UN Global Compact Network Singapore Launches the 15th Global Compact Network Singapore Summit 2023 & The 8th Singapore Apex Corporate Sustainability Awards

SINGAPORE, Oct. 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- UN Global Compact Network Singapore (GCNS) is proud to announce that it is holding two back-to-back annual flagship events that promise to bring together leaders, change-makers, and innovators from the realms of sustainability and corporate responsibility. The 15th edition of the GCNS Summit, titled "The Decade to Deliver: Raising the Bar on Sustainability Ambition", on 2 November 2023, while the 8th Singapore Apex Corporate Sustainability Awards will be held a day later, on 3 November 2023. Both events will be held at Orchard Hotel, Singapore.

The two flagship events hosted by GCNS will feature a diverse line-up of distinguished speakers and thought leaders hailing from various sectors. Confirmed speakers include:

Mr. Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Board Member for United Nations Global Compact & Chairman and CEO, Schneider Electric; Dr. Bicky Bhangu, President UN Global Compact Network Singapore & President, Rolls-Royce Southeast Asia, Pacific and South Korea; Prof. Lynn Loo, Co-founder, Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonization (GCMD);  Ms. Yuki Yasui, Managing Director, Asia Pacific Network, Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ); Ms. Melissa Moi, Head of Sustainable Business, United Overseas Bank Limited (UOB); Mr. Ted Howland, Vice President, Group Sustainability, CapitaLand, to name a few.

Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies, Mr. Heng Swee Keat, will be partaking in a fireside chat titled 'Decarbonisation in Uncertain Times: Challenges and Opportunities", at this year's Summit.

We are also honoured to announce that Ms. Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, will grace the Apex Awards as the Guest of Honour and will take part in a fireside chat titled "Forward Faster Corporate Sustainability: A Conversation with Minister Grace Fu".

Speaking on this year's events, Dr. Bicky Bhangu, President, GCNS, said: "Urgent challenges call for immediate solutions. This is our opportunity to drive realistic sustainability measures. The summit is a platform for stakeholders to come together, share insights and commit to raising the bar on sustainability ambition."

"As we have less than a decade remaining to implement sustainable solutions for the world, it is imperative that we intensify our efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. We aim to accelerate large-scale sustainability and social change initiatives, enabling us to confront these unparalleled challenges effectively," commented Ms. Esther Chang, Executive Director, GCNS. 

GCNS Summit 2023

The flagship summit, set to take place on 2 November 2023, will convene regional business and sustainability leaders to unite in their commitment to advancing sustainability goals and addressing global and local challenges. GCNS Summit 2023 aims to address the uncertainties to identify opportunities for growth, facilitate dialogue to foster cooperation and drive transformative action, in alignment with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Highlights include high-level panel discussions, focused breakout sessions and networking opportunities, where distinguished leaders from various sectors will share insights and strategies to accelerate sustainability progress and discuss the rising trends that are set to shape the global business landscape.

Join sustainability leaders across industries to explore regional trends, challenges and opportunities for the business ecosystem to collaborate and expedite progress towards net zero, and other Global Goals.

The event will also feature the 2023 CDL-GCNS Young SDG Leaders Award, offering young people a platform to champion sustainable development and SDG integration into business for positive change.

For registration and event details, please access the event webpage. 

Singapore Apex Corporate Sustainability Awards 2023

Taking place on November 3, 2023, the Singapore Apex Corporate Sustainability Awards is the Singapore benchmark of excellence in corporate sustainability. Organised by UN Global Compact Network Singapore (GCNS), it recognises businesses whose operations or solutions have demonstrated excellence in embodying the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact, in the areas of environment, human rights, labour and anti-corruption. This year, the awards attracted over 100 applicants across the 3 categories.

The newly introduced by-invite-only LowCarbonSG award category is helmed by the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition (CPLC) Singapore, jointly launched by GCNS and World Bank's CPLC in 2018. This award category recognises businesses that have made outstanding improvements in their carbon emissions (at least 5% reduction in scope 1 and 2 emissions) over a 24-month period through a commendable level of effort and / or investment.

Other Singapore Apex Corporate Sustainability Awards categories include Sustainable Business – companies that demonstrate excellence in implementing sustainable business practices within the core operations, and Sustainable Solutions – companies that excel in developing products or services that address the sustainability needs of other businesses.

Companies who perform exceptionally well in each sustainability category of the awards stand a chance of winning the highly coveted Apex Winner Award.

The finalists by category are:

Sustainable Business: Lendlease Global Commercial Trust Management Pte Ltd; Sentosa Golf Club; Daikin Airconditioning (Singapore) Pte Ltd; Maxeon Solar Technologies Ltd

Sustainable Solutions: Sembcorp Industries Ltd; Keppel Corporation Ltd; Rimm Sustainability Pte Ltd; Matex Holdings Pte Ltd; Umami Bioworks Pte Ltd

LowCarbonSG: Tru-Marine Pte Ltd; Containers Printers Pte Ltd; Ovol Singapore Pte Ltd; SWTS Pte Ltd; Vac-Tech Engineering Pte Ltd

Knowledge Partners:

  • ENGIE Impact for Sustainable Business category
  • Frost & Sullivan for Sustainable Solutions category
  • Newcastle Australia Institute of Higher Education for LowCarbonSG category

Applications for the 2024 Singapore Apex Corporate Sustainability Awards will open on 06 November, 2023. For event details, ticket purchase, or to register interest for the 2024 Awards, please access the event webpage.

PR Newswire is the Official Media Distribution Partner of the 15th Global Compact Network Singapore Summit and the 08th Singapore Apex Corporate Sustainability Awards.

About UN Global Compact Network Singapore (GCNS)

UN Global Compact Network Singapore (GCNS) is the local chapter of the United Nations Global Compact. As the leading voice on corporate sustainability, GCNS drives multi-stakeholder action to forge a more sustainable future, founded on the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact and the Sustainable Development Goals. Through various platforms and partnerships, GCNS advances the stewardship of sustainable business practices and Singapore's national agenda of becoming a regional sustainable business hub.

For more information about GCNS, please visit: https://unglobalcompact.sg/

About the UN Global Compact Network Singapore Summit 2023

Despite being halfway to 2030, we are still not delivering on the SDGs ambition at the necessary pace and scale. Themed "The Decade to Deliver: Raising the Bar on Sustainability Ambition", the event will host Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat as the Guest of Honour, alongside distinguished industry leaders and sustainability experts.

For more information about the GCNS Summit 2023, please visit: https://summit.unglobalcompact.sg/

About Singapore Apex Corporate Sustainability Awards 2023

Organised by GCNS, the Singapore Apex Corporate Sustainability Awards is the most prestigious form of recognition for companies in Singapore on corporate sustainability. The Awards recognise companies whose business operations or solutions have demonstrated excellence in embodying the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact, in the areas of environment, human rights, labour and anti-corruption. The Awards also recognise companies attaining the triple bottom line.

To learn more about the Singapore Apex Corporate Sustainability Awards, please visit: https://apexawards.unglobalcompact.sg/

About the CDL-GCNS Young SDG Leader's Award 

Jointly organised by City Developments Limited (CDL) and Global Compact Network Singapore (GCNS), this annual case competition offers young people a platform to champion sustainable development and SDG integration into business for positive change. Previously known as the CDL-GCNS Young CSR Leaders Award, the competition has nurtured over 2,400 young leaders since inception in 2011. By aligning with the global goals for sustainable development, the Award seeks to educate and empower young leaders with SDG knowledge and skills, while inspiring companies in Singapore to take concrete actions for the SDGs. To find out more about the CDL and GCNS Young SDG Leader's Award, please visit: https://cdlsustainability.com/sdg-stakeholder-partnerships/cdl-gcns-young-sdg-leadersaward/