Industrial revolution: Exploring the important sustainability efforts taking place beyond obvious industries

“Governments are active with directives and legislation, and companies are serious about their ESG (environmental, social and governance) agendas, looking for partners like us to help them start their decarbonisation journeys.” Furthermore, he says, sustainability and a decarbonisation strategy are “becoming a prerequisite for attracting talent, securing financing and ensuring long‑term business viability. Because if you don’t have that agenda, you won’t succeed in the long run”.

Speaking of employees, the evolving way commercial buildings are now being used presents engineers at a company such as Danfoss with an interesting challenge. “A higher degree of flexibility in work patterns demands technology that adapts to fluctuating building occupancy,” Schoemaker shares. “This creates opportunities for greater energy efficiency, with the right technology.” Singapore’s planners have long sought to cultivate a “garden city”. Advancing this aim, the Urban Redevelopment Authority introduced in 2009 a scheme called Landscaping for Urban Spaces and High‑Rises, also known by its nifty acronym Lush, to ensure that newly constructed skyscrapers integrate substantial greenery. The country’s architects and developers have enthusiastically embraced this initiative, and in both commercial and residential sectors, Singapore is recognised globally for its innovative, leafy approach to keeping buildings cooler and more energy efficient.

Take, for example, real estate group GuocoLand. “[Our] signature biophilic design can be seen in all our new projects,” says Dora Chng, its residential director, who adds that its benefits are manifold. “Having lush greenery in developments not only beautifies the landscape, but also cools the urban environment.” This is important because air conditioning, a necessity at times here in scorching Singapore, is estimated to generate about 4 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions (to put that number in perspective, the aviation industry is responsible for around 2.5 per cent), according to a 2022 research published in scientific journal Joule.

Allowing inhabitants to stay cool naturally (for part of the day, at least) rather than always switching on the air con, GuocoLand’s projects, Chng shares, are designed to optimise natural ventilation and block harsh sunlight. “For example, Guoco Tower and Guoco Midtown’s public areas have high ceilings with large ceiling fans and are surrounded by greenery,” she says. Extensive parks, gardens and sky terraces have also been integrated into projects such as these, as well as new condominium development Lentor Mansion, which is due for completion by end 2027. The aim is to provide workers and residents with serene green spaces that offer an escape from the tropical heat without consuming large amounts of energy.

“We consider different technological and biophilic solutions that will green our developments and also benefit our clients and buyers in the long run,” Chng says—like Schoemaker, highlighting the fact that sustainable practices can also be financially savvy. By way of example, she says: “Solar panels will be mounted onto the roofs at Lentor Mansion, our latest high‑end residential project. Energy harvested from the solar panels will be used in the common areas of the development and this will in turn result in electricity cost savings for our residents.” Energy‑efficient air‑conditioning systems and light fittings will also be provided within the development’s units, further helping homeowners save energy and money.

Power consumption at Lentor Mansion will be trackable via a smart home app, allowing residents to monitor and, where appropriate, adjust their day‑to‑day energy use. Water is another resource GuocoLand works to conserve, with Newater being used for non‑potable purposes in the developer’s latest projects, and rain harvesting systems employed at Guoco Tower and Guoco Midtown to collect water for landscape irrigation. Chng says when designing a project,GuocoLand is keenly conscious of maintainability, choosing long‑lasting fittings, materials, finishes and even plants, reducing servicing and increasing the lifespan of the development.

A rising tide

The shipping industry is vital to global trade, the economy and maintaining our modern way of life. From cars to food, fuels, pharmaceuticals, electronics, clothing and even the literal building blocks of our homes, many of the things we take for granted every day have been transported by ship. Shipping does have a substantial carbon footprint, however; it is responsible for the same amount of annual emissions as the entire country of Germany, according to the World Economic Forum. Increasingly conscious of this fact, ports, regulators and shipping operators are striving to find solutions that will drastically reduce the industry’s environmental toll.

Chavalit Frederick Tsao, the chairman of Tsao Pao Chee, formerly known as IMC Pan Asia Alliance, which helms IMC Industrial, a major shipping company headquartered in Singapore, says that his family business is committed to “measuring, managing and mitigating the environmental impact of its shipping operations”. He adds that in recent years, he has observed “a growing recognition of the necessity to tackle sustainability challenges in the shipping sector.

Initiatives such as the International Maritime Organization’s greenhouse gas reduction targets as well as [adoption of ] alternative fuels and technologies demonstrate a readiness to collaborate and innovate towards more sustainable shipping practices”.

To make shipping more sustainable industry‑wide, Tsao says, perhaps the most important step is a transition to cleaner alternative fuels, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG), hydrogen, ammonia and methanol, or utilising battery power. “We’re seeing more ships wanting to run on methanol, LNG and ammonia, which are less carbon‑intensive fuels compared to traditional fuels such as marine diesel and heavy fuel oil,” he explains, adding that he is optimistic about methanol and ammonia for new builds, and plans to upgrade eight of the company’s existing tankers to run on LNG when practical. “In terms of carbon intensity, hydrogen and ammonia show minimal emissions, while LNG falls within a moderate range and methanol performs better than LNG.” He qualifies, though, that there remains progress to be made, “particularly with ammonia and hydrogen, as they’re still in the development stages”, and could present dangers to the crew and vessel.

Batteries, meanwhile, are heavy and need to be recharged—“a big challenge for oceangoing vessels,” he points out. Tsao identifies one of the major obstacles to decarbonising the industry as the expense involved in transitioning to cleaner technologies—costs that certain industry figures could be unwilling or unable to bear. “Some stakeholders may still prioritise short‑term economic gains over long‑term sustainability objectives,” he notes ruefully.

There are, however, many steps shipping companies can take to cut emissions that do not involve major hardware updates or hefty investments. Tsao shares that IMC is achieving results with common‑sense measures such as regularly cleaning ship hulls, which cuts resistance; sailing at economical speeds; utilising weather routing services to optimise voyages; conducting routine engine maintenance to ensure efficiency; and adjusting ballast water and cargo allocation to achieve optimal ship trim. All of these relatively simple moves help minimise fuel consumption, lowering emissions.

Earth signs

According to Greenpeace, “food systems are responsible for a third of global greenhouse gas emissions”, with more than half of these the result of animal farming. Livestock production, the environmental non‑governmental organisation asserts, accounts for around a third of all emissions of methane—what it describes as “a ‘superheater’ greenhouse gas that is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20‑year period”.

The world needs food though. And since a growing number of us insist on meat in our diets, livestock will continue to be raised, fed on grass and grain that have to be grown somewhere.

“As populations continue to evolve, particularly in Africa, where numbers may double in the next 20 to 30 years, there’ll be a growing need for food and for jobs. Meanwhile, dietary shifts elsewhere in the world, like the shift to meat, have a higher land and greenhouse gas footprint,” says Julie Greene, chief sustainability officer at Olam Agri, a leading agri-business with a mission to transform agriculture for a more sustainable and food-secure future.

Considering these realities, plus threats such as global warming, Olam Agri has chosen to focus its sustainability efforts on climate, nature, and the livelihoods of farmers and their communities. “The global food and agri‑system has to support all eight billion-plus of us on this planet, and currently supports the livelihoods of some 600 million smallholder farmers, plus a larger ecosystem across the value chain,” Greene explains. “We looked at where we sit in the global economy, the impacts we can have on the world, and the impacts the world has on our business. In agriculture and agribusiness, it’s obvious that we depend on the soil and the people who cultivate the soil.”

As Greene points out, the group’s three key areas of sustainability focus are very much interlinked. “Our approach to on‑farm practices, particularly promoting regenerative agriculture, has multipronged impacts,” she says. “It’s all about putting more carbon back into the soil through methods such as green manuring, inter‑cropping with leguminous crops, and integrating compost, which supports soil micro‑biota and helps sequester carbon. When we combine that with reducing fertiliser use, we further lower the emissions impact.”

The end result is a healthier environment, more fertile land and greater yields, meaning a higher income for farmers and their families—a virtuous circle, achieving Olam Agri’s three core sustainability goals simultaneously.

On a broader, industry‑wide basis, Greene says: “Regenerative agriculture is gaining momentum as people recognise that simply pumping chemicals into the soil isn’t sustainable. I’m not saying you shouldn’t use fertilisers at all, but it’s about making sure we use them rationally, complemented with natural sources of soil carbon that preserve the health of the soil, enabling plants to take [in] nutrients.” Greene explains that the group has joined initiatives, including the COP28 Action Agenda on Regenerative Landscapes and the World Economic Forum’s First Movers Coalition for Food, that promote collaborative efforts and accelerate sustainable practices across agriculture and interrelated industries. “We’re working towards transformative change in food systems, the way food is grown and moved around the world, and that can’t be achieved alone,” she says. “We need collaboration to make impactful changes.

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