Cleantech Happy Hour V

Venue: Thomson Reuters (Auditorium), One Raffles Quay, #28-01 North Tower, Singapore 048583

The Cleantech Happy Hour in August will be in partnership with Thomson Reuters and the Singapore Venture Capital & Private Equity Association. There will be the regular get-together following a panel discussion on “Singapore as a Clean Tech Hub for Asia”

In light of the Singapore Government’s announcement of $700m funding into the Clean Tech space, and the initiatives to set up incubators, you are invited to the following panel discussion:

• How is Singapore placed versus other clean tech hubs in Asia and the rest of the world?
• Will Asia and Singapore be technology followers or innovation leaders?
• Which policies have the Singapore Government put in place to help innovation in Singapore?

Panelists:

Mr. CK Goh, Director, Cleantech at Singapore Economic Development Board

Mr. Edgare Kerkwijk, Managing Director, Asia Green Capital

Moderated by Reuters Editorial

Climate Change in Singapore

Speaker: Dr Elspeth Thomson, Senior Fellow, Energy Studies Institute (ESI)

Venue: ISEAS Seminar Room II

According to the fourth assessment report (AR4) of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the effects of climate change have already been observed. Climate change is considered to be one of the most serious threats to sustainable development, with adverse impacts expected on the environment, human health, food security, economic activity, natural resources and physical infrastructure. Scientific findings indicate that precautionary and prompt action is necessary.

Singapore is almost totally reliant on cross-border trade for raw material and food stuffs. W e are also directly affected by the environmental and ecological challenges facing our neighbours. Our small land area and close proximity to neighbouring ASEAN countries makes our economy even more vulnerable to the extremes of climate change and serve to remind us that our environment is tied to the environmental changes of our Southeast Asian neighbours.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) w ith the support of the Government of the United Kingdom recently released a Regional Review of the Economics of Climate Change in Southeast Asia. Dr Thomson will present highlights from the Singapore contribution to this report.

For more details on the seminar, visit the ISEAS website.

Source: ISEAS

Eco-Friendly Wet Cleaning by Green N Clean Laundry

Green N Clean Laundry is the first laundry business in Singapore that uses wet cleaning to replace dry cleaning for washing delicate garments.

Wet cleaning is a solvent-free method to clean garments and uses specialised machines to safely clean garments in water, instead of using solvents as in the dry cleaning method. Wet cleaning is better for the environment and safer for operators and consumers.

Here’s a short news coverage on Green N Clean Laundry:

Wet cleaning uses water and non-toxic soaps, and can safely clean virtually any garments, from silk dresses to wool suits. It is more eco-friendly and safer since the water and biodegradable soaps can be discharged into the sewers after washing.

On the other hand, dry cleaning uses a petroleum-based solvent called perchorethylene (PERC). PERC vapors can cause irritation of the eyes, nose, throat or skin, and long-term exposure causes cancer in laboratory animals and is considered a possible human carcinogen by the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency.

In Singapore,  spent PERC cannot be discharged into the sewers and is controlled as toxic waste. It is also mandatory for dry cleaner operators to undergo health checks once every six months.

In addition, dry cleaning also uses more energy as in a dry cleaning machine, the solvent is recycled after cleaning the garment and used for the next load of garments. The recycling process is done by frequent distillation of the soiled solvent and energy is needed to boil and evaporate the solvent and to condense the gaseous solvent back to clean liquid solvent.

We support the efforts of businesses that are willing to change their mindsets and use more environmentally friendly processes, and we encourage the switch to wet cleaning for health and environmental benefits.

For more info on the wet cleaning method, prices and locations, visit the Green N Clean Laundry website at http://www.gnclaundry.com/index.php.

Source and image credit: Green N Clean Laundry

Sustainability Seminar – How Companies Can Gain From Sustainable Development

Venue: Singapore Business Federation (SBF), Seminar Room 2, 21 level Keppel Towers, 10 Hoe Chiang Road, Singapore 089315

SBF is organising a seminar on how companies can gain from sustainable development. There will be a launch of the EcoWorld 2010 and Outstanding Sustainability Award, and also a showcase of sustainable development solutions by companies. Read more

Good to Green: Managing Business Risks and Opportunities in the Age of Environmental Awareness

Author: John-David Phyper and Paul MacLean

ISBN: 978-0-470-15942-2

Hardcover: 464 pages

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Recommended Retail Price: SGD 52.38 (including GST)

Available at all major bookstores

Book Review

Good to Green provides an in-depth analysis and guide for companies that wish to change and become a sustainable company. The authors provide comprehensive knowledge, trends and cases studies on sustainability based on their years of experience, and they managed to cover the various topics hot on the green agenda.

Some topics covered include:

In developing a green strategic plan, the authors emphasized the need for leadership and ongoing planning. The senior management must believe in fundamental change in how the company conducts business, and monitor the results of the strategic plan continuously. A green plan is not a one-time event nor is it about “cosmetic environmentalism”.

The company’s environmental management system should also be embedded into the general management systems and business software solutions, and not become isolated from other aspects of the business.

On eco design, companies should adopt a motto of “zero waste” to reduce costs and improve the environment. Companies also need to avoid toxic chemicals and manage the supply chain to reduce environmental risks.

For green marketing, the authors recommend that the product should be aligned with company values, and the focus should be making green normal. Companies should communicate their values through real action and not just talk about it.

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Promotion for Green Business Times Readers

Readers in Singapore can now buy the book from John Wiley & Sons (Asia) Pte Ltd at a 20% discount from 13 July 09 to 13 August 09.

1. Place your order to this email address: csd_ord@wiley.com or call: +65 6463 4604
2. Quote the ISBN of the book title
3. Quote the 4 digit promotion code to be entitled to the 20% discount – Promo Code 2427

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CDL Unveils First CarbonNeutral Development in Singapore and Asia Pacific – 11 Tampines Concourse

This is a news release from City Developments Limited (CDL).

In support of the Government’s strategy for sustainable development in Singapore, City Developments Limited (CDL) as a green developer, is taking an affirmative step, setting yet another milestone for Singapore in environmental sustainability.

Today, at a ceremony officiated by Guest-of-Honour, Mr Mah Bow Tan, Minister for National Development, CDL’s newly-completed 11 Tampines Concourse was unveiled as the first CarbonNeutral® development in Singapore and Asia Pacific.

The establishment of Tampines Concourse as a CarbonNeutral® development represents a natural progression of CDL’s commitment towards building greener properties. It is a forward-looking approach towards long-term sustainability. Read more

How to Green the Clothes Hanger with bloomerHang

bloomerang Pte Ltd is a young start-up in Singapore, founded by Directors Thian Zhiwen and Wong Joon Ian. The company is driven by the belief that business can address social and environmental challenges through sustainable and innovative practices. To put their belief into practice, they created the bloomerHang, a clothes hanger that is made locally from recycled corrugated cardboard and printed with eco-friendly soy inks.

Dry-cleaners, laundromats and other businesses give out hundreds of thousands of wire and plastic hangers every year. Imagine the resources saved if these hangers were replaced with the bloomerHang, which is 100% recyclable and is collected after use for recycling. The bloomerHang also acts as a new environmental advertising platform, which provides environmental messages or targeted marketing opportunities for businesses, and helps to keep the price of bloomerHang competitive so that they are attractive to laundromats, drycleaners and other distributors.

This young company demonstrates that it is possible to green a normal insignificant product, through eco-conscious design and greening the production process,  and most importantly, adding functional and aesthetic value beyond its current purpose. The new bloomerHang hanger is not only made from sustainable material and processes but also provides a valuable platform for environmental messages and advertising from eco-conscious businesses. And best of all, it still hangs.

Find out more about bloomerHang at www.bloomerang.com.sg.

Source and image credit: bloomerang Pte Ltd

Green Investment Summit 2009

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Green Investments Summit (GIS) 2009 Singapore sets the platform for investors, financiers, clean energy developers, government representatives and global experts to successfully engage in global efforts to address the energy crisis and climate change. The conference offers an unparalleled platform for clean energy stakeholders to discuss and discover practical strategies to develop clean energy technologies and infrastructures under such challenging economic times.

GIS 2009 Singapore will give you:

• Policy and regulatory updates and show you how green deployment is here to stay
• Access to the global capital markets and investments in the clean energy market
• Access to the future of merger and acquisition activities in the green industry
• Updates on clean energy developments and outlining emerging opportunities in Asia
• Carbon finance opportunities for the clean energy market

Please visit http://www.alleventsgroup.com/greeninvest2009/ for more information.