Mr Chairman,
1. To achieve sustainability as our competitive advantage for Singapore, foundational education in our schools will be a key enabler, but the capabilities of our institutions – Autonomous Universities (AUs), polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education – and the competencies of our graduates and the workforce, will be the real needle movers.
Education as Enabler: Advancing the Eco Stewardship Programme in Schools
2. Let me first provide an update on the efforts in our schools.
3. MOE has been making good progress since the announcement of the Eco Stewardship Programme (ESP) last year.
4. Through the "4Cs" approach of Curriculum, Campus, Culture and Community, we continue to holistically nurture our students, from primary to pre-university levels, to be environmental stewards for our future.
5. We will continue to support our teachers for the ESP, through professional development opportunities and teaching resources on sustainability in the Student Learning Space.
6. MOE is also developing an Eco Stewardship Toolkit, which will include a repository of resources to further support schools in strengthening their sustainability journey.
Needle Movers for the Sustainability Push
7. Beyond our schools, I agree with Ms Foo Mee Har that our institutions play a critical role in Singapore's green transition. As part of our Green Plan effort, our institutions have made sustainability a strategic priority in their agendas, with some of our AUs developing comprehensive masterplans on their sustainability targets and initiatives.
8. Ms Rachel Ong has asked how our institutions are stepping up efforts to support sustainable living and the green economy. There are two needle-moving areas that our institutions can contribute to the national sustainability push.
9. One, leveraging their research and innovation capabilities to develop new products and services, which enable other sectors of our society to tackle sustainability challenges.
10. Two, developing skills and competencies of our graduates and the workforce, to enable them to seize opportunities in the green economy.
11. Let me elaborate.
Leveraging Research and Innovation Capabilities to Advance Sustainability Goals
12. The deep research and innovation capabilities of the institutions position them well to advance Singapore's sustainability goals.
13. In tandem with their hands-on approach to sustainability education, our institutions partner companies, agencies and our community on research and innovation projects that advance national sustainability efforts.
14. This is done in two ways.
Supporting Local Enterprises to Deploy Sustainable Solutions
15. First, our institutions can develop innovative solutions to support industry green transformation. Through projects that they work on with industry, the polytechnics enable local enterprises to reduce their carbon emissions and achieve sustainability goals.
16. For example, in January this year, Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) launched a Sustainability Experience Centre in partnership with Schneider Electric, a company specialising in energy and automation digital solutions for efficiency and sustainability. Through the Centre, NYP staff and students will work with 100 small and medium enterprises by 2023, to co-create and implement energy efficient initiatives.
17. In partnership with a local startup, Firmbase Pte Ltd, Ngee Ann Polytechnic's Environmental & Water Technology Centre of Innovation has recently developed a membrane for effective oil-water separation in the treatment of oily wastewater in the oil and gas industry.
Living Laboratories to Enhance National Sustainability Efforts
18. Second, our AUs are leveraging their deep research capabilities for sustainability R&D, and using their own campuses as 'living laboratories' to support national research and talent development efforts.
19. For example, Nanyang Technological University has partnered France's Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) to set up the Singapore-CEA Alliance for Research in the Circular Economy, focusing on research around recycling of electronic waste.
20. As part of its Sustainability Plan, Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) will be transforming its campus in Changi into a green experimental ground. This will allow SUTD faculty and students to partner the industry and the community, to test-bed new technologies and innovative projects for sustainable and smart living. Such studies may include waste management and reducing electricity usage.
Developing Sustainability-Related Skills and Competencies in Our Students and Workforce
21. Our institutions also play an important role in equipping our youth and workforce with the skills and competencies for the growing green economy.
22. The "Skills Demand for the Future Economy" report by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) noted that over 450 job roles across 17 sectors already require green skills in their job tasks.
23. We can expect more new jobs to emerge, and more existing jobs to adopt green practices.
24. We therefore need to invest in "green upskilling" for our workforce, so that they can seize the new opportunities presented by green growth.
25. Our institutions are refreshing their specialised course offerings and launching new programmes. These programmes provide young Singaporeans with forward-looking skills for emerging green jobs, or existing jobs that are going to be "greened".
26. For example, Republic Polytechnic recently launched the Diploma in Environmental and Marine Science, which prepares students to take up roles at the forefront of developing sustainable environmental and aquaculture solutions.
27. Beyond equipping students to enter "green jobs", we are also equipping the broader base of students with knowledge, competencies and skills related to sustainability.
28. Almost all our institutions include sustainability as a theme within their common curricula for undergraduates.
29. Singapore Management University, for instance, offers a common module on "Climate Change, Global and Local Solutions" as part of its core curriculum for undergraduates.
30. As part of the enhanced LifeSkills framework, students at our institutions will also explore and discuss sustainability-related issues, and how this relates to their role as global citizens.
31. Our institutions will continue to work closely with industry partners to curate more internship opportunities. These allow students to acquire and apply green skills in real-world settings, and better prepare them for future careers in green jobs.
32. We will ramp up Continuing Education and Training (CET) courses for those already working in industries that face a "green transition".
33. Currently, our institutions offer more than 100 CET courses that provide training in areas such as sustainable built environment, green engineering solutions, green finance, and environmental sciences.
34. One example is Temasek Polytechnic's Specialist Diploma in Energy Management & Sustainable Design, which upskills workers in the building industry to take on job opportunities in energy efficiency design and technologies.
35. We will expand the offerings in our institutions to meet the market demand and our students' aspirations.
Conclusion
36. Mr Chair, to conclude, MOE is fully committed to contribute to a sustainable Singapore under the Singapore Green Plan 2030.
37. Our schools will be a key foundational enabler for this journey, as they nurture the next generation of our students to be stewards in environmental sustainability.
38. Our institutions will play significant, needle-moving roles by building up their capabilities and capacities in partnership with the industry. They will leverage their research and innovation capabilities to develop sustainable products and solutions; and equip our graduates and workforce with in-demand and emerging green skills.
39. However, it takes a whole-of-nation effort to make sustainability our way of life.
40. We therefore welcome experts, educators, companies, community partners and all Singaporeans to join in this endeavour – to embrace sustainability consciousness and practices, build skills for the green economy, and develop innovative solutions to create a greener and lasting future for generations to come. Thank you.