown significantly, spanning diverse fields from meteorology and climate science, to green finance and data science for sustainability. NUS has fundamentally shifted its approach to prioritise interdisciplinary education and mission-driven research focused explicitly on developing solutions for climate change mitigation and adaptation,” added Ms Low.

By NUS Sustainability Academy

For more information, please browse the Academy’s Annual Report for 2025 and its lineup of courses for 2026.

In this series, NUS News explores how NUS is accelerating sustainability research and education in response to climate change challenges, and harnessing the knowledge and creativity of our people to pave the way to a greener future for all.

At the University, sustainability is more than a guiding principle – it is built into the way the University operates. From campus infrastructure to information technology (IT) systems and procurement practices, administrative units across NUS are advancing a collective vision and taking a multi-pronged approach for a greener future, leveraging innovations to make a tangible impact.

Greening infrastructure for a more resilient and nature-connected campus

Leading the charge to tackle sustainability challenges, NUS University Campus Infrastructure (UCI) has developed the Campus Sustainability Roadmap 2030, which anchors its efforts strongly on climate action across its five pillars: Design, Defend, Decarbonise, Dematerialise, and Dialogue.

“Sustainability is at the heart of what we do across campus infrastructure, operations and services,” said Mr Koh Yan Leng, NUS Vice President (Campus Infrastructure). “Together with our staff and student community, we will advance our campus sustainability goals to shape a more resilient and sustainable campus for future generations.”

To decarbonise a growing campus, UCI has initiated a three-year plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions towards the 2019 baseline level by around 2027. Central to this plan is to significantly reduce the energy use of energy-intensive buildings and to design low-carbon, climate-responsive buildings of the future that are connected to nature and are people-centric.

For example, UCI and NUS Medicine are piloting a dynamic ventilation system at MD6, an energy-intensive lab building, with a goal of reducing energy consumption by 20 to 30 per cent by 2028. The building is on track to achieve a 15 per cent reduction by next year, marking a significant step toward its long-term sustainability targets.

When upgrading older buildings, the University makes a conscious effort to prioritise energy-efficient designs and minimise embodied carbon. One key example is the refurbished Yusof Ishak House (YIH), now a net-zero energy targeted building, with enhanced energy efficiency and on-site solar generation. Most of the original 1970s structure was retained to preserve heritage and embodied carbon, and the rejuvenated building allows more daylight and generous views of the Ridge – the secondary rainforest on campus. YIH joins SDE 1, 3 and 4 as one of the best-in-class energy performance buildings on campus.

More rooftop solar photovoltaic systems have also been installed across campus, generating 11 gigawatt-hours annually, which is equivalent to powering 2,500 four-room HDB flats.

To enhance climate resilience, UCI partnered with researchers from the College of Design and Engineering (CDE) to install 49 microclimate sensors – the densest sensor network on any local campus – to assess the effectiveness of heat mitigation strategies like cool paint and greenery. At the same time, the University continues to intensify campus greening efforts, having planted over 50,000 trees since 2018, expanding its tree canopy coverage to cover 60 per cent of the campus.

Solar-powered outdoor Wi-Fi and energy-efficient data centre

NUS IT is not only responsible for delivering secure, high-performance digital services—it’s also reimagining how tech infrastructure can achieve sustainability goals.

Recognising that the traditional approach of laying underground power and fibre optic cables for outdoor wireless coverage is a labour- and resource-intensive process, NUS IT sought to innovate an outdoor solution that covers 150 hectares of open spaces across all three NUS campuses.

In 2023, NUS IT partnered with StarHub to install solar-powered Wi-Fi outdoors, extending the seamless digital connectivity enjoyed indoors to the campus’ open spaces. What makes this outdoor network special is its self-sustaining factor, drawing power from solar energy!

These outdoor Wi-Fi units are equipped with solar panels to harness renewable energy, an IoT (Internet of Things) platform that optimises power consumption based on surrounding lighting conditions, and a simple build that eliminates the need for any ground excavation during installation. 

To generate campus-wide awareness of this green initiative, NUS IT held a design competition in May 2023 inviting students to rethink and redesign the outdoor Wi-Fi setup while balancing functionality, durability and sustainability needs. Wong Eng Geng, who was then a Year 4 undergraduate from CDE, emerged as the winner of the competition. His design has been rolled out gradually, replacing those that are worn out while keeping those that are still in good condition to reduce wastage.

While data centres are typically energy-intensive, NUS IT set out to challenge this norm by making its operations more environmentally friendly. The Temasek Lab Data Centre houses a central high-performance computing facility, which supports compute-intensive research, AI workloads and stores important university-level computing hardware. NUS IT was determined to reduce the carbon footprint of the Centre and made enhancements including installing energy-efficient cooling systems, modernising the Building Management System and Data Centre Infrastructure Management platforms, and replacing legacy systems with newer more energy-efficient systems.

Together, these enhancements helped improve energy usage, reduce waste and support proactive management and extend the lifespan of critical equipment. The Centre also achieved three sustainable certifications ― SS564 Sustainable Data Centre, ISO 50001 Energy Management and the Building and Construction Authority’s Green Mark Platinum ― in recognition of its greening efforts!

Chief Information Technology Officer of NUS IT Ms Tan Shui-Min said, “I believe true sustainability is achieved when innovation, collaboration, and responsibility converge. At NUS, we embed sustainability into every facet of our digital transformation—from solar-powered Wi-Fi and green data centres to empowering our community to code and create with environmental consciousness. Our journey is not just about reducing our footprint, but about inspiring every stakeholder to embrace sustainable practices as a way of life, shaping a smarter and greener future for all.”

Sustainable procurement practices

The NUS Central Procurement Office (CPO) is transforming the way the University handles procurement of goods and services. To embed environmental, social and ethical considerations into purchasing decisions, CPO has launched NUS' first Sustainable Procurement Framework — a strategic blueprint aimed at aligning procurement practices with the University’s broader sustainability goals.

Key initiatives under the framework include:

1. Supplier Code of Conduct: This sets clear expectations for responsible sourcing, ensures that goods and services procured align with the University’s values on sustainability and ethical standards.

2. Greener equipment: Adoption of energy-efficient laboratory equipment and appliances to reduce the University’s energy footprint.

3. Phasing out of packaged water: To encourage the NUS community to adopt more eco-friendly habits such as bringing their own drinking tumblers.

4. Working with suppliers to collect, recycle or reuse retired resources such as toner and printer cartridges to reduce waste.

Looking ahead, Chief Procurement Officer Mr Pang Chong Ning said, “As we continue to embrace sustainability, our focus on sustainable procurement will only grow stronger in the coming years. We remain committed to refining and expanding our practices to further reduce our environmental footprint, support ethical sourcing and drive innovation in supply chains.”

Such future initiatives include strengthening monitoring and tracking of sustainability performance to translate data into actionable insights, promoting more sustainability initiatives across the supply chain, refining the Sustainability Procurement Framework to ensure market alignment and adopting circular economy principles to minimise waste.

In this series, NUS News explores how NUS is accelerating sustainability research and education in response to climate change challenges, and harnessing the knowledge and creativity of our people to pave the way to a greener future for all.

From food security to renewable energy and sustainable finance, a new generation of student changemakers is redefining what sustainability looks like. Though they may not come from traditional sustainability backgrounds, these students – hailing from different colleges, faculties, and schools across NUS – share one common goal: taking meaningful action on climate issues that matter most to them.

Whether it is addressing challenges in food systems, supporting the transition to electric vehicles or advancing green finance solutions, their efforts reflect the limitless potential of youth-led initiatives, strengthened by the rigorous academic foundation that NUS provides, in building a more sustainable future for all.

Cultivating ideas on food security from the ground up

Sustainability was not on his radar before university but the curriculum at the NUS College of Humanities and Sciences opened his eyes to a whole new world of interdisciplinary learning in sustainability education. Majoring in Geography — with its unique integration of human, physical, and political-economic perspectives — and minoring in Political Science and Geosciences provided Lei Hong Wei a better understanding of how diverse stakeholders interact in the fight against climate change.

Recounting his journey into environmental action, Hong Wei shared how he joined the NUS Students' Association for Visions of the Earth (NUS SAVE) in his first year before progressing to take on leadership roles in his second and third years of university. While he initially focused on sustainability metrics and reducing waste at student events like NUSSU Rag & Flag and Supernova, he soon found joy participating in gardening events and nature walks.

“I was trying out gardening at home during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 and was experimenting with different seeds and growth methods,” he recalled. “Seeing my chillies and long beans grow and eventually bear fruit was delightful, which made me really want to share the joy of gardening with my friends. While individual efforts in contributing to our nation's food security agenda may be minute, I thought forming a community first is essential.”

Feeling inspired, Hong Wei who was then the Co-Director of NUS SAVE’s Green Canteens cell, reached out and collaborated with the University Campus Infrastructure to establish a rooftop garden at the Education Resource Centre in NUS University Town in June 2023. The fresh produce harvested from the garden was used in plant-based cooking workshops aimed at promoting sustainable living among students. NUS SAVE also advocated for the installation of a rainwater harvesting system to help automate irrigation and provide additional water for the plants during extremely hot days.

Outside of school, Hong Wei contributes to an environmental non-governmental organisation by providing policy feedback on coastal reclamation projects, volunteers at a rooftop farm in Orchard, and guides public nature walks to promote environmental awareness. Most recently, he completed an internship with the National Climate Change Secretariat, where he examined how rising temperatures may increase cooling demand — and with it, emissions — highlighting the intricacies between climate, infrastructure, and resource use. After his graduation in July, Hong Wei hopes to work at the intersection of food security and sustainability.

Translating passion into action through EV charging solutions

After enrolling in NUS Computer Science in 2018, Benjamin Long made a bold decision to leave university and run his start-up full-time. In 2021, he decided to return to NUS with renewed purpose ─ to deepen his technical expertise so as to grow in his role as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the start-up.

“I’ve always been fascinated by technology, and in my view, NUS is the best local institution for computing,” he shares. This time, Benjamin chose to pursue Computer Engineering instead, to gain a deeper understanding of both hardware and software. “The hands-on exposure helped me approach problems with more rigour and confidence.”

He cites IT2900: Technical Management and Leadership as one of the most impactful courses he had taken as it had helped him develop essential leadership qualities such as self-awareness, resilience, and empathy—which he now draws on when navigating complex multi-stakeholder discussions and communicating climate issues. He added that some of the most rewarding moments of his NUS journey came from engaging with its world-class faculty who expanded his worldview and reinforced the importance of pairing technical excellence with visionary thinking to address the climate crisis.

Driven by a desire to learn as much as possible, Benjamin joined the NUS Overseas Colleges programme in Thailand during his third year of study to immerse himself in the vibrant entrepreneurship scene. The experience provided insights into how local context shapes sustainability priorities across ASEAN, broadened his regional perspective and underscored the importance of cross-border collaboration.

Eager to apply what he had learned, Benjamin brought these valuable insights back to his start-up – Beep Technologies. The company pivoted during the COVID-19 pandemic to address a key challenge in electric vehicle (EV) adoption, namely, the fragmented charging experience where drivers must download multiple apps to access chargers operated by different networks. To tackle this, the start-up built a roaming network that aggregates various charging operators into a single interface. Its latest product — an "EV Charging" mini-app that is integrated within the AXS Drive app — allows users to access over 4,000 charge points across the region without the need to register for multiple accounts. Beep Technologies is also partnering with logistics companies to electrify their fleets, driven by a shared belief in building a greener future.

Although sustainability wasn’t Benjamin’s initial focus, his work has naturally evolved in that direction. “Reading the book “Our Choice” by Al Gore when I was a teenager was a turning point. It showed me that we can build a better world without sacrificing the environment through renewables, hydrogen and EVs.”

Set to graduate from NUS this July, Benjamin is grateful for the university’s academic rigour, which sharpened his skills and supercharged his entrepreneurship journey. Looking ahead, he is committed to continue creating meaningful environmentally-conscious solutions that make a lasting impact.

Bridging passion and purpose in sustainable finance

From a young age, Lee Xin Chun felt a deep connection to nature. Her childhood was filled with time outdoors, and fast forward to today, as a freediver, she witnesses first-hand the impact of climate change and pollution on marine ecosystems. These encounters have shaped her commitment to finding solutions that protect the environment while driving meaningful change.

Her passion led her to the Sustainable and Green Finance Institute (SGFIN), where she is currently in the final stages of completing her Master of Science in Sustainable and Green Finance. Despite the complexities and ever-evolving nature of sustainability, she credits the professors’ unwavering dedication in mentoring the next generation.

“The professors at SGFIN are conducting cutting-edge research into the growing field of sustainable finance. They teach us important skills to communicate the material importance of sustainability to corporates. They are the best people to learn from.”

Xin Chun attributes some of the most valuable lessons she learnt during her master’s programme to her classmates from around the world. Learning and collaborating with them allowed her to gain a deeper understanding of sustainability through diverse cultural and national lenses. Together, they participated in several international forums and conferences, where they benefitted from the sharing by leading experts and industry professionals.

Beyond academia, Xin Chun is also the chairperson of the Inter-University Environmental Coalition (IUEC), comprising members from various environmental groups across different universities in Singapore. IUEC aims to foster greater collaboration across the local universities, government agencies and other stakeholders so as to advance more systemic sustainability initiatives across the universities.

Believing that human connection is essential to long-term collaboration, under her leadership, Xin Chun fostered a culture of trust and mutual understanding through open and candid conversations, even among groups with differing motivations. One of the key stakeholders in this effort is the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment of Singapore, with which she has been engaging since 2022 to strengthen youth-government collaborations.

Looking ahead, Xin Chun is currently busy involved in the planning of the upcoming Sustainability Youth Festival 2025, co-organised by IUEC and non-profit organisation EB Impact on 1 August 2025. The Festival will feature a sustainability hackathon and conference, and aims to engage over 1,000 students from primary to tertiary levels to deepen their understanding about sustainability. She is also looking forward to graduating in August and beginning her career in sustainable finance.

In this series, NUS News explores how NUS is accelerating sustainability research and education in response to climate change challenges, and harnessing the knowledge and creativity of our people to pave the way to a greener future for all.

In the fight against climate change, a new generation of NUS student entrepreneurs is storming the sustainability frontier.

From reducing energy waste to reinventing urban agriculture, these eco-warriors have been tackling environmental challenges through viable business models. With support from programmes such as the NUS Overseas Colleges (NOC), BLOCK71 at THE HANGAR, BLOCK71 Social Impact Hub (SIH), and various initiatives by NUS Enterprise, they have shown how the University serves as a fertile ground for sustainability innovation, proving that environmental responsibility and entrepreneurial success can go hand in hand.

Here’s how three promising NUS-supported start-ups are making a green mark.

EcoVolt

“Vampire energy” might sound like something out of a horror movie, but it’s a real environmental menace that silently drains power and resources. This phenomenon — where devices continue to “suck” energy even when not in use — accounts for over 16 per cent of power consumption in homes and offices.

Enter EcoVolt, a start-up determined to drive a stake through the problem. Founded by four NUS students who met through the Sustainable Development Goals Open Hack @ NUS 2024, it has developed a two-pronged solution to monitor and eliminate such energy wastage.

“We empower organisations to monitor, manage and eliminate plug load wastage,” said the team, which comprises Year 5 Computer Science undergraduate Eugene Chia, Year 4  Business undergraduate Raphael Chew, Year 4 Information Systems undergraduate Glenn Quah and Year 4 Electrical Engineering undergraduate Ho Wei Hao. All four are participants of the NOC programme, through which they undertook internships at overseas tech start-ups.

By employing custom-designed adapters, socket plates, and extension cords, EcoVolt collects and transmits data to its proprietary software platform, enabling users to monitor and manage plug loads across multiple locations — from individual desks to entire building networks. This allows users to easily track and target idle plug loads, or electricity consumed by devices that remain plugged in but are not actively used.

Incubated under BLOCK71 SIH since April 2025, EcoVolt hopes its technology will be widely adopted. “This is really an ‘every little bit counts’ initiative,” said the founders. “This is our only planet, so we need to find ways to stay on it.”

Cityscape Farms

As urbanisation increases, so does the distance between people and their food sources. Cityscape Farms is addressing this disconnect with plug-and-play hydroponic systems designed specifically for Singapore’s urban environment.

“Our mission is to bring sustainable farming to Singaporeans by integrating nature into homes, schools, and offices,” said the team founded by College of Design and Engineering alumni Davian Chan Sze Peng and Manzel Joseph Seet, School of Computing and Faculty of Science alumnus Ho Hol Yin, and Year 3 undergraduate from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Chew Chi Ying.

The start-up tackles two major sustainability challenges: urban food insecurity and inefficient use of space and resources in traditional farming methods. Their modular hydroponic systems, which are complemented by smart irrigation solutions, aim to reduce the reliance on traditional farming methods while promoting local food production with minimal waste.

After initially creating systems that were overly complex and costly, the team pivoted to a simplified design with a gamified app, making urban farming accessible to anyone, regardless of whether they have green fingers or experience in sustainable farming. The start-up aims to promote local food production, creating a win-win solution by reducing reliance on overseas imports and lowering the carbon footprint associated with them.

Currently incubated at the NUS Agritech Centre, the recipient of the NUS Enterprise Venture Initiation Programme ­— Impact Track is finalising its commercial products for corporate clients while expanding its outreach to schools, offices and even the broader Southeast Asian market.

PlasticTinkers

Over 900 million kg of plastic waste is generated annually in Singapore alone. Only a small fraction of this is recycled, while most end up in landfills or incinerators and contribute to pollution and carbon emissions.

PlasticTinkers tackles the growing plastic waste problem by giving discarded plastics a second life. The start-up collects and processes used plastic bottles, transforming them into filaments for 3D printing.

Co-founded by Edwin Lam, a Master of Architecture Year 5 student, the start-up consolidates the entire recycling process under one roof – from gathering waste plastic, converting it to usable filament, to producing functional products using 3D printing.

“We want to significantly increase the plastic recycling rate by empowering individuals and revolutionising the sustainability culture in Singapore,” said Edwin, whose start-up was awarded a project grant from the NUS x Hult Prize 2025 and is currently incubated under BLOCK71 at THE HANGAR.

In addition to promoting environmental awareness through hands-on workshops and community collaborations, the start-up collaborated with Yeo’s and other partners earlier this year to create Singapore’s largest 3D-printed fortune cat, measuring 1.2 m by 0.8 m. The project earned a spot in the Singapore Book of Records as the largest 3D-printed model made from recycled plastic bottles.

Moving forward, the team aims to develop a compact recycling machine deployable in collaborative workspaces and educational institutions across Singapore to enable and empower communities to produce their own 3D printing filaments from plastic waste.

In this series, NUS News explores how NUS is accelerating sustainability research and education in response to climate change challenges, and harnessing the knowledge and creativity of our people to pave the way to a greener future for all.

Sustainability is a shared commitment that requires everyone to take personal responsibility for the planet. NUS students are encouraged to foster ground-up projects and partake in community initiatives to promote a sustainability mindset and sustainable practices across campus and among the next generation.

With hostelites spending much of their time on campus, making sustainable living both accessible and engaging is essential. From island-hopping excursions and food rescue operations to swapping fashion items, discover how students from various NUS hostels are learning and inspiring their peers to embrace a sustainable lifestyle!

Pioneer House

At the heart of Pioneer House's (PH) ethos lies a fundamental belief in the power of humanity. To this end, one of PH's core values is promoting frugality and sustainable living as part of a broader effort to remind residents that they can do their part to contribute meaningfully to the House and the wider community.

A Frugality and Sustainable Living Subcommittee comprising 17 like-minded students, led by undergraduate Prisha Ramesh Babu, oversees the planning of different initiatives to promote sustainable living among the PH community.

“Our efforts centre on introducing sustainable practices and habits that residents can adopt, while also encouraging a deeper connection with nature. By planning innovative and engaging events, we aim to transform sustainability into an inspiring and enriching aspect of community life!” said Prisha, a Year 2 Chemical Engineering undergraduate.

Through the island-hopping initiative, the subcommittee aims to take students on exploratory trips around Singapore's picturesque islands, such as St John's and Lazarus Island. During these visits, participants discover and appreciate each location’s unique ecosystems and cultural heritage.

Organised yearly, the popular island-hopping excursions are designed to minimise environmental impact. Students are encouraged to bring their own snacks and drinks, while enjoying outdoor activities such as swimming, hiking, and relaxing on the beaches – a budget-friendly way to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city!

Another interesting initiative organised by the subcommittee is Fashion Swap. Instead of purchasing new clothing items, PH residents are encouraged at the start of every academic year to donate their used clothing in exchange for curated pre-loved items from their peers. As nearly 7 per cent of the global landfill is made up of textile waste, the subcommittee hopes to promote mindful consumerism, encourage residents to adopt more sustainable living habits and be better stewards of the environment.

One of the main organisers of this initiative, Jonathan Ho, a Year 1 undergraduate from the Faculty of Science, recalled the challenge of managing some 50kg worth of clothing that changed hands at the last Fashion Swap held in October last year. “I am glad that the event was overall a success despite all the logistical struggles! I believe that many participants felt happy as they were able to exchange their clothes at no cost while also contributing to the reduction of clothing waste,” he shared.

Ridge View Residential College

As the residential college with sustainability as one of its themes, students residing at Ridge View Residential College (RVRC) are no strangers to issues related to sustainability. While it facilitates ground-up sustainability efforts by students, RVRC also adopts “The World is our Classroom” as a learning motto, such that even academic activities are carefully curated to provide a real-world experience to effectively inculcate a sustainability mindset in their residents.

One example of such a curated experience can be found in RVN2000 Engaging Communities in Sustainability, a course offered under the NUS General Education’s Communities and Engagement pillar. This course explores the role of communities in addressing challenges related to resource consumption and waste production through field trips with different community partners.

The course includes a field trip to Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre, where students work alongside a ground-up initiative called Fridge Restock Community SG (FRC) to rescue “ugly” vegetables and fruits, which are then distributed to community fridges and community distribution points located in residential neighbourhoods.

Sharing her reflections after the field trip, Shanice Zhuang, a Year 2 student from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences said, “It was overwhelming to see the sheer amount of perfectly good produce that would have been disposed of. As we went through the process of collecting and distributing the produce, I kept wondering why these were considered as waste. They were still fresh and in good condition—too good to be thrown away.”

Students also engage with FRC’s founder, along with its volunteers and beneficiaries, gaining valuable insights into the challenges of community-led initiatives, the volunteers' motivations for participating in sustainability efforts, and the significant impact made by this initiative in addressing food waste.

Tembusu College

The five houses in Tembusu College are each named after endangered animal species, reflecting the College’s commitment to environmental stewardship. Additionally, the College has its very own student-led wildlife interest group - the Tembusu Wildlife Association (tWild).

tWild aims to inspire students to appreciate nature through education and hands-on exploration, while nurturing a sense of personal responsibility towards the planet and its biodiversity. The group organises a variety of activities on and off-campus to encourage Tembusians to deepen their understanding and appreciation of the rich biodiversity in Singapore.

These on-campus activities included a movie-trivia night featuring a wildlife-related documentary; and Wildlife Wednesday, a recurring initiative that shares fun facts about local species and offers practical tips on how individuals can address conservation challenges.

During recess and reading weeks, students venture out of the campus and go on guided wildlife walks at different nature reserves and parks across Singapore. These walks allow Tembusians to learn more about local wildlife and foster a greater sense of appreciation for nature and its inhabitants.

Sharing about their future plans, Zayn Tong, Year 2 Life Sciences undergraduate said: “One exciting event we have planned for this semester is Conservation Month. Throughout this month, we will centre our activities around a unifying theme, featuring events like nature walks and talks by experts in wildlife and conservation. These speakers will share their work and offer insights into how students can make a tangible impact.

“Our goal is to provide Tembusians with more opportunities to learn about conservation and sustainability; and empower them to play an active role in these efforts through interactive walks, informative talks and engaging exhibits.”

This is the second in a two-part series featuring sustainability initiatives at the various hostels in NUS. Read the first part here.

In this series, NUS News explores how NUS is accelerating sustainability research and education in response to climate change challenges, and harnessing the knowledge and creativity of our people to pave the way to a greener future for all.

Sustainability is an integral part of the NUS experience, a commitment deeply embedded in hostel life. Alongside campus-wide initiatives such as energy and water conservation, promoting recycling and enhancing biodiversity, NUS students are encouraged to champion eco-friendly practices in their living spaces to do their part for the environment and contribute towards a greener future.

From finding new homes for pre-loved items for incoming student residents to nurturing new friendships while caring for plants together, these student groups in the hostels have implemented a range of thoughtful initiatives that show how small, meaningful actions can leave a lasting impact. 

Eusoff Hall

Better known for its strong sporting culture, Eusoff Hall (EH) also has a Green Committee made up of a dedicated group of students who organise various activities to encourage Eusoffians to adopt more eco-conscious habits in their daily lives. Justin Soon, a Year 2 undergraduate from the School of Computing (SOC) and Vienna Fiorella Anong, a Year 2 undergraduate from the Faculty of Science are heading the Committee this academic year.

One of the recurring projects helmed by the team is a hall-wide recycling competition which aims to foster community engagement while cultivating a sense of environmental responsibility by making recycling accessible and rewarding within the students’ living spaces. The competition takes place every academic year, from the middle of Semester 1 to the middle of Semester 2. Each block in EH is assigned a designated recycling box where residents can deposit recyclables such as paper, plastics, and metals. At the end of the competition period, the Green Committee evaluates each block's recycling efforts based on criteria such as proper sorting of recyclables and cleanliness, before sending the recyclables to the recycling point. Winning blocks are awarded for their dedication to sustainability, inspiring continued eco-friendly habits throughout the hall.

To cultivate a stronger sense of community ownership over the green spaces in EH, the Committee initiated building a spice garden. Featuring a diverse range of plants including bougainvillea, chili, papaya, and lemongrass, the project aims to spark an interest in gardening among Eusoffians, encouraging them to care for the plants and environment around them. Those who cultivated edible plants, such as rosemary and basil, have also harvested them for cooking!

Vienna, a sustainability champion in EH, and the Head of the Green Committee said, “Together, through initiatives like the spice garden and recycling competition, we are sowing seeds for a greener future. Small actions lead to big change, and by working as a community, we can nurture sustainability one step at a time.”

Sheares Hall

Despite being one of the oldest halls at NUS, Sheares Hall’s (SH) commitment to taking meaningful actions for the environment has endured. The SH community is deeply passionate about environmental sustainability and has organised a diverse range of activities, encouraging Shearites to actively contribute to both the environment and the broader community. It also has a dedicated student committee, ConSheares, that leads such meaningful activities and encourages participation from across the hall.

As part of the Sheares Newly Discovered Companion (SNDC) programme, in which freshmen select a senior from their block to guide them through their first year of hall life, Shearites have the opportunity to participate in the Adopt a Plant initiative at the Sheares Garden. Each SNDC pair gets to choose between cactuses or fittonias, and are taught how to care for the different types of plants. They are also involved in the entire gardening process, from casting and decorating the cement pots to planting saplings, with each student taking home a potted plant at the end. Beyond strengthening community bonds, this initiative allows Shearites to gain a deeper understanding of the vital role plants play in our ecosystem and how gardens contribute to urban sustainability.

Among those who forged new friendships while laying down roots at Sheares Hall were Gabriel Ponce Simundo (right of picture), a freshman at SOC, and Bernadette Tan (left of picture), a senior from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Gabriel shared that the experience helped him develop a love for nature and an appreciation of the tranquility of gardening.

In the spirit of giving back, ConSheares partnered with the Sheares Hall Voluntary Corps and Tasek Academy and Social Services to educate disadvantaged students from primary to early secondary school about environmental issues. The EnviroKids initiative allows Shearites to share their insights about environmental issues and the impact of everyday actions while raising the students' environmental awareness through engaging, hands-on activities. These include turning recycled materials into musical instruments and creating craft projects, making learning about sustainability both fun and interactive. While previous iterations of this programme were organised across two sessions, the committee is exploring the possibility of converting this into a recurring engagement with the students.

Prince George’s Park Residence

Housing students from over 68 different countries, Prince George’s Park Residences (PGPR) is a vibrant melting pot of cultures including local, international and exchange students. As a residence for many short-term students, a significant amount of perfectly usable items was often discarded as the residents moved out of PGPR, contributing to unnecessary waste. This led to a collaboration between PGPR and the UTown Residences’ Sustainability Committee, utilising their existing InfiniUse initiative to reduce waste by gathering unwanted items, sorting them, and redistributing them, primarily to incoming international and exchange students. InfiniUse has since grown into a campus-wide initiative, with the team behind it also collecting unclaimed parcels to be repurposed and preventing additional waste.

The initiative is currently managed by two Year 4 undergraduates, Shayer Ahmed from SOC and Regina Tan from the College of Design and Engineering, both of whom are project leaders for InfiniUse. They said, “We aim to ensure the sustainability of InfiniUse in the long run as it has benefited over 300 exchange students and helped to redistribute more than 20 boxes of second-hand items, enabling the NUS community to choose more sustainable living options.”

By giving pre-loved or unused items a second life, the InfiniUse team aims to shift students' consumption habits, promote a culture of reuse at NUS, and ease the move-in process for new residents.

This is the first in a two-part series featuring sustainability initiatives at the various hostels in NUS.

In this series, NUS News explores how NUS is accelerating sustainability research and education in response to climate change challenges, and harnessing the knowledge and creativity of our people to pave the way to a greener future for all.

Taking proactive steps towards environmental stewardship, NUS student groups are spearheading initiatives and doing their part in rallying the community towards a greener future. The wide variety of environmental student groups – from campus-wide groups, residential life groups to academic programme groups, provide the student community with diverse opportunities to participate in environmental conservation at varying levels. Here are some meaningful initiatives these student groups have driven towards promoting sustainability and protecting biodiversity both on and off-campus.

BES Drongos

A student-led interest group under the Bachelor of Environmental Studies (BES) Student Committee, BES Drongos engages the public from all walks of life by conducting guided nature walks. Through these walks, the student volunteers hope to engage and educate the public on the biodiversity residing in nature spaces as well as raise awareness about conservation issues in Singapore.

Formed in 2014, in support of the Love Our MacRitchie Forest movement, BES Drongos set out to raise awareness of the biodiversity residing in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve. Since then, the group has expanded its guided walks to include terrestrial walks at Thomson Nature Park. In January 2024, it expanded its programme to include a new intertidal walk at Changi Beach where participants can spot interesting marine life on Singapore’s shorelines.

Living in an urban city, many of us may not be exposed to issues that threaten the biodiversity and wildlife in Singapore. Addressing this awareness gap was what prompted a collaboration between the College of Humanities and Sciences and BES Drongos in AY2023/2024 on specially curated walks at Kent Ridge Park led by the group’s guides for students taking the GEN2004 module on Green Communities in Action: Climate, Species, Crisis offered at the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Science. Located just a stone’s throw behind the NUS Kent Ridge campus, participants will not only discover the surprisingly rich wildlife and biodiversity present at an urban park but also learn about the significant sociocultural history that the park holds. One interesting fact is that Kent Ridge Park is the site where the Malay Regiment fought one of their last battles against the Japanese invasion during World War II.

President of BES Drongos Tay Rui En (Year 3 BES student), shared, “When the GEN2004 module coordinator asked us to be a long-term partner for the fieldwork sessions, I thought it was a really valuable opportunity for BES Drongos to bring groups of NUS students to explore the natural world of Kent Ridge Park. It is heartwarming to see the students being enthusiastic and genuinely interested in learning more about Singapore's biodiversity!”

NUS Bitscraps

“Repair before replace” – this is the mission of NUS Bitscraps, a student interest group dedicated to electronics repair and sustainability. Formed in 2023, the group aims to empower members with essential skills for repairing electronics. Through repair sessions, workshops and hackathons, the group hopes to create a welcoming space for members to fiddle around as they explore their passion for engineering.  

In line with its mission statement, the group organises a donation drive within NUS every semester to encourage donations of broken items as repair projects for members. The group will then use these items for their weekly hands-on sessions where members can freely explore repair projects alongside a small team of like-minded peers.

In January every year, NUS Bitscraps also conducts training workshops targeting different skills required in electronics repair. Ruolin Shi, a Year 2 College of Design and Engineering undergraduate who is also the President of NUS Bitscraps, shared that one of the group’s most memorable workshops involved the repair works for remote-controlled (RC) vehicles, with participants fixing broken RC devices and racing them at the end of the workshop!

Rounding up AY2023/2024, NUS Bitscraps collaborated with the NUS Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEE) Student Branch on the Rewired Hackathon. Attracting about 100 students from across different local universities, junior colleges and polytechnics, the sustainability-themed hackathon saw participants repurposing electronic parts with Internet of Things solutions.

Ruolin also shared her upcoming plans for the group, “Following the success of our founding year, we want to organise larger-scale events and collaborate with different organisations to continue putting together meaningful and enjoyable activities for the NUS community. Through our outreach, we hope to change their attitude towards throwing away broken electronics as we believe that anyone can pick up repairing skills and do their part in reducing waste.”

EVBig

EVBig is an environmental biology interest group under the NUS Life Sciences Society that brings together nature-loving individuals through nature walks to share about the rich flora and fauna that many may not know exist in Singapore. In this academic year alone, EVBig has organised three different walks showcasing different aspects of Singapore’s biodiversity – an intertidal walk at Changi Beach, a night walk at Mandai Track 15 trail, and a birdwatching session at Jurong Lake Gardens.

At its first nature night walk at Mandai Track 15 trail, participants saw many different species of insects and nocturnal animals; and were thrilled to have caught a glimpse of the elusive lesser mouse-deer and the striking wagler's pit viper. The entire walk, peppered with the croaking of frogs and chirping of crickets, provided the participants with a truly immersive experience as well.  

The group also organises events such as welcome teas and symposiums to connect with existing and future environmental biology students. They hope that the experiences and knowledge shared by the group’s senior members will help junior students make more informed choices during their undergraduate years and in their future careers.

Year 3 Life Sciences student Eugene Tan (back row seventh from left), Director of EVBig, said, “We hope to host more guided nature walks as we believe that this is a fun activity that most can easily participate in and allows us the opportunity to raise awareness about our local biodiversity. We are working with the Nature Society Singapore to receive guide training so that we can eventually lead guided nature walks for the public too!”

This is the second in a two-part series featuring environmental student groups in NUS. Read the first part here.

In this series, NUS News explores how NUS is accelerating sustainability research and education in response to climate change challenges, and harnessing the knowledge and creativity of our people to pave the way to a greener future for all.

In the heart of NUS lies a vibrant ecosystem of sustainability champions, where staff and students do their part in advancing sustainable development and contributing to the global fight against climate change.

Over the years, many NUS student groups have sprouted up, each championing different sustainability causes – from countering climate change and conserving resources to preserving biodiversity and promoting simple initiatives for managing waste such as the 3Rs of reduce, reuse and recycle. With over 20 environmental student groups, there are many opportunities for students to actively participate and co-create a future that they desire – one that is more sustainable and kinder to Mother Earth. In line with World Environment Day, which takes place annually on 5 June, we turn the spotlight on some student groups that have contributed towards building a greener future.

NUS Students’ Association for Visions of the Earth

Established in 1993, NUS SAVE (Students’ Association for Visions of the Earth) is one of the pioneering environmental student groups that work with fellow students, various offices in NUS, and other stakeholders to build a greener NUS. The student group currently has four working cells, namely, biodiversity, green audit, green canteens, and green materials – each focusing on different aspects of environmental action. Through self-led initiatives such as the sustainability fund, green bazaar, sustainability panel discussion, beach cleanup, and edible gardens, NUS SAVE strives to advocate for a more environmentally friendly campus and build a more environmentally conscious community.

Many people have the misconception that sustainability entails making drastic changes to their lifestyles. However, through their initiatives, NUS SAVE wants to demonstrate how individuals can incorporate sustainability through simple daily actions. This was the motivating force behind this year’s Green Bazaar. Titled EarthMarket 2024, the bazaar, which was held at NUS UTown, took on a new concept of featuring booths that sold curated art and vintage goods with a sustainability element. With 15 booths, including thrift shops, cruelty-free handmade costume jewelry, and even a sustainable tech showcase, the bazaar highlighted different ways in which the NUS community could make purchasing decisions that are friendlier to the environment.    

In the coming academic year, NUS SAVE hopes to further its collaboration with various NUS offices to push for greener practices such as adopting new sustainability guidelines and moving towards zero-waste practices on campus, whilst continuing to build awareness and ground-up community action by involving students in meaningful initiatives. One such example is the recently launched NUS SAVE Sustainability Fund, which will provide a grant of up to S$3,000 to support green initiatives by fellow students.

1.5degreeNUS

One might find the name of this student group formed in August 2023 intriguing and wonder, “Why 1.5 degree?”.

In the 2015 Paris Agreement, countries pledged to limit the global average temperature increase to no more than 1.5 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels. While the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change shared that crossing the 1.5 degree Celsius threshold has severe consequences for climate change, the student group cautioned that there is no “safe” level of global warming. They strive to equip NUS undergraduates from various academic backgrounds with essential sustainability skills and knowledge to engage in the sustainability sector, and incorporate the knowledge and skills into their core academic and professional pursuits.

To deliver industry-relevant capacity-building experiences, 1.5degreeNUS collaborates with companies to organise field trips and conducts workshops for NUS students to learn, observe and share sustainability concepts such as carbon markets, climate policies, and climate justice with students. One of the most memorable field trips was to a local electronic waste (e-waste) collection company, ALBA, where students gained first-hand insights into e-waste recovery and recycling technologies. By observing the e-waste collection and recycling processes, the participants attained a better understanding of how such initiatives contribute to Singapore’s recycling objectives.

Currently, the student group is exploring ways in which it can advance sustainability goals and foster positive change within the NUS community. In addition to participating in student life activities and fairs, 1.5degreeNUS is planning to organise a case competition in the upcoming academic semester. Participating teams will get a chance to put into practice what they have learnt and propose innovative solutions to address a sustainability challenge.

NUS Vision of an Equal and Greener Earth

Founded in 2017, NUS Vision of an Equal and Greener Earth (VEGE) is a student club dedicated to sustainable living, specifically promoting a fairer and cruelty-free lifestyle. Cognisant that such a lifestyle change might be daunting, VEGE focuses its efforts on not just advocacy but also community building. In doing so, it hopes to provide support to students who may be new to a cruelty-free lifestyle that seeks to reduce the consumption of animal products and byproducts.

Transitioning to a plant-based lifestyle can be isolating due to a lack of food options or like-minded individuals. VEGE addresses this by hosting potlucks, vegan cafe outings, and other activities that allow those interested in sustainable eating to mingle and connect over great food. The student club has also been working with the University to increase plant-based food options, and for such options to be more accessible on campus.

VEGE was also invited to the opening of VidaCity, a new sustainability innovation hub for start-ups, businesses, and the community. At the event, VEGE members had the opportunity to meet and learn from Singapore ministers, industry leaders, researchers, and start-ups united in advancing the nation's sustainability goals. The eye-opening experience gave the students new perspectives and ideas on how they could encourage the NUS community to adopt more sustainable practices.

Moving forward, VEGE will be collaborating with a food-tech company to bring vegan, nutritionally balanced vending machines to campus. It is also looking to work with the University to explore including more plant-based options during campus events catering.  

This is the first in a two-part series featuring environmental student groups in NUS.

In this series, NUS News explores how NUS is accelerating sustainability research and education in response to climate change challenges, and harnessing the knowledge and creativity of our people to pave the way to a greener future for all.

Beyond empowering today’s generation with the skills to tackle urgent environmental threats, sustainability education also aims to nurture nature advocates with the critical problem-solving skills to develop innovative solutions that open doors to greener pathways and emerging economic opportunities.

NUS students will gain a robust understanding of sustainability concepts and develop other transferable skills through the university’s multidisciplinary courses. After graduation, they can look forward to careers in diverse fields such as green financing, design and manufacturing, the energy sector, sustainable tourism, and climate change solutions.

In equipping students with the knowledge, skills and competencies, NUS offers a diverse spectrum of more than 650 sustainability-related courses at the undergraduate level, including seven majors, 12 minors and 29 specialisations spanning Engineering, Science, Medicine and the Humanities.

NUS Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies and Technology-Enhanced Learning Professor Peter Ho said, “Sustainability is an overarching concern that cuts across, and provides opportunities, for all disciplines. Through our sensing and conversations with industry, it is clear that the industry requires graduates to have multiple competencies, and these include awareness of core considerations in sustainability, environment, as well as compliance and reporting. Thus, NUS undergraduate programmes will continue to build deeper understanding of sustainability issues and cross-functional green skills.”

Here are highlights of some of our sustainability-related Bachelor’s programmes.

Bachelor of Environmental Studies

This four-year direct honours programme was launched in 2011 to groom a new generation of environmental professionals to tackle complex issues such as land conversion, water usage and alternative energy.

The broad-ranging course delves into topics such as Field Investigation in Human Geography, Environmental Modelling, and Coastal Management. It is a joint effort between the Faculty of Science (FOS) and the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), but also features courses from schools such as the Faculty of Law, College of Design and Engineering (CDE), NUS Business School and the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health.

To take their learning out of the classroom, students can avail themselves for opportunities such as internships, field trips and overseas exchange programmes.

Anna Low Ying Xin, a Year 4 student from the Bachelor of Environmental Studies said her biggest takeaway from the programme was realising the “sheer complexity of what it means to protect the environment”. “The interdisciplinary nature of environmental issues means we must be willing to look from many angles and consider seemingly unrelated information to better understand a situation,” she added.

Bachelor of Engineering (Environmental Engineering)

Air pollution monitoring and control, water quality enhancement and reclamation, resource recovery and circular economy, renewable energy, sustainable development are some of the topics tackled in this four-year direct honours programme under CDE.

Students will gain an understanding of environmental engineering solutions and their impact. They also have the opportunity to take part in design projects and industrial attachments, as well as apply for overseas internships and the overseas Student Exchange Programme.

As the programme is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Board of Singapore, a signatory of the international Washington Accord, graduates will be able to pursue careers outside of Singapore, such as in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.

MINORS

Students seeking to broaden their perspectives can choose from 12 sustainability-themed minors, even if these are unrelated to their majors. Here are four interesting options offered by the College of Humanities and Sciences.

Minor in Geosciences

Jointly offered by FOS and FASS, the Minor in Geosciences is suitable for science-based students who wish to complement their understanding of the physical sciences with an environmental focus. Engineering students who take up environmental technology courses, and geography majors eager to gain a stronger foundation in science, will also benefit from this minor.

Some of the courses that are offered include Earth and Beyond, Our Planet: An Earth System Science Perspective, Environmental Economics, Natural Resources: Policy and Practice, and Natural Hazards, which are timely topics as environmental management becomes a mounting global concern.

Minor in Aquatic Ecology

Amid a brimming global interest in aquatic sciences, the minor offered by the Department of Geography and Department of Biological Sciences will expose students to the important disciplines of marine and freshwater ecological studies. It is open to all students, except those pursuing a Bachelor of Environmental Studies.

Year 3 undergraduate Yong Xun Liang, who is minoring in Aquatic Ecology noted that the many field trips organised as part of the course help students see a clearer link between the real world and the theory they had learnt. One example was a field trip to S.E.A. Aquarium at Resorts World Sentosa, where students learnt how characteristic megafauna like sharks are used to inspire the public to appreciate and conserve biodiversity, as well as evaluate the welfare and problems that can be associated with aquaria trade.

“(They) helped me gain a complete understanding of the content taught, and highlighted the complex nature of conservation and sustainability,” he added.

Minor in Botany

With courses such as Tropical Horticulture, Fungal Biology, and Vegetation and Plant Diversity of Southeast Asia, the new Minor in Botany – launched in AY2023/2024 – aims to provide students with a systematic understanding of the plant and fungal sciences.

This minor covers more than just plant morphology, ecology, and taxonomy. It also explores social, economic and environmental concerns.

Year 3 undergraduate Nisa Hidayah Binte Helmy, who is minoring in Botany, credits the programme – and the fieldwork, laboratory work, report-writing and presentations that come with it – for teaching her how to tie together the various scientific methods in environmental biology.

“Singapore has been substantially greened amid urbanisation, but there are no botany degrees here,” she said. “This minor would probably be an alternative indicator to employers like the National Parks Board that I have the skillsets they are looking for.”

Minor in Meteorology and Climate Science

One might wonder – what does meteorology have to do with climate science? As the first-of-its-kind in Singapore, the Minor in Meteorology and Climate Science is an introduction to the complex field of weather and climate. This is especially important as the nation currently relies heavily on experts abroad to fill the growing number of vacancies in the field.

Students will study modules such as Numerical Methods for Meteorology, Remote Sensing, and Climate Science and Climate Change Fundamentals. Aspiring meteorologists and climate scientists will need to further their studies at postgraduate level.

Keen to find out more about the university’s wide range of sustainability programmes? View the full list here or email sustainability@nus.edu.sg for more information.

This is the second in a two-part series on NUS’ sustainable education offerings. Read about the first part on NUS’ sustainability-related postgraduate and executive programmes here.

In this series, NUS News explores how NUS is accelerating sustainability research and education in response to climate change challenges, and harnessing the knowledge and creativity of our people to pave the way to a greener future for all.

Amid the record-high levels of greenhouse gases, pollution and deforestation, the topic of sustainability has never been more pressing. In tandem with shaping the future of sustainability and contributing to climate action, NUS offers a plethora of sustainability-related postgraduate and executive programmes in both STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and non-STEM fields. These courses are also updated regularly to ensure they remain relevant in our fast-changing world. 

NUS Vice Provost for Masters’ Programmes & Lifelong Education, and Dean of the School of Continuing and Lifelong Education (NUS SCALE) Professor Susanna Leong said, “As Singapore, Asia, and the world work towards a more sustainable future, the courses that the University offer can be applied to solving immediate problems, and those of the future.” The diverse learning opportunities include short executive training courses, professional and graduate certificates, as well as credentialled postgraduate programmes, she added. 

NUS offers 11 master’s degrees in various specialised fields of sustainability, from the sciences and engineering to business and climate change, and will introduce two more programmes in August 2024. The University also introduces new specialisations in sustainability for postgraduate programmes as part of its regular curriculum review. With a wide range of offerings, students can deep-dive into topics they are passionate about, with many going on to become thought leaders and experts in their respective fields. 

Here are highlights of some of our sustainability-related Masters programmes. 

MSc in Biodiversity Conservation and Nature-based Climate Solutions 

This programme explores problems and strategies related to conservation, environmental sustainability, and climate change. Due to its geographical location in Southeast Asia, Singapore is in a unique position to explore issues where countries may prioritise economic development over conservation concerns. 

Students can choose from a range of modules such as exploring the impact of biological invasions as well as the integration of spatial and social modelling skills in environmental sustainability, in-demand topics and skillsets which are highly valued.

These are taught by a stellar team of faculty members from the Department of Biological Sciences (DBS) with expertise in environmental sustainability, biodiversity conservation, and freshwater, marine and terrestrial ecology.

“For many of our modules, guest speakers from different environmental backgrounds and organisations are invited to talk about their work,” said Ms Kayla Lindsey, a 25-year-old student in the programme. “They also share what real-life opportunities are available to us as we look for full-time jobs after graduation.” 

MSc in Energy Systems 

With the global shift away from fossil fuels to more sustainable energy sources, this uniquely multidisciplinary programme by the NUS College of Design and Engineering (CDE) combines engineering and technology to address the gap in the current energy education landscape, which tends to be single-disciplinary in nature. 

Beyond learning about the principles of energy technologies, the impact of policies and market-based mechanisms, as well as cost analysis, students will also acquire skills that prepare them for the global transition to greener sources of energy such as solar energy and hydrogen. 

Energy Systems Modelling and Market Mechanisms, Biomass and Energy, and Management of Technological Innovation are just some of the modules they can choose from. 

Graduates have gone on to pursue careers in energy analysis and operation management, consulting and policy advisory, as well as technology and innovation management in the energy sector. 

MSc in Sustainable and Green Finance 

The first of its kind in Asia, this course incorporates social and environmental considerations into conventional financial models. Through partnerships with industry players, students take their learning beyond the classroom and are prepared for a rapidly-evolving industry. 

Launched in 2021 by NUS Business School in collaboration with the Sustainable and Green Finance Institute (SGFIN), it was set up with support from the Monetary Authority of Singapore. 

By equipping students with the ability to take ESG considerations into account when making investment decisions, the course opens up a variety of career options to graduates. These range from roles in the corporate or financial sector, as well as government agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). 

MSc in Environmental Management 

Following a recent curriculum revamp, this long-running flagship programme is now multidisciplinary as well as interdisciplinary – jointly offered by six NUS faculties and schools, including the science and law faculties. 

Local as well as global in scope, it grooms graduates for key managerial roles in the private and public sectors. Students gain insights in policymaking, data analysis and other fields.

Mr Nihal Jayantha Mallikaratne, 52, an operations manager at a manufacturing firm who is enrolled in this programme part-time, wants to gain “a sound understanding of the complex environmental challenges we face today, and the strategies needed to address them.” He hopes that at the end of the programme, he will possess the knowledge and skills to make a real impact in the field of environment and sustainability.

New Master Programmes in Sustainability 

From August 2024, NUS will offer two new master’s programmes in sustainability. 

Providing a unique curriculum that will be relevant to both domestic and international audiences, the new MSc in Climate Change and Sustainability will cover the science of climate change as well as the policies and actions aimed at mitigating and adapting to its effects. Offered by the Department of Geography, the stackable graduate programme cuts across the biological, physical, social and engineering sciences to provide an interdisciplinary understanding of climate change. 

In the face of increasingly interrelated sustainability issues, data science has become crucial in providing insights to complex economic, environment and social systems. With a growing demand for professionals with robust data science and sustainability knowledge, the MSc in Data Science for Sustainability is designed to equip data scientists with an understanding of sustainability issues. The course is a collaboration between the Department of Statistics and Data Science and the Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions (CNCS), in partnership with DBS.

Short-term Continuing Education and Training (CET) courses

Aside from the undergraduate and master’s degrees, NUS offers short-term courses for professional executives as well as through organisations for their employees. Currently, these CET courses, which provide a broad view of sustainability and climate change issues, fall into four categories – business, policy, engineering, and science.

With more businesses placing greater emphasis on shaping policies and practices in ESG to better manage the risks and opportunities related to sustainable development, the University is seeing a strong interest in the take-up of such courses. There has also been strong interest from government agencies to upskill policy officers and administrators on sustainability.

Social and Sustainable Investing

With a focus on the Asia-Pacific region, this two-day course covers topics such as sustainable investing, the latest developments in corporate and social responsibility, as well as ways to invest in social impact bonds and green bonds.

It is offered by the NUS Business School. Business leaders and investment managers will find it particularly relevant, although the course is open to anyone with an interest in social and environmentally-related investments.

Senior Management Programme: Policy & Leadership for Innovation and Sustainability

Corporate leaders, leaders of non-profit organisations, and senior policy professionals have taken part in this programme run by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

Over three weeks, participants study how different institutions, economies and societies operate as complex and adaptive systems – and learn how they can create better policies.

The Senior Management Programme (SMP) includes a week-long study trip to Zurich, Switzerland, which offers first-hand insights into the country’s policies and business practices.

One recent graduate was Mr Tan Tok Seng, Senior Deputy Director of the School Campus Department at the Ministry of Education, who shared that he was impressed by the “thoughtfully curated and professionally conducted” discussions led by experts of the field. The programme also had a “good variety of topics that benefited participants from different agencies and backgrounds”, he added.

Deep Decarbonisation: Principles and Analysis Tools

This course, offered by CDE, looks at the challenges and opportunities posed by the energy transition, as well as the analytical tools used to study the underlying issues and manage trade-offs.

Energy System Transformation, Decision-Making Under Uncertainties and Energy System Modelling and Analysis, are among the topics covered in this 14-hour programme.

One of the participants, Mr Adrian Chan, a production line trainer from Shell Jurong Island, noted that understanding decarbonisation is essential in his line of work.

“As the implementation of decarbonisation initiatives brings forth novel technologies and processes, it becomes imperative for operation technicians to receive appropriate training to proficiently operate and maintain these systems,” he said.

Sustainability 101 Course for Policy Officers

Sustainability 101 is symbolic of a “whole-of-nation” sustainability movement to create a robust green talent pipeline as enshrined in the Singapore Green Plan 2030. Launched in November 2022 by CNCS in collaboration with the National Climate Change Secretariat and NUS SCALE, more than 153 government officers from over 35 agencies have taken this programme which covers topics such as international climate negotiations and domestic environmental policies.

To help them develop well-balanced and science-based policies in their respective fields, participants were exposed to seminars, panels, case studies and discussions led by academics, government officials and industry leaders. 

Keen to find out more about the university’s wide range of sustainability programmes? View the full list here, or email sustainability@nus.edu.sg for more information.

This is the first in a two-part series on NUS’ sustainable education offerings. 

In this series, NUS News explores how NUS is accelerating sustainability research and education in response to climate change challenges, and harnessing the knowledge and creativity of our people to pave the way to a greener future for all.

Asia’s first Master of Science in Sustainable and Green Finance programme celebrated its inaugural cohort of graduates in July this year. Professor Sumit Agarwal and Associate Professor Zhang Weina from the Sustainable and Green Finance Institute (SGFIN) reflect on their learning journeys, the importance of multidisciplinary and experiential learning in sustainable finance education, and the role of industry-academia collaborations in developing tomorrow's talent pool.

It has been about a year since Asia’s first Master of Science degree in Sustainable and Green Finance (MSGF) was launched by NUS Business School in collaboration with the Sustainable and Green Finance Institute (SGFIN). For the first cohort, as well as the main stakeholders of the programme, it has been an exciting learning journey.

Developing the new curriculum for our brand-new master's programme has not been an easy endeavour. Many of our colleagues have worked relentlessly to update their teaching materials given the fast-paced developments in government policies, regulations and industry movements. The construction of core and elective courses has been carefully planned to enable students from diverse backgrounds to have sufficient knowledge in finance as well as the flexibility of specialising in different aspects of sustainability. In addition, we are continuing to work with different colleagues to develop new electives based on the industry developments over time. 

Given the multidisciplinary nature of the MSGF programme, SGFIN has worked closely with industry partners and academics within NUS to create relevant learning opportunities for the students beyond the usual classroom setting on a weekly basis. Our industry speakers came from various financial institutions such as banks, asset management firms, consulting companies, and corporations. The industry experts did not just bring relevant knowledge and insights to the students, but also generously supported the students with experiential learning experiences through deeper engagements such as judging the sustainable finance case competition, supervising capstone projects and providing internships.

In the case competition held from January to April 2023, more than 150 NUS students participated in solving a real challenge faced by local small and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs) to adopt solar business models to reduce their own carbon footprints. Different types of business models were available for SMEs with or without physical spaces to participate in their own decarbonisation journey through energy transition in a flexible way. As financial viability and financing options were the critical barriers to large-scale adoption, the participating students worked hard to provide practical recommendations for the local SMEs. Some students event went to the extent of visiting and interviewing the local entrepreneurs to gather feedback. Their involvement has continued even after the competition and some remain actively engaged in the potential implementation of the proposed solutions and the search for interested parties with which to collaborate.  

Leveraging industry-academia collaborations for enriching learning experiences 

Throughout the year, many academics from different parts of NUS have shared their latest research in the field of sustainability with the aim of promoting multidisciplinary learning for MSGF students. They include Associate Professor Roman Carrasco from the Department of Biological Sciences and the Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions; Dr Su Bin from the Energy Studies Institute; Professor Liu Bin from the Centre for Hydrogen Innovations; Assistant Professor Filip Biljecki from the Urban Analytics Lab and Associate Professor Pang Sze Dai from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Moreover, the students have also learnt to connect some of the latest technological advancements and cutting-edge research findings with sustainable financial analysis and proactively explored ways financial services and products can be used to help scale up and promote relevant sustainable solutions.

Undoubtedly, experiential learning is a very important part of nurturing the new generation of sustainable finance experts. Many theories and frameworks may sound good in the classroom setting. But when the rubber hits the road, realistic challenges and issues may arise from various angles. Hence, critical thinking is one of the key skillsets that can be further developed through the capstone projects.

The objective of the programme’s capstone project is to solve a real-world problem faced by an organisation. Together with representatives from the organisation, students worked in groups under the guidance of an academic supervisor from NUS to formulate a problem statement and propose a workable plan with clear deliverables geared to the organisation’s needs. The entire capstone project lasted seven months and ended with a showcase event known as the Gallery Walk to display their work to the stakeholders and the public. It is worth mentioning that our academic supervisors came from many parts of NUS, including the Department of Finance, Department of Chemistry, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, and Department of Biological Science.

Solving real-world problems: From exploring the business potential of biomass to understanding the young’s green preferences 

One group of students made a great effort to understand the younger generation’s preferences concerning sustainable consumer items and related green finance products through carefully designed survey questions which gathered hundreds of responses. The key result worth highlighting is that many have expressed an interest in paying for impact-related financial products, reflecting the younger generation’s greater willingness to sacrifice financial returns in their investment portfolios. Such strong interests in giving back to society and planet is very encouraging to see and is also the most desirable form of sustainable finance: maximising the social and environmental value and accepting a reasonable amount of financial returns. This type of sustainable finance is very different from traditional finance which primarily focuses on maximising financial profits without consideration for the social and environmental externalities that can be negative.

Another group of students took on the very challenging task of investigating the commercialisation of biomass, which refers to organic materials from plants and animals that can be used as a renewable energy source. In Asia, there is a rich source of biomass that can potentially be a viable source of cleaner energy. Detailed research was conducted by the students and four generations of biomass were evaluated in terms of costs and benefits. Based on the literature, the students discovered that the most financially viable biofuel source came from the second generation of biomass. Through the use of lifecycle assessment tools, it was found that the carbon footprint can be significantly reduced as the technology for large-scale production is already available to compensate for the large capex investment at the initial stage. With an in-depth analysis combining financial analysis as well as an understanding of the production process of biofuel, the market demand, and the regulations across different geographical locations, the students were able to provide a very comprehensive and holistic analysis of the important social, environmental and economic evaluation of the potential of biofuel.

Their findings have attracted a lot of interest from the industry partners and the student group continues to work on refining their findings based on the feedback from the industry after the Gallery Walk. Reflecting on their experience, the group noted “the importance of communication”, and the “need to contextualise, synergise, and make sure we understand the needs of every stakeholder,” said group member Jefferson who worked on the project together with Zhao Jianxin, Lucas Tan and Priyanka Sancheti. In this way, they can leverage each other’s strengths and weaknesses to meet the needs of all stakeholders and contribute to making improvements that will benefit the planet.

SGFIN was set up to develop cutting-edge research and promote multidisciplinary educational programmes in the field of sustainable finance. One year since the launch of MSGF, we have taken stock of the lessons learnt. A key observation is that there must be an intentional effort to promote multidisciplinary training which also has to be backed up by rigorous research, in-depth industry knowledge, collaborations, and opportunities for students to step into real-world issues and challenges.

Secondly, we also find that the financial industry is still evolving in its investment and financing strategies given the fast-paced regulatory framework shifts and new policies. Hence, our students need to adapt to the changing environment fast and exercise critical thinking ability in many instances. These skillsets need to be deliberately developed through the curriculum and experiential learning throughout the entire master's programme.

We are excited about the various learning opportunities explored by our students, and look forward to the continuation of the hard work by our first cohort in their respective new working environments. Some of our graduates have already secured their new jobs in sustainable investment and consulting companies working on sustainability-related projects. Moreover, our second cohort has also embarked on their learning journey following discussions with the senior students during their presentations of the capstone projects at the Gallery Walk held in August 2023. Together with our industry partners, our colleagues from various parts of NUS will continue to be the key contributing forces for quality research and education to nurture the new generation of talents.

About the authors

Sumit Agarwal is the Low Tuck Kwong Distinguished Professor of Finance, Economics, and Real Estate at National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School and Managing Director of the Sustainable and Green Finance Institute (SGFIN) at NUS.

Zhang Weina is Associate Professor of Finance at NUS Business School, Deputy Director of SGFIN and Academic Director of the NUS MSc in Sustainable and Green Finance programme.

In this series, NUS News explores how NUS is accelerating sustainability research and education in response to climate change challenges, and harnessing the knowledge and creativity of our people to pave the way to a greener future for all.

As a young boy, Mr N. Sivasothi recalls an encounter with a Nephila antipodiana, commonly known as the batik golden web spider, which sent him and neighbourhood friends screaming and fleeing. But that was the first and last time he ran away from critters.

He soon found an inherent love for nature and all it had to offer, exploring green pockets around his neighbourhood in the early years of newly independent Singapore.

These neighbourhood jaunts soon expanded into islandwide excursions as he grew up, and started cycling regularly. But as swathes of nature were gradually replaced by roads and buildings over the years, he made it his mission to protect the rich biodiversity that was being threatened by urban developments. 

With a degree in zoology at NUS, he marked the start of a lifelong journey as “an educator who loves animals, nature and the environment”.  

Today, the 56-year-old is a senior lecturer in the Department of Biological Sciences at NUS and a well-respected environmentalist. Some might also know him as “Otterman”, a nickname from his work with otters in the 1990s.

It began when Professor Peter Ng, then Head of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, had asked if he wanted to “chase a furry creature in the mud”. He agreed and spent the next year scrutinising otters while studying a Master’s degree in Science at NUS. 

Mr Sivasothi subsequently joined NUS as a researcher in 1999, started lecturring in 2004 and received the title of senior lecturer in 2017. He is also a Fellow at Ridge View Residental College, where he mentors staff. 

The various teaching awards he has clinched over the years, such as the Faculty and University Teaching Excellence Awards, further bear testament to his effectiveness as an educator and ecologist. 

“It’s just my DNA, my natural instinct,” he said. “You have to make people aware of environmental conservation. Coupled with that is the desire to do something and practicality. I can’t save the world, but can I do something?”

Up close and personal with nature

To this end, Mr Sivasothi engages in many forms of outreach efforts outside of teaching hours to educate others. For instance, he once hosted a plant walk around the university, inspired by a conversation with two staff members who did not know what a raintree was.

To get people to care about the environment, he believes that first-hand experience is vital. He fondly recalls getting students to jump off a boardwalk into mud just to experience nature.

The coordinator of NUS environmental volunteer group NUS Toddycats also taps his connections with the public and private sectors to arrange nature walks. 

“We wanted people to appreciate the whole ecosystem. We’d talk about plants, animals, anything we encountered,” he said. “As they got exposed to their backyard nature, they saw something worth protecting.”

Some walks he arranges also directly link to Singapore’s heritage, such as the annual commemorative Battle of Pasir Panjang Anniversary Walk which sees participants follow the trail of the historic battle during World War II and hear about the history, geography and the flora and fauna of the area.

Today, Mr Sivasothi splits his time between several environmental conservation organisations, such as the NUS Toddycats and the Biodiversity Roundtable and Biodiversity Friends Forum in collaboration with the government agency NParks. 

Michelle Wong, a Year 4 Sociology major and volunteer with the Toddycats, recalls Mr Sivasothi explaining the significance of coastal vegetation protection as they reintroduced native species to Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve during a replanting session. They frequently revisit and monitor the same areas, watching their efforts come to fruition.

Her main takeaway is volunteerism’s contagiousness. “When you plant something and see its growth, there’s a sense of satisfaction,” she enthused. “You share it with friends and get new people on board. That’s the ‘magic’ of these sessions.”

Through NParks, Mr Sivasothi has been educating youths even before they enter university. Since 2017, he has conducted the Biodiversity Friends Forum, holding workshops for pre-university students which expose them to mentors in the conservation community and opportunities to go on field trips with Biodiversity Friends leaders. 

Linking the real world to the classroom

To Mr Sivasothi, advocacy efforts are essential for growth as an educator. His external work usually makes its way back to the University as research and teaching resources. 

Similarly, he showcases his students’ work beyond the classroom by linking them up with external agencies.

Second-year Environmental Studies major Amanda Chai shared how her class developed ideas for the government’s ‘30 by 30’ plan – Singapore’s target to meet 30 per cent of the nation’s nutritional needs domestically by 2030 – as well as upcycling and reducing waste.

“These real-world projects allowed us to interact with field experts and learn about their work,” she explained. “We developed greater understanding of challenges we may face in reality.”

Indeed, Mr Sivasothi believes environmentalism’s academic and real-world aspects cannot and should not be mutually exclusive. “You cannot do one and not the other,” he said.

By linking the outside world to the classroom, students learn while keeping up with trends and developments on the ground and in the field, imparting valuable exposure and training for the future as well as grounding their work in a concrete purpose.

Second-year Life Sciences major Eugene Tan believes that it is necessary for real-world application. He remembers Mr Sivasothi sharing his experiences wading into the mangrove and with his favourite animal the otter, turning fieldwork experiences into memorable stories for classes. Mr Sivasothi also breaks down current events to help students process information.

To Eugene, Mr Sivasothi instils a mindset of environmentalism in students and volunteers. “It’s a culture of awareness that we are sharing the world with different species and we should always keep that in mind,” he underscored.

Mr Sivasothi hopes his efforts will encourage more youths to take on the mantle of environmental conservation – a key concern with climate change. 

“Before the climate crisis, there was the biodiversity crisis. Right now, there’s a lot of focus on climate, but this year, there’s been many reminders not to forget biodiversity,” he shared.

“There’s a fundamental value of biodiversity which people seem to forget, which is that it feeds you, provides air and gives you water. You have to keep repeating this message.” 

This is the sixth instalment of the Greening the Future series on sustainability and climate change.

Read about how two green entrepreneurs from NUS have made it their mission to turn trash into treasure and engage consumers in sustainable lifestyle practices.

Read about green finance, why it is important to sustainability efforts, and how everyone can play a role in this development to effect tangible change in the environment.

Read about NUS' key efforts in sustainability research, including Prof Lee Poh Seng’s work on developing alternative liquid cooling systems for heat-producing data centres, and Assoc Prof Yan Ning’s work on ammonia as a clean energy source.

Read about Prof Koh Lian Pin's work in championing sustainability and researching solutions that harness nature as a tool in the fight against climate change.

Read NUS President Prof Tan Eng Chye's commentary on the role that universities play in driving climate change action.

In this series, NUS News explores how NUS is accelerating sustainability research and education in response to climate change challenges, and harnessing the knowledge and creativity of our people to pave the way to a greener future for all.

Singaporeans are well-known foodies who are willing to queue for an hour just to dig into, say, a perfect bowl of noodles. But they dump lots of food too. Last year, the country discarded 817,000 tonnes of food, a 23 per cent increase from the year before. And that is only part of the mounting waste problem. The total amount of waste generated – which includes paper, plastic, glass and textile – has also risen by 18 per cent in the same period to hit 6,944,000 tonnes.

With Singapore’s only landfill fast filling up, two entrepreneurs from NUS have made it their mission to divert as much waste as they can away from it. Their tactic: turning one man’s trash into another man’s treasure.

treatsure: From costly restaurant surpluses to bentos at a bargain

Grilled chicken satay drizzled with peanut sauce, chilled tiger prawns and ondeh ondeh (tapioca rice balls infused with gula melaka, or palm sugar). These dishes are part of a tantalising buffet spread at the Grand Hyatt hotel which, if unfinished, would normally end up in the bin.

But not with food-saving app treatsure. treatsure is a mobile app platform that tackles food wastage by connecting businesses with surplus and sustainable food to consumers at affordable prices. With just a tap of a button, hungry Singaporeans can sample these delectable dishes as “Buffet-in-a-Box” meals.

Not only does this reduce the amount of surplus food that go to waste, it is friendly on wallets too – the bento boxes go for $10 each, a fraction of the buffet price.

“We are in the business of making being sustainable attainable,” said Mr Preston Wong, 30, chief executive officer and co-founder of treatsure.

The NUS alumnus, who studied Law (Class of 2016) and Accountancy (Class of 2013) grew concerned about food waste in 2016 after realising how much expired food his family threw out from the fridge. Then a final-year Law graduate, he set out to study the food and beverage (F&B) market with fellow NUS undergraduate Kenneth Ham, who was majoring in Computing.

Through the NUS Stellar Global Alumni Network, the duo reached out to university seniors who were in the F&B and hospitality industries and had insightful conversations with them about wastage. They found that discarding surplus food was part and parcel of the business, as there were no viable ways to distribute them.

With the guidance of mentors at NUS’ on-campus startup incubator The Hangar, they launched treatsure – based on the philosophy of treating food as treasure – in 2017 to link consumers with eateries and grocers.

Besides allowing consumers to buy food from hotels or restaurants at a steal, it also offers surplus grocery products at a discounted rate, giving them a new lease on life. Such groceries include blemished food items that fall short of cosmetic standards, excess food, or expiring food, which has not yet met its expiration date but is no longer allowed on shelves by retailers.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, treatsure has also introduced a lifestyle category which features more sustainable products, such as reusable cups and bowls that can be used for takeaway food orders.

Today, the app has more than 30,000 users and has saved an estimated 30 tonnes of food from going to waste. The start-up has also been awarded NEA’s Towards Zero Waste Grant and Call for Ideas Grant. The pair are now looking to do more on the education front to nudge people from awareness to adoption.

“Our mission has not ended; it has just started,” said Mr Wong.

Linens N Love Singapore: From unwanted hotel linen to tote bags

Stacks of bedsheets, pillow cases, blankets and towels often lie hidden in storerooms or car parks, banished there because of a coffee stain, pen mark or other minor blemishes. Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon practice among hotels.

In an industry where spotless bedding is a must for guests, large amounts of high-quality linens are having their lifespan cut short, leaving hotel operators in a dilemma.

“They want to maintain high standards, yet they don’t want the linens to go to waste,” said Yale-NUS fourth-year undergraduate Rachel Lim. She saw the issue first-hand while doing research for the Hult Prize competition, which challenges young people around the world to solve the planet's most pressing issues.

To tackle the linen wastage problem, her team pitched to bring Linens N Love to Singapore. The student-run non-profit organisation, which was founded in California by her teammate May Wang in 2014, collects discarded linens from hotels and donates them to local shelters.

Their proposal won them first place in the NUS Hult Prize competition in 2019 and placed them among the top seven teams in the regional finals held in Melbourne. But that was just the beginning.

To bring their proposal to life, the team of four went from hotel to hotel, speaking to the management to understand the challenges faced, and to convince them to partner with Linens N Love Singapore. The team also wanted to do more than donate linens to charities.

Ideas such as selling linens or turning them into tapestries were tossed around. “At one point we probably had 30 ideas on the table. We scratched some, or combined parts of different ideas together. We realised that something that sounds stupid at first can pivot to a great idea,” said Rachel, 22, co-founder of Linens N Love Singapore.

Their mentors from the NUS Overseas Colleges (NOC) Programme helped them to refine their ideas by pointing out potential issues and giving them advice on the ins and outs of managing a business. Through NOC, they were also connected to alumni who ran full-fledged start-ups and could give valuable advice based on their own entrepreneurial journeys.

Today, Linens N Love Singapore saves discarded hotel linens in two ways – either by donating them to charities such as children’s homes and animal shelters, or upcycling them into items such as tote bags, handkerchiefs, shopping bags and coasters which they sell at corporate events. Since 2020, they have repurposed and upcycled 7,614 pieces of linen.

Setting up the Singapore chapter of Linens N Love has made Rachel more conscious of her lifestyle choices.

“Talking to social enterprises has made me think about what else I can do to be more sustainable. I might not be the most sustainable person, but I’m trying,” she said.

This is the fifth instalment of the Greening the Future series on sustainability and climate change.

Read about green finance, why it is important to sustainability efforts, and how everyone can play a role in this development to effect tangible change in the environment.

Read about NUS' key efforts in sustainability research, including Prof Lee Poh Seng’s work on developing alternative liquid cooling systems for heat-producing data centres, and Assoc Prof Yan Ning’s work on ammonia as a clean energy source.

Read about Prof Koh Lian Pin's work in championing sustainability and researching solutions that harness nature as a tool in the fight against climate change.

Read NUS President Prof Tan Eng Chye's commentary on the role that universities play in driving climate change action.

In this series, NUS News explores how NUS is accelerating sustainability research and education in response to climate change challenges, and harnessing the knowledge and creativity of our people to pave the way to a greener future for all.

By Prof Sumit Agarwal and Assoc Prof Zhang Weina

“Green finance” is one of the hottest buzz words in town. The massive amount of information from different sources, however, could be misleading and potentially crowd out the holistic understanding of this crucial topic. There is now an urgent need to present a clear message of what green finance is, why it is important, and how everyone can play a role in this development.

As a part of the frontier research movement in green finance, and with funding support from the Monetary Authority of Singapore, NUS established the Sustainable and Green Finance Institute (SGFIN) in September 2021. The new institute aims to dive deep into the key questions of how businesses and various stakeholders in Singapore and Asia Pacific can transition into a greener economy through rigorous evidence-based research.

There are no clear defining boundaries of “green finance”, similar to how the concept of “finance” has been seamlessly adopted as an integral part of economic developments, businesses, consumers, households, regulators, and governments in the world. Broadly speaking, anything in the finance sector that is related to environmental issues, activities, targets, performance, and impacts can be considered a part of green finance.

In practical terms, it is much easier to understand the boundaries of green finance by exploring existing financial products that are labelled as “green”. To name a few, they include green bonds, climate bonds, transition bonds, sustainability-linked bonds or loans, green equity funds, green Exchange-Traded Funds, and green Asset-Backed Securities. In addition, practitioners in the financial industry observe that customised and structured green financial services are also growing fast in Asia. This is due to the increased demand from firms in various sectors aiming to transit into greener technology and business models, as well as the increased supply of green capital from environmentally-conscious investors.  

Environmental challenges such as climate change, global warming, excessive waste generation, and rapid depletion of natural resources continue to increase. What role can green finance play to make real changes to the environment, such as achieving carbon neutrality goals?

To answer this question, we need to return to the very core function of finance—to provide the capital that businesses need to engage in productive activities so that the capital providers can share the profits generated without participating directly in the production activities. To put it simply, finance functions to direct money to the right party so that it can perform the right activities, generating more money so that everyone is better off.

In order for this process to work effectively and efficiently, accurate and clear information is key. Hence, many finance researchers consider academic research in finance as playing the crucial role of establishing a clear causal relationship between relevant information and the direction and allocation of capital flows. Indeed, the “efficient market hypothesis” is a famous finance theory that builds upon efficient information dissemination processes so that investors can invest fruitfully. In this hypothesis, the prices of financial products constitute a useful reflection of market participants’ demand and supply for the underlying payoff of these products. Relevant information about these products drives the formation of the demand and supply forces. For example, stocks are traded at the price where the demand and supply for the stocks reach a consensus. The arrival of new information related to these stocks would drive the fluctuations of stock prices because the new information affects the demand and supply of the stocks.

Precisely because of such an economic mechanism, “green finance” is much more complicated than traditional finance. The lack of transparent and consistent information disclosures related to the environmental activities and performance of green financial products hampers the ability of financial markets and institutions to price these products efficiently.

Green bonds are among the oldest and most well-established green financial products in the market. The awareness of green bonds as investment vehicles has been growing exponentially, as evidenced by the double-digit growth rate of green bond issuances in the past five years. The Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) recently reported that issuances of green bonds have totalled more than US$500 billion in 2021, and forecasted that the market will continue to grow to reach US$5 trillion by 2025. As part of this big wave, many Asian companies and governments have actively issued green bonds in the past few years to finance the transition into greener technology and infrastructure.

NUS is part of this frontier development with its inaugural S$300 million green bond issued in May 2020, and a similarly-sized second offering in May 2021. The proceeds are allocated towards financing various green projects, including research facilities for green-related topics as well as energy-related initiatives.

Nevertheless, the public criticism of “greenwashing” has also become louder amid positive market sentiments toward green bonds. The European Union Taxonomy Regulation defines “greenwashing” as the practice of gaining an unfair competitive advantage by marketing a financial product as environmentally-friendly, when in fact basic environmental standards have not been met. According to this definition, many issuers of green securities would not be guilty on the “greenwashing” charge, primarily because they did not even set any clear environmental goals and metrics in the first place. 

When financial institutions or firms label their bond issues as “green” bonds, they need to meet the eligibility criteria defined by various green bond principles. A few examples include the European Green Bond Standard, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the International Capital Market Association’s and CBI’s green bond principles. Unfortunately, there is no current global standard on the definition and certification of green bonds. Indeed, many issuers would even try to set their own definition in order to manage their green bonds.

To validate the issuers’ compliance with their chosen green bond principles, a third-party assurance entity would evaluate the project allocations and impact reports of each green bond issue. However, assurance is not a guarantee of the complete environmental results and impact, particularly beyond the scope of the chosen green bond principles.

For example, an issuer can be reporting a positive environmental performance under the chosen principles, but the project could still result in negative environmental impacts in other dimensions. This may be even worse than “greenwashing” because the issuer is truthful in what it discloses and may even believe that it is doing good for the environment, but an absent holistic environmental impact assessment muddies the picture. Moreover, a green project financed by an issuer may overshadow other environmentally-damaging activities performed by the same issuer elsewhere.

In traditional finance, the definition of fraud is the inconsistency between the self-declared and real accounting numbers. Auditors serve as gatekeepers to prevent cheating and mis-reporting by the firms. In the case of green bonds, auditors are largely missing, and the assurance party is used in place of auditing.

For green finance to play its core function in improving environmental sustainability, the quality of information around green financial products has to be dramatically improved. Many governments and international organisations have been working hard to standardise the disclosure requirements for the environmental performance of green products. The private financial sector, as well as the non-profit and academic sectors, can also contribute to improve the transparency and completeness of sustainability.

SGFIN has set one of its core objectives in creating a transparent and holistic impact measurement generated based on various information sources. One of the institute’s goals is to contribute to a higher-quality information network around each green project to help green capital flow more productively and investors to have a more complete and holistic understanding of the environmental impacts of the green financial products in their portfolios.

Rigorous learning and training are key to equipping participants in the green sector to integrate the total impact of corporate activities into the environment, people, and the economy. These impacts have to be measured and evaluated using a rigorous process with reliable data rather than merely anecdotal evidence and story-telling. Researchers in SGFIN and the NUS academia are also working to curate new modules and courses in the green finance field to disseminate relevant and holistic knowledge to key stakeholders. These include students at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and participants in executive and lifelong learning. Indeed, the very first intake of students pursuing the Master of Science in Sustainable and Green Finance will soon embark on their exciting learning journey through classroom and capstone projects in August 2022.

About the authors

Sumit Agarwal is the Low Tuck Kwong Distinguished Professor of Finance, Economics, and Real Estate at National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School and Managing Director of the Sustainable and Green Finance Institute (SGFIN) at NUS.

Zhang Weina is Associate Professor of Finance at NUS Business School, Deputy Director of SGFIN and Academic Director of the NUS MSc in Sustainable and Green Finance programme.

This is the fourth instalment of the Greening the Future series on sustainability and climate change.

Read about NUS' key efforts in sustainability research, including Prof Lee Poh Seng’s work on developing alternative liquid cooling systems for heat-producing data centres, and Assoc Prof Yan Ning’s work on ammonia as a clean energy source.

Read about Prof Koh Lian Pin's work in championing sustainability and researching solutions that harness nature as a tool in the fight against climate change.

Read NUS President Prof Tan Eng Chye's commentary on the role that universities play in driving climate change action.

In this series, NUS News explores how NUS is accelerating sustainability research and education in response to climate change challenges, and harnessing the knowledge and creativity of our people to pave the way to a greener future for all.

With each passing day, the dire warnings of climate scientists informing the world about irreversible and intensifying climate change are ringing louder for Professor Liu Bin.

For the NUS Senior Vice Provost (Faculty & Institutional Development), words need to be translated into action. There is a need to exemplify the sustainability refrain of living today for tomorrow, in protecting the environment for future generations.

“Sustainability research is to provide solutions that impact lives,” said Prof Liu, who leads sustainability research at NUS, an area of growing importance that has been ramped up vigorously in recent years.

The University has strengthened its expertise in areas such as food technology by upgrading it from a programme to a department, in order to tackle food security issues. Through workshops, it has also made a concerted effort to bring together researchers from different fields and disciplines, from STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) to non-STEM institutions, to offer integrated sustainability solutions.

These workshops facilitate interactions and discussion, especially between researchers who are hitherto unacquainted, giving them the opportunity to identify gaps that they would be able to fill with their joint expertise. “Sustainability is complex and diverse, which needs many agencies and talents to work together,” she explained.

To ensure that research conducted is applicable to the real world, NUS has also been working closely with industry players and testing sustainability solutions on campus. 

NUS as a living lab allows researchers to test-drive their solutions, which assures industry partners of their feasibility and effectiveness. “If it works in NUS, then it can be expanded to the rest of the country and industry can scale it up more easily,” said Prof Liu, who is also a member of the University Sustainability and Climate Action Council.

Sustainability research across the university currently prioritises six key areas: urban heat resilience, green energy technologies, aqua-agriculture-food technology, coastal engineering and flood prevention, nature-based climate solutions, and water treatment and purification.

The University’s goal is clear: to create valuable solutions that can positively impact our everyday life – for now and for the future. Here are two of the projects that NUS researchers are working on.

Keeping it cool

Without fail, Associate Professor Lee Poh Seng steps into his lab each day to measure the temperature of several Central Processing Unit (CPU) and Graphic Processing Unit (GPU) chips. This may sound mundane, but the routine is part of a much larger project with significant benefits.

Prof Lee, Executive Director of the Energy Studies Institute at NUS, heads a team of six NUS researchers who are pioneering the Sustainable Tropical Data Centre Testbed (STDCT). Going live in early 2023, the STDCT is where they plan to test high-efficiency performance cooling techniques for data centres.

Instead of the typical but inefficient air-cooling system, the team is looking to implement alternative liquid cooling systems to cool high heat-producing components of data centres, such as CPU chips. This direct chip hybrid cooling system allows for more targeted and efficient cooling.

Prof Lee estimates that the deployment of more efficient cooling systems could reap energy savings of up to 29 per cent.

During preliminary testing, the team made another exciting discovery: Besides saving energy, using alternative cooling systems also increases the performance of the IT equipment involved by about 39 per cent.

Armed with these groundbreaking discoveries, Prof Lee and his team have been able to forge vital industry partnerships. He views this project as a stepping stone to growing the STDCT into “a co-innovation platform for industry and academia to collaborate”.

This, he added, would accelerate the adoption of sustainable technology and increase awareness. “Anyone (working) alone can achieve only so much, but now we can unlock many interesting synergies,” he noted.

No carbon? No problem

Carbon emissions, the harmful by-products of burning fossil fuels and natural gases to obtain energy, have a bad rap and deservedly so. Many countries have thus put in place policies that mandate or encourage companies to pursue low-carbon energy solutions.

But attention could also be placed on non-carbon based energy carriers, observed Associate Professor Yan Ning, Head of the Green Catalysis Lab in NUS. Pushing the green agenda even further, he offered a radical proposal: “We talk about a low-carbon energy future. But what about no carbon?”

Together with Prof Chan Siew Hwa (NTU), Prof He Qian (NUS) and Prof Zhang Huangwei (NUS), Prof Yan has been working on using ammonia as a clean energy source. Consisting of only nitrogen and hydrogen molecules, ammonia seems like the perfect solution.

“It sounds good and exciting. We produce it from nitrogen, which makes up 78 per cent of the air, and we don’t produce any carbon dioxide when we use it,” he explained.

The team is working on two approaches to ammonia as an alternative energy source. The first is to decompose ammonia to obtain hydrogen, which can be utilised cleanly for energy; the second method is to co-burn ammonia with natural gas and use it as a fuel directly.

This promising no-carbon energy initiative has already received substantial funding from the Low-Carbon Energy Research Funding Initiative (LCER FI), as well as support from NUS.

Prof Yan and his team are now working on building a burner that will co-burn up to 50 per cent of ammonia with natural gas.

“We will make new scientific discoveries, but they must not remain only on paper. We hope to test our research and then scale it up,” he said.

Despite limitations in the current technology, he is confident that the industry will recognise the glaring need for such sustainable solutions. “The consensus of society is that excessive carbon dioxide emission is a big problem, and low carbon or even net zero carbon technologies need to be implemented. Even though the solution may be costlier, it is worth it,” he added.

As NUS presses on to tackle climate change, Prof Liu stressed that patience will be critical as ideal decarbonization solutions take time to develop.

Using the example of tree planting to cool the campus and improve air quality, she said: “We need to know where to plant, what type, which can absorb carbon dioxide most efficiently, how will the trees grow and provide shade in the future. We need science and data, to guide us systematically towards our ultimate goal.”

This is the third instalment of the Greening the Future series on sustainability and climate change.

Read about Prof Koh Lian Pin's work in championing sustainability and researching solutions that harness nature as a tool in the fight against climate change.

Read NUS President Prof Tan Eng Chye's commentary on the role that universities play in driving climate change action.

In this series, NUS News explores how NUS is accelerating sustainability research and education in response to climate change challenges, and harnessing the knowledge and creativity of our people to pave the way to a greener future for all.

Growing up in the early 80s, Professor Koh Lian Pin enjoyed the best of both worlds: natural wonders and urban comforts.

Home was a cosy HDB flat in Teck Whye, and weekends were spent in the great outdoors. Around his grandparents’ rural kampongs, he rode bicycles through dirt trails and caught critters like spiders and butterflies.

“I was very much exposed to nature from a very young age, which led me to have an affinity with it,” said the 46-year-old researcher in sustainability and environmental science. 

But Singapore’s rapid urbanisation also meant he felt increasingly torn between both spheres. While he bemoaned how nature paid the price for progress as buildings replaced trees, he also acknowledged the ways in which he benefitted from such developments.

It was a difficult conundrum. “I always grappled with the reconciling and balancing of economic development with environmental protection,” he shared.

The search for solutions led him abroad in 2004, working at various institutions across the world since then.

He was a Swiss National Science Foundation Professor at ETH Zurich, before becoming the Chair of Applied Ecology and Conservation at the University of Adelaide in Australia. Later, he joined non-profit environmental organisation Conservation International Foundation in the United States, as vice-president of science partnerships and innovation.

Three continents and 16 years later, the prominent conservation scientist returned to Singapore in 2020 under the National Research Foundation’s Returning Singaporean Scientists scheme.

Besides missing friends, family and his favourite plate of char kway teow (fried rice noodles), the homecoming was also motivated by a desire to make a difference to environmental conservation efforts back home and in the region.

Balance between development and sustainability

As director of the NUS Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions, Prof Koh is seeking to strike the perfect balance between sustainability and development. 

Set up in 2020, the Centre explores deploying nature – including forests and mangroves – to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change impacts.

“In Singapore, it’s about balancing our priorities and understanding the trade-offs,” said Prof Koh, who was a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader in 2013. “We don’t have enough land to protect all the forests we want and also build enough housing for our people.

“As a scientist, this tension underpins my desire to always use science to inform our discussions in society, and our decisions that we make to reconcile our society’s priorities.”

Apart from helming the Centre, he also directs the NUS Tropical Marine Science Institute and serves as a Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP), among other roles.

His various capacities complement his role as an NMP, as they are all platforms for stakeholders, students and youths to share their concerns on environmental issues. “I try to take into account what their concerns are and raise these issues in Parliament in a sensible way,” said Prof Koh, who champions sustainability issues.

Fighting climate change with an unusual tool

While technology is recognised as the tool of choice in the fight against climate change, he believes there is a largely overlooked tool – nature.

For instance, forests act as vast reservoirs of carbon, while mangroves provide the added benefit of being natural barriers against rising sea levels.

Harnessing the Earth’s elements also offers an added advantage over man-made technology – accessible, large-scale solutions that are instantly impactful. It could be something as simple as putting a stop to cutting trees, which releases carbon into the atmosphere.

“That is an important tap of emissions that we can turn off immediately,” stressed Prof Koh, adding that commercially viable carbon capture and storage technologies may not be available for another decade or more.

“We cannot wait for that. For the purpose of avoiding further emissions and capturing carbon, nature-based solutions can do both immediately.”

His team began identifying high priority areas in Southeast Asia to deploy such nature-based solutions, resulting in the creation of a carbon prospecting map in 2021 that focused on the region’s tropics.

Like a treasure map, it reveals swathes of forests and mangroves where carbon is most richly stored, as well as potential areas to invest in reforestation efforts. Ultimately, the goal is to expand this regional map across all tropics worldwide.

From the Alps to Bukit Timah

As the award-winning scientist continues to scale summits in his high-profile career, the self-confessed “mountain person” also enjoys alpine hiking as a hobby, and has explored some of the world’s most majestic mountains.

“I really enjoyed Switzerland. During the weekends, my wife and I used to hike in the Alps. When we lived in Washington State, we had the Cascade mountains. Now, there’s Bukit Timah,” he said with a laugh.

For now, he has swapped his hiking boots for two wheels, cycling from Marina Bay Sands to Changi Village and back every weekend.

As this conservation crusader helps Singapore shift into high gear in the ongoing fight against climate change, he said the city-state should look beyond its shores to make a real difference – by deploying conservation efforts and resources around the region and by sharing research and education capabilities.

“We can do a lot of good and create a lot of impact in the countries and natural environments around us,” he said. “By working together with likeminded partners, we can deploy solutions that will benefit the world, and be part of something bigger than ourselves.”

This is the second instalment of the Greening the Future series on sustainability and climate change.

Read NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye's commentary on the role that universities play in driving climate change action.

In this series, NUS News explores how NUS is accelerating sustainability research and education in response to climate change challenges, and harnessing the knowledge and creativity of our people to pave the way to a greener future for all.

By Professor Tan Eng Chye

At the University Town’s Education Resource Centre, there are heritage Tembusu trees that are intentionally conserved by building around rather than over them. At other parts of the campus, buildings are being re-engineered into green infrastructures with zero-energy emissions.

Climate change and sustainability present many complex multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary challenges, big and small, to all of us. As universities, being at the forefront of scientific and technological research offers us a great vantage point to create change, drive research, and seize opportunities to test cutting-edge practices and solutions by serving as living laboratories for experimentation.

There is certainly great urgency to transition to a low-carbon future. However, not everyone is pulling in the same direction. A study by sustainability solutions firm Engie Impact found that 90 per cent of companies in Asia Pacific lack confidence that their business units and employees are incentivised to decarbonise. Among them, half believe they do not have mechanisms to integrate carbon in investment and business decisions.

Universities must therefore be active participants in reshaping ways of thinking and operating so that climate action becomes a priority. This involves equipping our undergraduates, regardless of their major, with the requisite knowledge and skills to address a sustainable future. NUS researchers and industry partners are developing novel and more energy-efficient ways of cooling data centres in the tropics at the Sustainable Tropical Data Centre Testbed. Their goal: to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by up to 25 per cent, compared with data centres that are traditionally air-cooled.

Many other initiatives span across NUS, a signal that we are taking greater action against the existential threat of climate change.

Our graduates today will be the backbone of tomorrow’s organisations, and they will play a part in steering their organisations’ future. They need to appreciate broader issues, such as climate change, sustainability and volunteerism, among others.

At NUS, we are driving this through our revamped General Education curriculum, with the introduction of a new “Communities and Engagement” pillar from August this year. Students will have a hand in coming up with solutions to tackle societal needs and real-world issues, including threats to the environment.

We take heart that we are not alone. Universities around the world are finding ways to address sustainability more prominently in their education systems. Stanford University, for example, recently announced a new climate and sustainability school arising from a US$1.1 billion (S$1.5 billion) gift from venture capitalist John Doerr and his wife Ann – its first new school in 70 years.

Accelerating sustainable research

Apart from educating the young, higher education institutions are where much of the world’s leading research is conducted today. Given their facilities and expertise, universities have the potential to significantly advance the technology and systems needed to tackle climate change.

According to the latest report from a United Nations climate panel, the negative impacts of climate change are mounting much faster than scientists predicted less than a decade ago. Research and development are, therefore, critical for us to reduce our carbon footprint.

Recognising this, we have been accelerating our decarbonisation research at NUS, from developing novel processes to produce hydrogen, to finding innovative ways to capture, use and store carbon dioxide.

Eight teams led by NUS researchers have recently been awarded funding under the Low-Carbon Energy Research Funding Initiative, to develop low-carbon energy technology solutions. These aim to reduce the costs and improve the efficiencies of hydrogen-related processes, and cut carbon dioxide emissions by capturing and converting them into useful products or for storage underground.

Around the world, we see more emerging technologies that bring us closer to a low-carbon future. For example, scientists at the University of Newcastle in Australia have developed new ultra-thin printable solar panels which can be produced rapidly at low cost, giving the manufacturing industry greater diversity.

Just as decades of investment into research to identify viruses and learn how to vaccinate against them have allowed for our rapid response to COVID-19, we must now channel that resolve, determination and collaborative approach into climate change.

Campuses as living labs

Given that most campuses function as microcosms of society, they can easily become a test bed for exploring climate change solutions. By using our facilities and community as a miniature model of this planet, we can learn things that will make campuses – and the world – better.

In collaboration with seven other publicly-funded universities in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology is facilitating an ambitious new initiative called the Sustainable Consumer Programme. It aims to engage over 100,000 students to adopt responsible consumption patterns in food, energy, water and other consumables.

Academics can also foster collaboration with industry partners on sustainability initiatives and programmes, such that the technological maturity, commercial viability and operational feasibility of scientific research can be validated in a real-world environment.

But we must not forget that universities also have significant emissions which contribute to our climate crisis. Only by understanding and reducing our own climate impacts can universities be credible and exemplary climate leaders.

This is why at NUS, we have been conscientiously reducing our carbon footprint through a range of initiatives, including installing rooftop solar panels campus-wide, consolidating and upgrading chiller plants to increase energy efficiency, and planting over 20,000 trees to date.

We are also ramping up the number of Green Mark Platinum Super Low Energy Buildings and Zero Energy Buildings through innovative sustainable design and construction strategies. For example, the award-winning energy-efficient Zero Energy Building, SDE4 – one of the world’s six most beautiful buildings that redefine sustainable architecture, according to Architectural Digest last month – has sustainable design features holistically integrated into its architecture, such as having more than 1,200 solar photovoltaic panels on its overhanging rooftop to supply renewable energy to meet its energy needs. New sustainable precincts have also been earmarked across the campus.

We are planning to employ technology to green our campus, literally, with the planting of trees. Using data gathered from a variety of sensing technologies such as weather stations and meteorological towers to conduct environmental simulations, we will be able to find the best spots for trees to take root to cool the campus outdoor thermal environment.

Beyond infrastructure and technology is the drive to instil behavioural change throughout the campus community. For example, hostelites will be required to conscientiously sort and recycle their waste, and data on their daily waste generation and recycling behaviour will be available to them.

A long journey towards a better future

The pressing work of climate change actions will be a long-drawn but worthy one. Universities play a key role in shaping our community to be future champions and leaders of sustainability.

We are a place where a diverse collection of disciplines, talent and interests intersect, and where opportunities for interdisciplinary research, teaching and innovation are created. In our day-to-day work, we engage in partnerships with business, industry, government and not-for-profits. We are preparing our students to take up the mantle for change and become the leaders of tomorrow.

It is a responsibility that we should and must not take lightly. The threat of global warming is real, and the race to shape a greener future starts now.

About the author

Professor Tan Eng Chye is President of the National University of Singapore. A passionate academic and educator, Prof Tan is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global University Leaders’ Forum, as well as Singapore’s Future Economy Council, which is tasked with driving the growth and transformation of the country’s future economy.

This article was first published in the Straits Times. It is the first instalment of the Greening the Future series on sustainability and climate change.