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SINGAPORE: A national movement aimed at shifting the mindset that sustainability comes at a business cost was launched on Thursday (May 21) to encourage small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to adopt green measures.
"When margins are tight, supply chains disrupted and markets volatile, sustainability can feel like one more requirement, one more report, one more cost," Singapore's ambassador for climate action Ravi Menon said at the launch of Green 100 during the Singapore Climate Transition Forum.
"Climate transition is not a distraction from business priorities. It is central to them," Mr Menon said, adding that the transition is increasingly becoming a condition for success in a climate-impaired and carbon-constrained world.
To that end, Singapore's Council for a Competitive Climate Transition (C3T) - a public-private partnership comprising the National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS) and Singapore Business Federation (SBF) - launched the Green 100 movement to help SMEs kickstart their sustainability journey.
The movement involves bringing together large enterprises, referred to as "Queen Bees", to lead the way for SMEs along their supply chains and business networks towards sustainability reporting.
"Too often, sustainability is seen as a cost centre. Green 100 aims to change that," Mr Menon said.
The former Monetary Authority of Singapore managing director was speaking at the forum, which was held at the Marina Bay Sands and is a part of Ecosperity Week 2026, Temasek Holdings' annual business and sustainability conference.
He said large enterprises are uniquely placed to support the sustainability ecosystem, as they can strengthen supplier capabilities, aggregate demand for greener products and services and create stronger incentives for transition across their network.
HOW IT WORKS
Under the new Green 100 initiative, participating large enterprises will encourage at least 100 SME suppliers, partners and customers to start their sustainability journey by completing basic sustainability reporting for free and in accordance with the newly announced Technical Reference (TR) 149:2026 framework.
The framework, launched by Enterprise Singapore through the Singapore Standards Council also on Thursday, is a technical reference that guides organisations in the progress towards environmental sustainability.
The programme aims to help large businesses work more closely with SMEs along their value chain on sustainability efforts.
It will also support SMEs in becoming more environmentally competitive and resilient, while speeding up the adoption of the TR framework across the wider business ecosystem, NCCS and SBF stated in a joint press release.
To drive Green 100, C3T will partner with Gprnt - a digital platform by the Monetary Authority of Singapore - and the Singapore Environment Council to provide SMEs with a simplified pathway.
SMEs can sign up on the Green 100 website, or respond to email invitations from the participating large enterprises. They will then be directed to Gprnt to complete a simplified disclosure for free, with the process expecting to take around 10 minutes for most SMEs.
SMEs that complete this disclosure will receive a digital Green 100 badge on the platform.
The badge comes with a unique digital identifier to support third-party verification and give SMEs access to opportunities.
They will also be listed on the Green 100 supplier registry, boosting their visibility among buyers seeking sustainability-ready suppliers.
These SMEs will also have access to the Green 100 network, which will share alerts on green procurement tenders and sustainable financing opportunities.
SMEs will also embark on the first step towards more advanced sustainability qualifications.
As of Thursday, 22 large corporates have signed up for Green 100, including Bank of China, Carousell, Keppel, Mandai, Maybank, OCBC, Resorts World Sentosa, SMRT and Singapore Polytechnic.
A total of 33 SMEs, ranging from construction contractors to laundry service providers have also signed up. These include Kimly Construction, Orchid Laundry, Samwoh Corporation, California Laundry and SFS Logistics.
Future phases of Green 100 will help companies progress towards the higher levels detailed in the TR framework.
"Green 100, in short, is about lowering barriers and raising incentives," said Mr Menon. "By simplifying disclosures and lowering costs, it helps SMEs get past the first hurdle.
"By tying the Green 100 badge to procurement incentives and financing opportunities, it makes sustainability not just viable, but valuable for business," he added.
