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  Business Times 5 Mar 07
The green challenge for Singapore companies

How concerned are business executives in Singapore and the region about the dangers of global warming? What can be done to raise the level of awareness and commitment?

BUSINESSES in Singapore are aware of global warming, even though as a tropical country we are not so affected by large abnormal swings in seasons as experienced in temperate climes.

Having said that, it is my view that business executives in Singapore are not doing much at all about contributing to the effort of reducing the dangers of global warming.

Why is that? Most might feel that any impact they could make would be too insignificant, and the mega companies and governments should take the lead. Much of our economy is in light and medium manufacturing, though petrochemical and pharmaceuticals are also present.

Pro-business governments around the world are careful not to upset the business rhythm or add costs due to business regulations. Therefore, most of the activism has started from consumer and green groups.

In Singapore, such groups have a weak voice. Consumers here prefer to make choices based on price and convenience rather than on conservation.

With our consumer policies sensitive to costs as well, it will take brave companies to make bold changes to their selling and delivery strategies to become more green.

What more needs to be done? System-wide assessments and calculations have to be done to show that in the long run, it will be less burdensome on our society to do more conservation of our environment.

And government has to incentivise change.

Hybrid green automobiles are a recent example where policy calculations seem based more on neutral impact rather than true leadership in setting a trend for mass change.

If we continue to hold on to the idea that we are too small to make an impact, we won't.

Pragmatism rules, but if scientific predictions come true, it will not prevent a seven- to 23-inch rise in sea water levels should that be a consequence of global warming, not necessarily caused by Singapore.

But when that happens, all our reclamation efforts over the decades could be undone.

To earn a bigger international voice, Singapore has to practise singing new songs more loudly. - Alex Chan executive director MMI Holdings Ltd

Government should lead

GLOBAL warming is a difficult concept to understand. Most are only aware that the earth is getting hotter. What is the long term effect if this continues?

I think the authorities should provide more information to the public. Show how continuous global warming may harm our environment at present and in the future. And then seriously do something about it.

This way, I am sure there will be action in the right direction because Singaporeans listen to their government and will comply.

But if we leave it to the public to become concerned about global warming, it will be too late for anything to be done. - Leonard Lau Managing Director Microwave Packaging (S)

I BELIEVE that most are concerned about global warming and environmental issues. It's just that most won't know what to do, or simply feel that one individual just can't make an impact.

I would like to see the government take a giant step and make Singapore the first country to be free of fossil-fuel vehicles!

We are the only nation capable of doing it. If Singapore can prove it works, other nations will (hopefully) follow suit. Give incentives for car manufacturers to set up their R&D for environment-friendly cars here. Provide huge savings for car dealers and consumers to kick-start the transformation. Change all public transportation. Create the infrastructure of refuelling stations and support services. Get the polytechnics and ITEs to start courses on vehicle maintenance and related subjects, the way new courses have started for the upcoming integrated resorts. Corporations and government agencies should be encouraged to support this, by changing their business vehicles.

There is potentially a huge 'blue ocean' industry to be created here. For example, our engineers and mechanics will be in demand globally, when other countries commence their efforts. I hope that this can be done sooner than later. It can be done. It should be done. - Joey Chang Chief Executive Officer/Founder AXS Infocomm

GLOBAL warming has been taking place for many years but it has only been in the last two years that the media gave some attention to this subject.

But I would like to see more coverage on the issue in the press, TV and radio. The movie, An Inconvenient Truth, is a must-see if we want Singaporeans to be aware of the seriousness of climate change. I hope the government would spearhead the drive for greater awareness by educating the public and providing incentives to save energy and change our lifestyle.

We only have one earth. We cannot afford to destroy this earth as there simply is no other place that we could migrate to. - Fong Loo Fern Managing Director CYC The Custom Shop

GLOBAL warming is a pertinent issue which has been brought up time and again in the media but unfortunately, it has been all talk and little action.

My personal viewpoint is that businesses in the region are generally aware of the dangers of global warming but the stand taken seems to be merely an accommodative (eg comply with laws) rather than a proactive one.

It is therefore important that governments steer the path through regulatory controls and guidelines. Big, successful corporations should also incorporate corporate social responsibility (CSR) in their organisational culture, taking the lead to show the rest that it is possible for corporate success and environmental commitment to go hand-in-glove. - Sam Yap S G Executive Chairman Cherie Hearts Group

ARIBA has noticed a growing awareness of environmental issues across all markets. Our customers acknowledge that failure to implement environmentally-friendly practices could have negative repercussions in the long run, hence we are seeing a trend towards green sourcing.

By far the greatest impetus for such measures still seems to come from government regulation.

Certainly, there's a need for Singapore not to be complacent about its vulnerabilities to the effects of global warming, and in particular rising sea levels. In this regard, local businesses have a duty to meet their green responsibilities, but realistically, this imperative is less likely to be self-motivated than driven by regulation. - Ravi Kumaraswami Managing Director Ariba Inc

Companies must do their part too

I AM concerned about global warming. I think the first thing that all of us CEOs need to do is to look closely at our own companies. How much carbon are we producing? How fast can we reduce emissions? How can we get all our employees engaged to bring the numbers down? Companies are used to operating in this way. This is not a case of Western hype, the problem is down to every one of us to fix. - Bill Padfield Chief Executive Officer Datacraft Asia Ltd

WHERE business is concerned, global warming is a lower priority because the repercussions, being a distant possibility, are not immediately experienced.

However, the recent haze, costing Singapore an estimated US$50 million, reminded us that environmental problems have a direct impact on the economy. The National University of Singapore has led the way with the recent establishment of an Environmental Research Institute. Also, the decade-old Singapore Environmental Achievement Award recognises the green efforts of companies.

With their influence and reach, corporations should support such causes and adopt pro-environmental policies. They need to realise that global warming is also an economic threat and should take more proactive steps towards a consolidated effort to address such issues. It's a long-term investment. - Annie Yap CEO The GMP Group

MOST executives are sufficiently aware of the effects of global warming but are likely to feel that they are unable to do much as most of the carbon dioxide emissions comes from big industrial countries like the US and China.

However, a small island country like Singapore cannot escape the effects of global warming, especially rising sea levels. As such, businesses should know that every effort, however small, helps in countering the effects of global warming.

On the other hand, consumers need to realise that they also have a role to play. Consumers can change their consumption patterns to favour products and processes that are more environmentally friendly. In this way, businesses will be forced to react to their changing consumption patterns.

Thus, I think more effort should be directed towards increasing the awareness of consumers rather than businesses. In this regard, government agencies and consumer associations can take the lead through exhibitions, radio and television programmes and the Internet to highlight environmentally friendly products which consumers can buy. - Wee Piew CEO HG Metal Manufacturing Ltd

I THINK companies are waking up to climate change and the broader question of sustainable development a lot more quickly than governments.

Passing laws to protect the natural environment can be a time-consuming process. Passing resolutions in the boardroom, on the other hand, is less onerous.

Significantly, a corporate strategy based on the principles of sustainable development can secure competitive advantage. It makes commercial sense on the supply side if we reduce, reuse and recycle because we can cut costs.

On the demand side, consumers are voting with their wallets and rewarding companies which are socially and environmentally responsible. - Mukesh Aghi CEO U21Global

Some ways to tackle the problem

IT is increasingly clear that climate change and global warming are the major environmental challenges of our time. As a responsible global citizen, Singapore's commitment to climate change is consistent with our good record on environmental issues.

Companies need to collectively avert the threat of global warming. Some examples: Implement the reduce, reuse, recycle project in every organisation. Turn down air-conditioning in shopping centres or in offices on cold, rainy days. Start a 'Give the globe a perk, carpool to work' campaign at the office, to encourage workers to car pool instead of driving to work on their own. Encourage each other to conserve the environment, keeping in mind that every little bit counts! - Pramod Ratwani Vice-President, Asia Pacific and Middle East Aspect Software

COUNTRIES around the world and the region have long identified global warming and climate change as serious environmental issues. We have recently seen an influx of news in Singapore on the detrimental effects of global warming, urging people to get on their feet and act. Environmental associations and government bodies have been coming together in recent months to educate business organisations on how to be more environmentally conscious in their operations.

For businesses which are keen to do their part for the planet and stay 'green', I would personally suggest the use of videoconferencing. It reduces the need to travel, which ultimately eliminates the emission of harmful gases into our ecosystem, without compromising on the quality and productivity of work. - Lars Ronning President, North & South East Asia, Australia & New Zealand Tandberg

ALTHOUGH not directly related to the issues associated with global warming, the haze problem we have experienced over the past few years has made Singapore more aware of the impact of environmental irresponsibility. With the intense media coverage here, we have no excuse not to be aware of what is happening in the world.

In order to get commitment, and for us to play our part, what is needed are some specific campaigns focusing on things such as reducing vehicle emission and the use of air-conditioning. - David Keith President Asia Pacific Garner International (S)

ASIA, being the most populous continent in the world, has been thriving as it aims to become a first-world continent as well. Industrialisation has bestowed us with a better life, but at the same time has contributed to damaging the ozone layer.

While enjoying the fruits of modernisation, we have to find ways to protect our most important resources - the planet that we live in.

Campaigns in Singapore are very successful and leave an impression even after decades, for example, the courtesy campaign and the clean and green campaign. I suggest that awareness on global warming be further heightened by continually reminding the public with posters in public places and announcements on television. - Jerry T H Tan CEO Wanin Industries

IT is never too late to raise awareness of how going green is worth the while for everyone.Eco-friendliness can be a win-win situation for everyone. We need to share the message that energy efficiency is not a fad but actually saves the earth, and money for businesses.

From an IT perspective, running more eco-friendly servers reduces energy needed for both the machines and the air-conditioning needed to cool the data centre. This in turn leads to less pollution and global warming. And, it saves businesses money at the same time! Additionally, energy authorities can also look into offering incentive rebates to companies that use or switch to energy saving equipment that are compliant with pre-determined standards. - Wong Heng Chew Managing Director, Singapore Sun Microsystems

I REMEMBER in the early 1990s when I was managing Compaq in Asia Pacific, our factory in Singapore was one of the earliest to stop the use of chemical agents with tetrachloroethylene, to reduce the emission of chlorine into the atmosphere.

Compaq was also one of the earliest to introduce energy saving features in our computers in our company-wide efforts to promote a greener global environment. More than 15 years have since passed.

While the government and world bodies have enacted legislation and combined efforts to educate the public on the effects of global warming, I feel that businesses in Singapore, and the region in particular, have not given global warming the attention it deserves, as evidenced by the snail-paced progress that has been made so far.

Going forward, I feel that education on the calamitous consequences of global warming must be stepped up in schools, in workplaces and communities; and the media must be leveraged to drive home the message that global warming can and must be stopped, or be prepared to face the dire consequences of doing too little, too late.

Businesses should also take measures to reduce the dangers of global warming, not only in their operating environments but in the products they offer.

The push from consumers is the effective way, given that it is perhaps far-fetched to expect business executives to be very concerned, when they are unlikely to experience the ill-effects in their lifetimes.

Preserving the environment must be a way of life for all of us. It can only be effective when individuals take collective responsibility. Given that the catastrophic consequences of global warming are umpteen decades away, it is certainly not too late, but a lot more must be done, if our children and later generations are to be spared the disastrous effects. - Lim Soon Hock Managing Director PLAN-B ICAG

I BELIEVE that most business executives here and in the region are concerned about global warming. It can be significantly curtailed if fossil energy use can be substantially reduced.

Solar energy is a good alternative and executives in Singapore and the region should begin to learn how to use it to replace fossil energy and help curb global warming. - Ng Kong Yeam Group Executive Chairman Sino-America Tours Corporation

THE issue of global warming is indeed alarming, especially when we think that in the past 50 years we have used up more resources than we did in the last 500.

The silver lining is that the tipping point appears to have been reached, with the general consensus that the problem is genuine. Government bodies are urging the business community to become more involved in environmental efforts, creating new standards and regulations that businesses must meet. Notable names like UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and former US Vice-President Al Gore are also helping to raise public awareness of the issue.

In Asia Pacific and Singapore, more organisations are addressing environmental issues and implementing procedures to ensure they operate as good corporate citizens. Tackling this issue, however, must start with individuals thinking more about the problem, and this will push organisations to take action. We should all take care of our own backyard so that as a global community we protect our environment for the future. - Charles Reed CEO interTouch

WE are approaching almost universal agreement that warming of the world's climate is occurring and that this is steadily causing a melting of snow and the ice caps, which is leading to rising sea levels.

There's a groundswell of opinion that increased emissions of so-called greenhouse gases are a big culprit. Our human activity - or at least the way our activity has evolved with industrialisation - has contributed in no small part to this looming crisis.

While the scale of climatic events puts them beyond our control, everyone can do their part - governments, businesses and individuals - to reduce waste and lessen the energy we consume.

British businesses and scientists are engaged with this issue and are calling for genuine international action. On March 9 the British Chamber of Commerce in Singapore hosts a talk by Lord Levene, Chairman of Lloyds, on the impact of global climate change on business. The following week it hosts a private showing of Al Gore's film An Inconvenient Truth which dramatically predicts that global warming could lead to rising sea levels. This is an issue that many businesses and concerned individuals feel compelled to understand. - Terry D O'Connor President British Chamber of Commerce

GLOBAL warming has certainly made headlines in boardrooms. In the IT industry, business leaders are increasingly talking about greener and cleaner technologies. As pressures mount from increased consumer awareness, NGOs, environmental bodies and corporate governance codes, companies are exploring ways of doing business in a greener way.

From a tech industry perspective, we have to look at fostering technological innovation and creative initiatives to prevent global warming. Some ways include using materials from renewable resources, recycling materials, reusing heat from data centres or something as simple as turning off office lights during breaks and reducing unnecessary photo copying.

At Symantec, our data centre solutions save on energy use and reduce CO2 emissions through technologies such as virtualisation. - Eric Hoh Vice President, Asia South Symantec Corporation

GLOBAL warming has not just increased the average temperature but created erratic weather patterns such as hurricanes and heatwaves. As the globe becomes warmer, many glaciers may retreat and the northern forests may shift further north. Rapid population growth, industrialisation, pollution from cars, etc, have contaminated the earth in which we live. Global warming is also affecting our health with more cases of malaria and asthma. It is also weakening our already fragile ecosystems such as coral reefs. Awareness and commitment must be heightened.

This global concern has seen the enforcement of the Kyoto Protocol, an agreement made under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This protocol involves 169 countries and other government agencies, pledging their commitment to do their part in reducing CO2 emissions.

Industry associations, such as the Singapore Chemical Industry Council (SCIC), should be looked upon as platforms that can be used to raise awareness on such issues. SCIC represents companies from the chemical industry in Singapore and has been actively engaging its members and the industry at large on health, safety and environmental issues.

Participation in The Asia-Europe Environment Forum (ENVforum) is another viable channel. This year's discussion will touch on current climate change policies and issues as well as directions that could be taken in the light of a post-2012 climate policy regime. The ENVforum provides an excellent network platform for the public, industry and governments to meet and discuss climate change strategies.

Incentives should also be given to companies to adopt energy-saving initiatives such as the wider use of renewable energies like wind, solar and biomass power. These initiatives will have a dramatic effect on reducing emissions. I am sure we can all do our part to conserve our environment. - Shamsher Zaman Managing Director Linkers (Far East)

SCHRODERS believes every industry, including the financial services industry, has an important part to play in managing climate change. As a key player in the financial services industry, Schroders is conscious of the effects of global warming, and takes proactive measures to maximise energy efficiency.

On the business front, we are looking to launch investment products that allow investors to direct capital to environmentally responsible companies, which we hope will in turn encourage businesses to respond proactively and mitigate climate change. - Susan Soh Country Manager Schroders Singapore

GLOBAL warming is a growing phenomenon triggered by the excessive usage of pollutants in energy consumption as well as wild forest fires caused by massive deforestation. The alarm has been sounded by the environmentalists and the UN agency on environmental protection.

Businesses are generally aware but slow in responding to this global threat as the scale is now too huge to be handled by businesses alone. This requires the tripartite partnership of the governments, MNCs and local activists to educate, detect, enforce and protect the environment. There must be international cooperation to promote the protection of the environment through the judicious use of energy fuel, reforestation, harvesting, use of clean fuel and anti-pollution additives.

At the local level, public education is necessary for the average citizen to be conscious of the dire consequences of global warming. - Derek Goh Executive Chairman/Group CEO Serial System Ltd

What some companies have done

GLOBAL warming is an issue that nobody can ignore, no matter who and where we are. As humans are undeniably responsible for cumulative pollution that has contributed to global warming, human efforts can also help to minimise its devastating effects.

Earlier efforts to combat the depletion of the ozone layer have shown that a combination of civil effort, corporate initiatives, governmental regulations and change in consumption patterns can help mitigate the problem.

As a strong advocate of environmental conservation, CDL strives to incorporate environmental sustainability into our business as a developer and landlord. For some years now, we have adopted a three-pronged approach to develop eco-friendly properties; to manage our properties in an energy-efficient manner and to influence our stakeholders and the community on the importance of conservation.

The Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) policy we established has effectively monitored energy usage, water consumption and waste management at our construction sites, all of which have a significant impact on the environment.

As all stakeholders in the production process can contribute to conserving the environment, deliberate efforts have been put in to cultivate a strong sense of eco-consciousness among our staff, partners, contractors and suppliers.

Apart from adopting various energy-saving initiatives in our properties, we have also implemented programmes to raise the level of awareness to reuse, reduce and recycle among our tenants and homeowners.

Green experts have pointed out that it is a moment of enormous crisis. It is therefore the responsibility of each and everyone to take immediate action to adjust our lifestyle of convenience and ever-increasing consumption so as to reduce pollution that contributes to global warming. - Kwek Leng Joo Managing Director City Developments Ltd

WITH the effects of global warming becoming more threatening by the day, silence and non-action is no longer a viable option for organisations and corporations if we want to ensure our continued existence.

ABN AMRO has long recognised that as a global financial institution, we can play a key role in sustaining the environment. On the business front, we have taken great care to make sure we only engage in responsible lending and investments and that our commercial decisions do not in any way compromise our commitments and responsibilities towards Mother Earth.

Operationally, we have also successfully started several initiatives to save electricity and reduce paper consumption. For example, all our printers are set on default to double-sided printing and our staff are encouraged not to print hard copies of documents unnecessarily. We have also made it a point to print all our name cards on recyled paper. We believe these small changes in daily routines can in the long term add up to make a real difference to the environment. - David Wong Managing Director & Chief Executive ABN AMRO

COMPANIES in general and multinational corporations in particular have an important role to play in making the right sort of change happen. Standard Chartered intends to remain at the forefront of organisations tackling the issue of climate change. We set clear limits on the sort of projects we will fund, not only through applying the Equator Principles (guidelines adopted by financial institutions for addressing environmental and social concerns in major infrastructure projects), but also through our own methods for tackling social and environmental risk in the lending decisions we take.

We have also had an environment programme for some time. We consistently measure and manage our environmental impact such as energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, paper use, waste and water. This year, we will place more focus on raising awareness among our staff, with an initiative informing staff of the actions that they can take as individuals to help. - Lim Cheng Teck CEO Standard Chartered

ACROSS all markets where we operate, Philips is actively promoting energy management through the use of energy efficient lighting technology. We are working with relevant authorities in many countries, including Singapore, to help educate the public on the benefits of switching to energy efficient lighting. Lighting consumes 19 per cent of electricity in the world, and many homes and even businesses are still using old and energy-inefficient lighting technology. Just a simple switch from incandescent to compact fluorescent bulbs would result in substantial savings in energy cost and CO2 production.

Australia recently announced a legislated ban on incandescent bulbs by 2010. It's a very progressive move, which Philips is supporting, and which has sparked calls for similar bans in other countries. Philips' LED solutions are also available today that can alter the atmosphere in the home by offering a broad palette of colours from which to choose. Such solid-state and LED lighting offer the promise of even greater energy savings in the future. - Paul Peeters CEO Philips Electronics Singapore

WHILE our company, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, is only a minor direct contributor to CO2 emissions, the industry we deal with - the airline industry - is a major contributor, hence we and our clients are well aware of what drives global warming and what can be done to reduce or prevent it.

As a leader in corporate travel we've made sizeable investments in the past years into tools that: build awareness for travellers on emissions due to their choice of travel - air versus rail - via a CO2 emission calculator in online booking tools; rate hotels, eg, green hotels according to ISO reviews; report on CO2 emissions due to corporate travel so that companies can volunteer to 'offset' these emissions depending on their philosophy on corporate social responsibility (CSR), as many clients, in particular in the energy sector, decide to do. - Berthold Trenkel Chief Operating Officer, Asia Pacific Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT)

GOVERNMENT leadership and businesses in the region are already paying heed to the environment and the concerns over global warming. The recent Asean leaders' agreement closed recently in Cebu with Australia, Japan, China, India, New Zealand and Korea exemplifies a proactive consensus towards such environmental concerns. The agreement spells out the desire to look at Asean's economic growth and the need to manage its renewable energy and alternative fuel development, promotion of open trade including support by the private sector, and focus on improvements in energy efficiency.

Public corporations or businesses can serve as catalysts for action on climate change, though governments must step forward with equal conviction.

At GE, we have taken a new approach to solving some of our customers' toughest environmental problems through what we call 'ecomagination'. Through this initiative, we apply advanced new technologies in the products we produce to create the world's most energy efficient commercial, industrial and household appliances and equipment. Commercial products include power turbines, aircraft engines, water and also renewable sources of energy such as wind and solar.

Through 'ecomagination', GE concurrently works with governments to address environmental challenges, such as mandating caps on greenhouse gases. Launched in May 2005, ''ecomagination' is GE's commitment to help our customers meet environmental challenges and improve their operating performance. Among our commitment to ''ecomagination' - doubling investments in R&D to US$1.5 billion by 2010; introducing more 'ecomagination' products; and reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving energy efficiency. We will focus on working with our customers and governments in the countries we operate in through technology partnerships, convening stakeholders on key issues, sharing best practices and creating marketing partnerships to make the most of commercialising new technologies, while meeting environmental constraints. - Colin Low President, Singapore, Philippines & Vietnam GE Aircraft Engines

WE cannot speak for other companies here but as a responsible corporate citizen operating in Singapore and many major international cities, Cathay Pacific is concerned about the issue of global warming and we recognise it as one of the most serious environmental challenges facing the industry.

The company has set up a climate change task group at its head office in Hong Kong, which comprises key operational departments to be in charge of the development of our environmental positioning and policy.

Details of our position are as follows: Cathay Pacific is committed to seeking new ways to minimise the consequences of our operations, specifically by focusing on fuel efficiency as a key internal way to tackle climate change and working with industry partners on technological and logistical improvements. The company also supported the climate change initiatives that have a direct impact on climate change improvement; do not single out aviation in comparison to other modes of transport; maintain a level playing field for competition; and maintain the economic viability and growth of the industry. Cathay Pacific also understands that emissions trading is a possible mechanism to help mitigate the impact of the industry on climate change. However, the company believes that further study is required to ensure that such initiatives can be applied practically to a global industry such as aviation.

To raise the level of awareness and commitment, we believe that communication of the right messages about aviation and climate change is important in educating staff and passengers alike about the situation. In that regard, we are working closely with industry partners such as the International Air Transport Association (Iata) which has been advocating a consistent approach to help dispel the misconceptions associated with the industry. (According to a report issued by Iata in 2005, aviation is only responsible for 2 per cent of the global CO2 emission, while contributing 8 per cent of global GDP.

Cathay Pacific is committed to doing our part to raise awareness and educate our travelling public and our staff about the climate change issue in relation to the aviation industry. - Stephen Wong Country Manager, Singapore Cathay Pacific Airways

THERE is greater awareness on global warming in Singapore, the region, even globally, thanks to intensive coverage on the phenomenon. A lot more can be done at an individual, local, country, regional and global levels to not only raise the level of awareness on this very important issue, but to commit to making a change to reverse this trend now. Each one of us has a responsibility in taking small but significant steps to improve energy efficiencies. As global citizens, we should initiate more education for schools, community centres, industry associations, among other stakeholders, to continue to coach citizens on the need for change and what they can do to make a difference. As a society, we need to improve energy efficiencies in our buildings and in transportation, work on greater local and global cooperation in policy initiatives to use energy-efficient technologies.

IBM has been committed to environmental issues since it created its corporate policy on environmental affairs in the early 1970s. For instance, at IBM buildings we have included energy saving features in our conference rooms. We have included a 'smart room' feature - if there is any inactivity in the room for a specified number of minutes, the lights in the room would automatically be turned off. IBM's shuttle bus services that shuttle employees to lunch venues on a daily basis and the work-from-home programme have greatly reduced the number of employees commuting, thus reducing the number of vehicles on the road, resulting in less emission of carbon dioxide.

IBM also shares its climate protection efforts with our clients by providing energy-efficient products. They cover the spectrum from the low-frequency, low-power embedded processors in Blue Gene supercomputer to the Calibrated Vectored Cooling in IBM BladeCenter and System x servers. - Teresa Lim Managing Director IBM Singapore

FROM a business perspective, we see our customers and other stakeholders focus increasingly on the social and environmental impact of our activities. For some of our clients it is already part of the decision-making process on whether to employ our services. Global warming is a fact and everyone is responsible for it.

At TNT, we believe that companies too can make a contribution to the environment and have the responsibility to do so. As an international express company, social responsibility is an integral part of our business and an important management tool for TNT.

On a global level, our CEO, Peter Bakker, has committed to a variety of initiatives to support our aspirations and values in social responsibility. These include: Encouraging operating units to achieve international standards such as the Investors in People, ISO 9001: 2000, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001 and SA8000; Training employees on the social and environmental dimensions of their roles; Encouraging our suppliers to introduce programmes that support our own objectives because we take responsibility for the effects of our entire supply chain in line with a commitment to legal compliance, continuous improvement and sustainability. Benchmarking our policies, strategies and programmes internally and externally to encourage continuous improvement in all areas of our activities. Developing programmes that reduce the emissions of our operational activities. - Damien Tan Managing Director TNT Singapore
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