Chairman & CEO Note
It is indeed heartening to see an unprecedented public awakening to the importance of nature in our lives and well being.
THE CHALLENGE OF OUR TIMES
As we see more hurricanes, wildfires and floods affecting our cities, the immediacy of the climate and biodiversity crisis is clearer than ever before. It is no longer far away in time and space. It is pretty much here, now and near us.
We believe that the world will have to go through a sustainability focused revolution in the coming years to address this pressing challenge. It is not going to be easy. It will require sacrifices from everyone. Stakeholders from all sections of society have to come together to prevent the worst effects of climate change and the loss of our natural biodiversity from affecting us and our future generations. World over, people have to work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieve net-zero by 2050. It is important that we all resolve to do our part to secure this planet for our future generations.
Despite the numerous challenges ahead of us, it is indeed heartening to see an unprecedented public awakening to the importance of nature in our lives and well being. The mission of WWF Singapore to work with individuals, businesses, investors and policymakers to accelerate the transition of our society and economy towards one in which people live in harmony with nature and continue to benefit from its bounties, has never been more palpable and compelling.
WWF-SINGAPORE’S WORK GATHERS MOMENTUM
As we entered the second year of the pandemic, the work of our Pandas scaled-up with renewed passion and vigour. We partnered businesses, communities and governments to spearhead innovative green projects, helped them transform to more sustainable practices, and enabled the adoption of policies for the conservation and recovery of our natural capital.
We achieved this by supporting relevant stakeholders with our scientific knowledge and experience in climate and nature conservation, and the efforts of our teams in education, policy advocacy, outreach, market transformation and sustainable finance. We have made steady progress in our collective journey towards a greener and more resilient future for all.
Even as our Pandas stepped-up their work, we renewed our focus on their mental and physical well-being, with regular virtual town halls and brown bag sharing sessions, in addition to our existing employee care programs.
SINGAPORE IS RESPONDING
As a low-lying island with little natural resources, Singapore faces existential threats from the rise in sea levels and from potential food and water shortages.
Recognising these threats, Singapore has shown its commitment to global action through its investments in nature-based solutions and resilience building efforts, the rollout of its long-term-low emissions reduction strategy (LEDS), and the Singapore Green Plan 2030.
CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS ARE CHANGING
As leaders and stakeholders in our planet’s wellbeing, it is important to recognise that consumers’ expectations from industry are also changing. Environment, Sustainability and Governance (ESG) topics are no longer a ‘nice to do’, they are becoming a ‘must do’ for an organisation to be credible.
WWF-Singapore’s Sustainable Finance team has supported such transitions in the finance sector. We now see banks and financial institutions taking Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) analyses into their lending, investment and underwriting practices.
Consumers are also demanding more avenues for making choices that are grounded in circular economy principles, such as those that promote longer product use, second-life and the reuse of products. These include more efficient packaging design that help reduce and recycle waste.
In a 2021 study by WWF-Singapore and Accenture, we found out that four out of five consumers in Singapore said that they cared deeply about the environment. Such individuals are eager to take action for the environment by making more sustainable purchasing choices.
WWF- Singapore’s PACT Initiative continues to work with brands and businesses to help them respond to such consumer demands by getting them to reduce their environmental footprint. This year, we saw more retail outlets charging customers for plastic carriers, requesting consumers to bring their own bottles, or even replacing them with alternative sustainable materials.
These are promising embodiments of our Together Possible spirit.
YOUTH VOICES FOR A BETTER WORLD
Empowering the youth to be a key part of our journey was a focus for us this year, through our new youth sustainability incubator programme, #WeGotThis (WGT). The multi-partner collaboration programme was launched with the vision to build a youth-led community movement, to raise hope and to empower a generation of connected sustainability doers to lead change and amplify their voices of influence for a more sustainable world.
YOU MAKE IT POSSIBLE
By staying committed to the planet during these difficult times, our donors and supporters fuel-up our resolve. The following pages in our annual report outline the many projects and impact that you have helped make possible. We have also outlined the projects that are funded through the WWF-Singapore Conservation Fund.
These initiatives would not be possible without your active volunteering, donations and support. We remain grateful to you for leading the way to protect the environment, conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth!
Achal Agarwal, Chairman, WWF-Singapore
R. Raghunathan, CEO, WWF-Singapore
+65 6730 8100
info@wwf.sg
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