geared up for the challenge - SBF Download Area - Singapore ...

Singapore Business Federation Annual Report 2008 Singapore Business Federation Annual Report 2008Clean EnergyBusinessGroup (CEBG)SBF works closelywith the SustainableEnergy Associationof Singapore, the industry lead for cleanand sustainable energy, in the developmentof the clean energy industry through jointevents and initiatives. SBF initiated theformation of the Clean Energy Business Group(CEBG) for member companies interestedin the adoption and/or commercialisation ofclean energy solutions. Its aim is to connectinterested companies to various industryverticals, technology partners; help linkthem to business leads in the clean energysector and facilitate tapping into availableschemes, incentives and sources of fundingfor their clean energy plans. Areas of focusinclude adoption and/or commercialisationof fuel cell, solar energy and other cleantech& energy efficient solutions in areas such asGreen Building and Facilities Management,Environmental Management, Green IT/DataCentre, Sustainable Energy Manufacturingand Sustainable Energy Business Practices.It is estimated that more than 90% of SBF’s15,000+ member companies are potentialadopters of clean energy and energyefficiency solutions. Many of the big usersof power and energy are from sectors suchas construction and property, manufacturing,banking & finance, telcos, transport andlogistics and data centres which can benefitfrom clean energy and energy efficiencysolutions that reduce business costs and theadverse impact on climate change.Clean Energy Testbedding Community(CETC)One of the first major initiatives of the CEBG isthe collaboration with Temasek Polytechnic (TP) toestablish the Clean Energy Testbedding Community(CETC) aimed at business and technologicalcooperation to test bed and pilot Fuel Cell (FC) andother Clean Energy Technologies (CET). The CETC,supported by EDB, was officially launched on 20January 2009. It taps on the Fuel Cell Community(FCC) of TP to provide the facilities and technologies for test-bedding and pilotingfuel cell, solar energy and other clean energy applications for eventual adoption.With the setup of the CETC, interested CEBG members will thus be provided withthe clean energy adoption knowledge, access to technical support and potentialbusiness opportunities and partners in this area.Key outcomes of CETC in 2008 include:• the inauguration of the first CETC Business Facilitation series in Octobertargeting at Green Building and Facilities Management• securing the support of EDB as a partner for CETC• securing the support of SPRING Singapore as a funding partner for CETC• facilitation of various company and project meetings involving solution providersand adopters/user companies, as well as two business roundtables to facilitatethe renewable energy projects at Pulau Ubin by Energy Markets Authority andclean energy solutions for Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city.Singapore Sustainable Development Industry DirectoryIn November, SBF launched the inaugural edition of the SingaporeSustainable Development Industry Directory, comprising acomprehensive list of more than 300 companies across more than30 different sustainable development industry sub-sectors focusedon green practices and in the business of providing clean andgreen solutions.The directory, published by Singapore Business Federation andsupported by EDB, IE Singapore, NEA and SPRING Singapore aswell as other business and industry partners, aims to generategreater consciousness and interest towards SustainableDevelopment and serves as an enabling platform to facilitate,promote and support green business opportunities.Green IT SurveySBF initiated a Green IT Survey withInstitute of System Science – NationalUniversity of Singapore as the consultingpartner in 2Q 2008.The objectives of the Survey were:• determine Singapore companies’current level of interests, adoptionand implementation plans in GreenIT & Computing.• determine the estimated marketvalue of cost savings from IT energyefficiency at business, industry andgeneral economy level.• derive critical information to roll outan effective implementation andfollow-up plan for a national GreenIT industry campaign.The survey drew more than 330 responses and the results were presented to NationalEnvironment Agency (NEA), Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (iDA) as well asthe Green IT Standards Technical Committee of SPRING Singapore to help them in devisingfurther industry development and assistance and incentive programmes for companies inthe adoption of green IT.As a follow-up, SBF will engage in outreachprogrammes to help more Singaporecompanies leverage on the Green IT incentiveand assistance schemes of NEA and IDA.It will also work with business and industrypartners to raise awareness and facilitatebusiness opportunities in areas includinggreen data centres, cost management viaoffice productivity solutions, the use of ITin sustainable manufacturing, logistics andsupply chain sectors as well as in buildingsand facility management.26 Review of 2008Review of 2008 27