Ecosystem is a new collaborative and coworking space for the environment, and is a joint initiative between Green Future Solutions and Shft.

Ecosystem emulates the development of symbiotic relationships between organisations working in the environmental sector. It is a platform that allows organisations to have close and long-term interactions, generating larger network of people with common interests, more business opportunities and complementary expertise for each other.

The Ecosystem co-working office space near Bugis would be ready in March and we are looking for environmental startups, companies and organisations to join our community. We are offering an early bird rate for those who wish to sign up for a permanent table space and enjoy our services.

If you are looking for an office space for your green startup, check out http://www.ecosystem.sg/ and connect with us at http://www.facebook.com/ecosystemsg or http://www.twitter.com/ecosystemsg.

The Our SG Conversation for the Green Community (OSC) was held last Saturday 19 January at Singapore Polytechnic. This OSC was initiated by Faizah Jamal, Nominated Member of Parliament (Environment and Heritage) People and Civic Sector, and Eugene Tay, Director, Green Future Solutions, in collaboration with the Singapore Polytechnic Environment Club and “Our Singapore” Programme Office, Public Service Division.

55 participants, including 45 representatives from green groups and 10 from the public, turned up on a rainy Saturday morning to voice their thoughts and vision for Singapore. The diverse views of the green community, which included environmental NGOs and groups; individual environment, animal and wildlife activists; and environmental businesses, associations and research academics, added an important voice to the overall national conversation.

The small group discussions started with looking at our past and present, with the following key questions:

• Think of a personal experience or story when you were most and least inspired for a green future in Singapore.
• What is the biggest concern that you face in your work in the green community and with other Singaporeans?

Some participants share their positive experience on volunteering as nature guides; how the appreciation of nature led to being concerned about other green issues; and the green consciousness seen in other countries.

Other participants share their least inspired stories of Singaporeans having a “don’t know, don’t care” attitude which drives overconsumption and wasteful behaviour; the current generation of youth not having much interaction with the environment and nature; and the limitations in engagement among the environmental movement, government and citizens.

Next, the small groups moved on to discuss our vision for Singapore in 2022, and explored the following key questions:

• What do we envision for Singapore?
• What is the role of civil society, private enterprise, government, and the ordinary citizen?
• How can the green community be more creative, engaging and inspiring in the way we communicate with Singaporeans on our environmental concerns and visions?

Each group presented their views and we ended with a big group discussions on what has been said and what we can do next.

Some of the diverse views from the groups include:

• The need for environmental impact assessments (EIA)
• A country that respects the earth and looks at Gross National Happiness
• The government moving away from enforcement and regulation, towards helping people who help themselves
• The need for people in the various environmental sectors (public, NGOs, institutions and government) to collaborate
• Corporations having a larger role to play in conservation and the environment
• Consumerist lifestyle of Singaporeans need to be addressed
• Government should adopt a holistic approach when it comes to policy implementation
• Incorporate environmental issues and awareness into the education system
• More attention on climate change, and managing waste, energy, and food properly
• Moving from 5Cs to a 5Gs society: gracious, green, giving, grounded, grateful
• More environmental narratives and stories from the media
• Mainstreaming the green agenda

The photos and a short video of the OSC will be posted at http://www.facebook.com/OSCgreen. Also check out the media coverage at:

• Suria, http://on.fb.me/SlcsbU
• Straits Times, http://bit.ly/WuqTZh or http://on.fb.me/SlbWL7
• Lianhe Zaobao, http://on.fb.me/VSqwKJ

We will compile the notes from the OSC and send it to the Our Singapore Programme Office. In addition, the notes would be included in a report and sent to the participants, government agencies and Ministers, and be made available for public download.

We would like to thank all those who helped us in organising this OSC:

• Singapore Polytechnic Environment Club, especially Elaine, Li Min and Nazurah, and Student Development Officer, Valerie
• Facilitators: Vaneeta, Yeung Lee, Dave, Bhavani, Lastrina, Melissa, Zafirah, November
• Scribes: Farhan, Chin Hsien, Yang Xuan, Ding Li, Ezra, Veronica, Isabela, Pricilia
• Photographer:Hari
• Videographer: Alicia
• Our young volunteers from SOTA
• Our Singapore Programme Office: Daniel, Stephanie and Nicholas

Our SG Conversation for the Green Community is organised by Faizah Jamal, Nominated Member of Parliament (Environment and Heritage) People and Civic Sector, and Eugene Tay, Director, Green Future Solutions, in collaboration with the “Our Singapore” Programme Office, Public Service Division.

The ongoing Our SG Conversation (OSC) provides an opportunity for Singaporeans to come together and discuss our vision and priorities as a country. We believe that the green community would also be able to contribute and make a difference to this national conversation. The diverse views of the green community, which includes environmental NGOs and groups; individual environment, animal and wildlife activists; and environmental businesses, associations and research academics, would add an important voice to the overall conversation.

To that end, we are organising the “Our SG Conversation for the Green Community” session with the following objectives:

• Allow the green community to come together and voice our thoughts and vision for Singapore
• Input the views and discussions of the green community into the OSC process
• Foster greater interaction and discussion among the green community on national issues beyond the OSC process

As we are adopting the existing OSC format and facilitation questions, our discussion is on general issues and our vision for Singapore, and not just on green issues. Although as members of the green community, our focus will naturally be on green issues, we should aim to communicate and weave our concerns in line with the OSC process so that our concerns can be seen as relevant to all Singaporeans and the country as a whole, and not just the views of a small group of people.

We are inviting 64 representatives from the green community to join us for this session on 19 Jan. So far, we have confirmed representatives from these groups:

1. Earth Hour Global
2. Action for Singapore Dogs
3. Singapore Institute of International Affairs
4. Sustainable Living Lab
5. Nature Trekker
6. Green IT Chapter, Singapore Infocomm Technology Federation
7. EART-H
8. Centre for Sustainable Asian Cities
9. Department of Geography, NUS
10. Waterways Watch Society
11. Residues & Resource Reclamation Centre
12. Kranji Countryside Association
13. Singapore Polytechnic Environment Club
14. Energy Research Institute @ NTU
15. Edible “Garden City” Project
16. Energy Studies Institute
17. Blue Water Volunteers
18. Ground-Up Initiative
19. SPCA
20. Avelife
21. Environmental Challenge Organisation (Singapore)
22. Waste Management and Recycling Association of Singapore
23. Environmental Rangers Club (Ngee Ann Polytechnic)
24. Conservation Interest Group (Republic Polytechnic)
25. Environmental Management Association of Singapore
26. Nature Society
27. Singapore Green Building Council
28. The Living! Project
29. Vegetarian Society (Singapore)
30. ITE College East Environment Club
31. Cat Welfare Society
32. Bachelor of Environmental Studies Student Committee (NUS)
33. GEO Council (Nanyang Polytechnic)
34. NIE Green Club
35. Wildlife Conservation Society
36. Green Kampong
37. International Coastal Cleanup Singapore
38. Raffles Museum Toddycats!
39. The Hantu Bloggers
40. WWF Singapore
41. SMU verts
42. 350 Singapore
43. Naked Hermit Crabs
44. Kampung Temasek
45. TeamSeagrass
46. Energy Carta (NUS)
47. Hemispheres Foundation
48. Green Drinks
49. Keep Singapore Beautiful Movement
50. Singapore Environment Council
51. Wildsingapore
52. EARTHlink NTU
53. NUSSU SAVE

Our SG Conversation is an opportunity for all Singaporeans, including the green community, to contribute our thoughts and discuss our vision of a better Singapore.

Join us for updates on the Our SG Conversation for the Green Community Facebook page, and share your views too!

Our Singapore Conversation (OSC) is the national conversation for Singaporeans to come together and discuss our vision and priorities as a country.

Several OSC sessions have already taken place and the dialogue sessions have been encouraging and positive, with many Singaporeans actively contributing their thoughts and sharing their vision for a better Singapore.

So far, we have not noticed much environmental issues and sustainability visions being discussed during the OSC sessions. We attended an OSC session and there really is not much discussions on our green vision and priorities.

The OSC would move on to the second phase next year, where common topics discussed during the previous OSC sessions would be consolidated and specific themes would be discussed. We feel that as the green voice is lacking in the current conversation, it is unlikely that the next phase would include discussions on the environment.

We believe that the green community would also be able to contribute and make a difference to this national conversation. The diverse views of the green community, which includes environmental NGOs and groups; individual environment, animal and wildlife activists; and environmental businesses, associations and research academics, would add an important voice to the overall conversation.

There are 2 things the green community can do to keep the green voice alive in the OSC:

1) You can participate in the OSC sessions and share your green views. Sign up for upcoming OSC sessions here.

2) We are planning to organise an OSC session for the green community, with the following objectives:

• Allow the green community to come together and voice our thoughts and vision for Singapore
• Input the views and discussions of the green community into the OSC process
• Foster greater interaction and discussion among the green community on national issues

More details coming soon. Meanwhile, if you’re interested in helping out, do send us an email. Thanks!

Our Singapore Conversation is an opportunity for all Singaporeans, including the green community, to contribute our thoughts and discuss our vision of a better Singapore. Let us contribute actively and positively to this national conversation.

Moving forward, it is likely we would see more disagreements and opposition to future urbanisation, housing and road plans for Singapore. Active citizens and NGOs can’t keep on “fighting” one issue after the other, and signing one petition after the other. It is tiring, ineffective and unproductive. It is time for the relevant planning authorities to reflect and change how they do their work.

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by the late Stephen R. Covey is a classic book on personal change and leading change. The 7 Habits could be adapted to serve as a useful reminder and tool for the planning authorities to think about if they wish to change how they do things.

Habit 1: Be Proactive

Being proactive is more than just taking action, it means taking responsibility and going the extra mile to consult and engage the residents. Understand that the ground has shifted – people are more vocal and there is better appreciation of nature and heritage. Developments that are accepted in the past without any fuss may now face disagreement and opposition from the residents. Some people might feel that their neighbourhood is now part of their home and no longer just the government’s land.

Take the initiative by speaking to residents and understand their concerns, before making your decisions (not after). And don’t assume that just because the development plans are already in the Concept and Master Plans or announced to the public, the public must then accept them and not “make noise” now because they didn’t “make noise” when it was announced earlier.

Habit 2: Begin With The End In Mind

Remember your vision of creating an endearing home for Singapore. Don’t just focus on climbing the ladder, make sure your ladder is up against the right wall before you start climbing. What is Singapore’s optimum population (the right wall)? Focus not on quantity but on quality.

At the end of the day, your job is to build homes, not houses. A home is more than the physical house and infrastructure, a home comprises the surrounding natural and heritage areas and interactions among residents. When you build more houses for our growing population, remember that the saddest result in the future could be that we have sufficient houses to house our people then, but people don’t treat Singapore as home and don’t have a sense of belonging because their natural surroundings and heritage have been erased to make room for houses and roads.

Habit 3: Put First Things First

Plan and execute your work based on importance rather than urgency. Evaluate whether your efforts are in line with your mission and vision. The urgent work might be to build more houses and more roads, but the important focus should be on creating better homes and a sustainable transport system, while balancing the needs for nature and recreation and preserving the memories of Singaporeans.

Habit 4: Think Win/Win

Always look for a solution that benefits you and the residents, and genuinely strive for mutually beneficial agreements with the residents. Enter a discussion with the belief that Win/Win is possible and necessary to earn respect from the people in the long run.

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood

Listen carefully and genuinely understand the residents before stating your stand or giving your thoughts. Keep an open mind and understand what people are feeling. Understand and address their concerns first and then explain why you have to implement certain policies. This creates an atmosphere of trust and respect and starts the process of finding the solutions and alternatives.

Habit 6: Synergize

Encourage meaningful contribution from the residents, and provide supportive leadership and processes for cooperation and engagement. Engaging with the residents not only helps to develop better solutions together but also builds relationships and trust.

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw

Take time to assess your organisation’s skills, resources, processes and values, and ensure that they are adequate to address the increasing role of bottom-up activism. When and how do you engage residents? How do you create a Win/Win solution? Is there a need to have more training and resources? Do the existing leadership and management recognize and adapt to the shifting ground?

The 7 Habits of Green Conscious Singaporeans is a book published by Eugene Tay, the Director of Green Future Solutions and Founder of Greenstore.

If you wish to go green and take action, this book makes it easier for you. Eugene has compiled a list of 7 habits that are commonly found in people who are green conscious and environmentally aware. All of us can start learning these 7 habits now and take action to improve and protect the environment. The 7 habits include:

Habit 1: Respect nature and renew your bond
Habit 2: Improve your environmental awareness and knowledge
Habit 3: Reduce your environmental impact
Habit 4: Spread the green message and influence others
Habit 5: Support green initiatives and groups
Habit 6: Participate as an active citizen
Habit 7: Choose to be a responsible consumer

The habits begin with first developing your “Self” by respecting and renewing your relationship with nature and its biodiversity, improving on your understanding of environmental issues and knowledge, and taking personal actions to reduce your energy and water usage, and waste disposal.

Next, move on to influence your “Family, Friends, School, Work or Group” by spreading the environmental message to others such as family members, friends and colleagues, and convincing organisations that you belong to, such as schools, companies, or social groups, to be more green.

Finally, go one step further to shape your “Community and Local Environment” through supporting green initiatives by the government and environmental groups, volunteering or joining activities organised by the groups, participating actively as a citizen to shape government policies, and choosing to be a responsible consumer who supports green businesses and products.

You can practise all the 7 habits or adopt a few habits to do something for the environment. The habits are only a guide to help you make the first move and to inspire you to do more.

Greenstore is offering a free online copy of the book for its newsletter subscribers!

Here’s some of the survey results and our thoughts:

Gap Between Awareness and Action

These survey results show that most Singaporeans are concerned about climate change and its effect on Singapore, and feel that they play a part in taking action. The results are not surprising, as it is similar to responses from previous NEA and Gallup surveys, which show similar positive responses from Singaporeans on environmental and climate change issues.

We think that Singaporeans know about climate change as we are being exposed to local and international environmental news through the printed and online media, but we tend to stop at awareness and not translate that into action. The survey results show a concern about climate change and a desire to take action, but does not describe actual actions. We feel that there is still a big gap to be bridged between awareness and action in Singapore.

Although survey participants indicated their current practices to address climate change, we feel that the numbers are too positive and higher than the real situation. For example:

• 90.3% of survey participants indicated that they turn off electrical appliances at the main. In a 2010 LOHAS Study of the Singapore market, only 71% out of 1,000 participants say they unplug or tun off electronics.
• 80.3% of participants said they practise the 3Rs. In 2010, Singapore’s recycling rate is only 58% and the household participation rate in the National Recycling Programme is 63% in 2008.
• 76.8% say they use public transport when possible. A transport survey of 10,500 households in Singapore show that 59% of respondents used public transport.
• 72.3% choose appliances which carry an Energy Label. Since 2008, it is mandatory for all air-conditioners, refrigerators and clothes dryers to have the Energy Label, so Singaporeans are already choosing Energy Label appliances by default.

Like all our New Year resolutions and plans to lose weight and exercise more, we are always concerned, feel we need to take action, and feel we will be affected if we don’t take action. But in reality, we are swept by the waves of our busy daily lives and go on business-as-usual. We know and we care, but we don’t act, until it hurts.

The government has to find ways of helping Singaporeans translate their awareness, knowledge, concerns and desires into real actions.

Both Individual and Systemic Actions

The survey results show that 56.3% of Singaporeans think that individuals are mainly responsible for taking action on climate change, followed by government (26.3%) and businesses (10.6%). While it is important for the individual to take action on climate change, it is even more important to focus on systemic actions. We must understand that the main contributors of carbon dioxide emissions in Singapore are from the industry and building sectors – 70% in 2005.

We need systemic actions such as building sustainable urban infrastructure and green buildings; increasing the resilience of our energy, water and food security; redesigning and developing new ways of making and reusing products and materials; and conserving our biodiversity. These large systemic actions can only be achieved through the efforts of the government and businesses, but it can happen faster with individuals pushing for these actions to be discussed and implemented.

Everyone can play a part to tackle climate change in Singapore, through our own individual actions and through encouraging the government and businesses to take action in creating systemic changes.

Images: NCCS

The Green Corridor is a former railway while Bukit Brown is a cemetery, so different yet so similar. The Green Corridor and Bukit Brown both connects the past and future, and both involves heritage and the environment. I hope that all of you can support the preservation of Bukit Brown, just as you have actively supported The Green Corridor so far.

I supported The Green Corridor proposal by NSS because I feel that it would improve Singapore’s long-term resilience. The biggest threat to Singapore is apathy, and when Singaporeans do not feel a sense of belonging and are not bothered with what goes on here, then Singapore is in trouble.

For Singapore to survive and prosper in the long term, it is necessary to have more opportunities in preserving our shared memories and creating our shared vision. And keeping the railway lands as a Green Corridor is one opportunity not to be wasted.

Similarly, I feel that Bukit Brown is another excellent opportunity that enables Singaporeans to feel they belong here by remembering our past and creating our future.

Remembering Our Past

Bukit Brown tells the stories of our forefathers who built Singapore, and creates opportunities for history education and discovery. The cemetery connects Singapore’s past and present, and allows us to understand that Singapore’s success is built up by our forefathers’ sweat and tears, and should not be taken for granted.

We should preserve Bukit Brown because it helps us remember our past and keeps us rooted to Singapore.

Creating Our Future

Bukit Brown presents the opportunity for transforming the cemetery into a world-class living outdoor museum or heritage park. If this transformation adopts a bottom-up approach and with stakeholder engagement, it would allow us to come together, plan and work towards a future Singapore where heritage, nature and our economic needs can co-exist.

We should preserve Bukit Brown because it enables us to work together and build bonds and resilience, and to create a space where our children and their children can enjoy and be proud of.

Support Bukit Brown

Singapore is a young nation and needs more common spaces like The Green Corridor and Bukit Brown to remind us how we got here and why this is home, and to create opportunities for building our future social resilience. Support Bukit Brown, just as you have supported The Green Corridor.

Here’s what you can do:

1. Sign the petition to save Bukit Brown 100% at the SOS Bukit Brown – Save Our Singapore website.

2. Join the Heritage Singapore – Bukit Brown Cemetery Facebook Group and the All Things Bukit Brown website to understand more about Bukit Brown and keep yourself updated.

3. Spread the message by sharing with your friends about Bukit Brown and urging them to sign the petition.

In the end, our society will be defined not only by what we create, but by what we refuse to destroy. – John C. Sawhill

By Eugene Tay

1) Prepare a proposal reframing Bukit Brown away from a cemetery

The government already has development plans for Bukit Brown, including the current road construction and future housing development. To potentially reverse the decision already made, the alternative option must be of equal or higher value than existing plans (not necessary in monetary terms). In Singapore’s context, positioning or framing Bukit Brown as a cemetery is not persuasive enough.

One possible idea is to reframe Bukit Brown as Singapore’s first outdoor museum (inspired by Skansen, the popular open-air museum in Sweden – http://www.skansen.se/en). A proposal could be prepared to explain the value of turning Bukit Brown into an outdoor museum, which would provide insights on Singapore’s past heritage and natural history in an open-air natural setting. Visitors can explore the tombs of Singapore’s prominent pioneers, which would be combined with stories, customs, crafts, physical buildings, structures and objects that are relevant to understanding our past pre-1965. Biological diversity, especially live native plants and animals, or preserved species found in the past, could be highlighted in the outdoor museum. The outdoor museum would be an unique place for Singaporeans and visitors to understand more about pre-1965 Singapore.

The above idea is only one potential idea and it is up to the campaign participants to come up with the ideas for preserving Bukit Brown in the proposal. Whatever the final ideas proposed, a written formal document highlighting the reasons for preserving Bukit Brown, combined with facts and figures, is necessary for engaging the government and as a tool for further discussion and negotiation. The proposal would be sent to the Prime Minister, all Ministers and MPs, and the relevant government agencies.

2) Consolidate efforts by various groups into a single platform and issue a call-to-action

A campaign website is needed and should be used as the “home base” linking to Facebook and other social media tools such as Twitter, Flickr and YouTube, and vice versa. The campaign objective is to 1) explain about the proposal and why preserve Bukit Brown, 2) unite all supporters and actively engage them, 3) show the government that there is strong support for the proposal, and 4) to archive all stories, photos, videos on Bukit Brown.

There are several existing Facebook Groups and Pages on Bukit Brown, which are doing great work. However, it would be good to consolidate efforts by the various people and have just a single platform to explain the proposal, provide the latest info and events, and engage all stakeholders. This helps to avoid confusion for supporters and to avoid diluting the numbers or duplicating efforts. It is important to note that for campaigning purposes, always use a FB Page and not a Group. The FB Page is better for engaging supporters and for analyzing statistics on usage. If resources are available, manage FB and Twitter accounts separately. If not, just link Twitter to FB, and let FB update the Twitter account automatically.

It is important to decide on the call-to-action for supporters. It should be easy and simple for supporters to show their support for the proposal. The call-to-action could be ‘liking’ the page and signing a petition, which should be posted prominently on the website. The numbers would be presented to the relevant government officials on a regular or monthly basis to show them that there is public support for the proposal. It is also necessary to encourage supporters to write in to their MPs and the media on the proposal. A written letter to the relevant Minister or MP would be best. It would help if a letter template and the MP email contacts are made easily available on the website.

3) Engage and communicate with stakeholders both online and offline

All stakeholders whether government, businesses, organisations and the public should be engaged actively online and offline. There should be one email for enquiries. Always link online and offline together, one can’t do without the other.

All offline events should mention the call-to-action and about spreading the word. A special walk involving ‘connectors’ who are people who know lots of people or have a significant online influence, should be organised to let them appreciate the value of Bukit Brown, and hopefully they would help spread the word further. Regular public walks must be organised to keep the momentum and interest going. Event info should be clear and directions or meeting points given. Maps of Bukit Brown should be prominent and easily accessible on the website.

Online engagement through FB should be on a daily basis, involving 80% content relevant to the campaign, and 20% fun and interesting content not necessary relevant to Bukit Brown. Make use of photos, videos, questions and polls to engage FB supporters. It is necessary to just trial and error, and see what works, and change accordingly and be flexible. Reply to every FB comment where possible, remove spam posts immediately, and tag government FB pages when necessary. Always post long articles on the website and place link on FB. Don’t write essays on the FB status updates, it’s only for short sentences. If you have a lot to write, use Notes.

The National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS) is currently preparing the National Climate Change Strategy 2012 (NCCS-2012) publication, and is seeking public feedback and ideas.

The NCCS-2012 will provide a framework and overall strategy for Singapore to tackle climate change, and will outline policies and measures to reduce emissions, cope with the impact of climate change and build our capabilities.

The public consultation by NCCS involves conducting an online consultation exercise, focus group sessions and community forums. You can give your feedback and ideas via the NCCS website from now till 14 Oct.

Here are 12 ideas for the National Climate Change Strategy 2012, which was submitted by Green Future Solutions to NCCS:

1. Support a National Campaign on Climate Change Involving Different Stakeholders
2. Explore Soft Approaches to Create Behavior Change
3. Expand the Mandatory Energy Labelling Scheme to Other Common Products
4. Encourage Carpooling, Carsharing and Bikesharing
5. Provide Incentives for Commercial Transport Fleet Operators to Reduce Fuel Consumption
6. Set Clear Direction to Promote Cleaner Vehicles
7. Provide Practical Advice for SMEs to Measure and Reduce Energy and Carbon Emissions
8. Mandate Building Owners to Reduce Lightings at Night
9. Include SCEM Training Curriculum into Relevant Tertiary School Courses
10. Set Mandatory Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard
11. Work Towards a Four National Switches Energy Strategy
12. Rethink the Use of Coal

If you wish to read more about the 12 ideas, you can download the report at the Green Future Solutions website.

Image: Screenshot of NCCS website