Replace, Reduce and Remove.
The 3Rs that constitute the three-pronged approach espoused by PUB, the national water agency of Singapore, in its hefty goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2045. The strategy by PUB focuses on replacing fossil fuels with renewable solar energy, investing in research and development to reduce the energy required in
Recognising the threat of climate change and the importance of sustainable development, Singapore has made a commitment to establishing a robust framework of environmental and climate change laws and regulations – an unprecedented initiative in the Southeast Asia region.
Singapore launched its key environmental strategy in 2021 with the Singapore Green Plan 2030, a
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) launched the Singapore-Asia Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance (the “Singapore-Asia Taxonomy”) at the COP28 climate conference on 3 December 2023. This development is noteworthy as the Singapore-Asia Taxonomy is the world’s first multi-sector transition taxonomy for defining green and transition activities across eight key sectors, namely: (1) energy; (2) industrial; (3) carbon capture and sequestration; (4) agriculture and forestry; (5) construction and real estate; (6) waste and circular economy; (7) information and communications technology; and (8) transportation. The Singapore-Asia Taxonomy uses the traffic lights system of “green” (environmentally sustainable), “amber” (transition) and “ineligible” to classify activities based on their contribution to the taxonomy’s environmental objectives, currently focused on climate change mitigation. We previously reported on the work leading up to the finalisation of the Singapore-Asia Taxonomy here and here.Continue Reading Singapore Launches World’s First Multi-Sector Transition Taxonomy
The risk of an accusation of “greenwashing” is now an important concern for many companies. Greenwashing is an ill-defined concept but, nevertheless, is increasingly a source of litigation and regulatory scrutiny – with more of both expected. It carries with it reputational, regulatory and litigation risks for which companies should be prepared. Whilst the risks are always context specific – varying by jurisdiction, industry
Businesses, especially micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), continue to face practical challenges in ESG reporting due to costs, the lack of resources and expertise on sustainability reporting, and the complexities around multiple standards and reporting frameworks in use globally.
On 22 June 2023, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF) announced an initiative to develop digital ESG credentials for MSMEs worldwide to facilitate ESG reporting for this sector. The initiative, named Project Savannah, will produce a multi-jurisdictional proof of concept targeted for launch at the upcoming COP28.Continue Reading Digital ESG credentials for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises globally – from Singapore to the world
On May 12, 2022, Singapore’s Green Finance Industry Taskforce (GFIT) published a second consultation paper on its proposed taxonomy for Singapore-based financial institutions (“Singapore Taxonomy”), which aims to provide a common framework for classification of economic activities upon which financial products and services can be built and combat greenwashing by setting
On December 15, 2021, the Singapore Exchange (SGX) responded to two consultations addressing a range of ESG-related topics that could significantly change the ESG reporting landscape for listed companies in Singapore. The consultations address the implementation of (i) mandatory climate-related disclosures for certain sectors aligned with the Recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), (ii) mandatory diversity-related disclosures for all issuers and (iii) a list of 27 “Core ESG Metrics” to help listed companies align their ESG disclosures with international standards and best practices on a voluntary basis.
As SGX otherwise requires ESG reporting on a comply-or-explain basis only, these proposals represent a shift toward an increased focus on mandatory climate and diversity disclosures that, in particular, has taken hold among Asian regulators. Just this month, the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong implemented mandatory gender diversity requirements and Hong Kong’s Cross-Agency Steering Group reported “progress towards mandating climate-related disclosures aligned with the TCFD framework by 2025 across relevant sectors”, while a group of Malaysian regulators announced their intention to implement mandatory TCFD disclosures by the end of 2024.
In this Blog Post, we highlight key aspects of the recent SGX announcements and provide guidance on how companies are already implementing ESG frameworks incorporating TCFD and more.Continue Reading Singapore Regulator Prioritizes TCFD, Diversity and ESG Metrics in New Disclosure Rules and Guidance
On May 19th, 2021, Singapore’s Green Finance Industry Task Force (GFIT), an industry-led initiative convened by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), issued a detailed implementation guide for climate-related disclosures by financial institutions (FIs) and a whitepaper on scaling green finance in the real estate, infrastructure, fund management and transition sectors. In addition, the GFIT has established a framework to help banks assess eligible green trade finance transactions and will launch a series of ESG-related capacity building workshops and e-learning modules from May 2021 to April 2022 for FIs and corporates.
In an announcement, Ms. Gillian Tan, Assistant Managing Director (Development and International) at the MAS, said:
“GFIT’s initiatives to enhance climate-related disclosures and strengthen green capabilities will enable financial institutions to effectively develop green solutions and align their portfolios towards facilitating Asia’s transition to a low carbon economy. These initiatives will also contribute to global efforts to achieve greater consistency and comparability in climate-related disclosures, as well as provide investors and market participants with the necessary information for climate risk analysis and investment decision-making.”
Continue reading for more details on each of these significant new developments.Continue Reading Singapore Financial Regulator Announces Initiatives on Climate Disclosures, ESG Capacity Building and More
On January 28, 2021, Singapore’s Green Finance Industry Taskforce (GFIT) launched a consultation on a proposed taxonomy (the “Taxonomy“) for financial institutions to identify green and transitional activities. The Taxonomy is intended to provide a common framework for classification upon which financial products and services can be built and combat greenwashing by setting out definitive criteria for greenness in Singapore.
The Taxonomy consultation builds upon Singapore’s exemplary efforts to regulate and develop its green finance markets, including the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s recently issued Environmental Risk Guidelines for asset managers, banks and insurers, which we discuss in our Legal Update at MayerBrown.com.
In this Blog Post, we discuss the Taxonomy and steps that other jurisdictions in Asia have taken to implement their own green taxonomies.Continue Reading Singapore Consults on Green Taxonomy for Financial Institutions
On December 8, 2020, the Monetary Authority of Singapore issued Guidelines on Environmental Risk Management tailored to financial institutions in three sectors: asset management, banking and insurance. The Guidelines are intended to drive the transition to an environmentally sustainable economy by enhancing the integration of environmental risk considerations in financing and investment decisions and promoting