Inaugural WWF Earth Hour Summit 2023 Kicks Off in Singapore

• More than 500 CEOs, thought leaders and decision-makers from private and public sectors are attending the Summit
• Speaking at the Summit, Minister Grace Fu encourages business leaders in attendance to commit to sustainable actions, such as adjusting the temperature setting of air-conditioners in all offices at 25-degree Celsius
  
  

SINGAPORE, 2 March 2023 – WWF-Singapore’s (World Wide Fund for Nature Singapore) inaugural, in-person WWF Earth Hour Summit kicks off today at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. The Summit brings together CEOs, thought leaders and decision-makers from the private and public sector to discuss green transition opportunities and how participants can take practical action to address climate change.

This Summit is held against the backdrop of the nation’s recent commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, and to reduce emissions to 60 MtCO2e in 2030.

Minister for Sustainability and Environment Grace Fu will deliver a virtual address at the Summit, highlighting the key role of businesses in addressing climate change, such as accelerating decarbonisation, investing in innovation and driving collaboration within and across sectors. Minister also encourages business leaders in attendance to commit to sustainable actions, such as setting air-conditioners in all offices at 25-degree Celsius.

“The Earth Hour Summit is the culmination of the work that we have done over the years in promoting collective action on climate. We know the road to Net Zero cannot be paved alone and will require the participation of multiple stakeholders. We want to encourage a robust exchange of ideas, as well as shed light on practical examples that the industry can adopt,” said WWF-Singapore’s CEO, Mr. R. Raghunathan.

“For the last 12 years, Marina Bay Sands has been partnering with WWF for several key initiatives such as the annual Earth Hour movement and responsible seafood procurement. We are excited to support them for the inaugural Earth Hour Summit, providing the platform for thought leaders and decision makers to gather and deepen conversations around climate-related challenges as well as identify ways to achieve our collective goals,” said Meridith Beaujean, Executive Director of Sustainability, Marina Bay Sands.

“Singapore International Chamber of Commerce is proud to support this inaugural Summit. It underscores that taking action to mitigate existential climate risks is everyone’s responsibility. That means every business has to move from awareness to action and collaborate with others to find innovative solutions, which can be implemented at scale,” said Chief Executive, Singapore International Chamber of Commerce, Victor Mills.

The Earth Hour Summit is expected to draw more than 500 participants from over 350 organisations.

The Summit will feature deep-dive keynote sessions on issues such as the requisite solutions needed for the private sector to tackle climate change and the role of green finance in driving capital towards nature-positive activities and to meet net-zero ambitions. Refer to Annex A for the full list of speakers.

Earth Hour Summit 2023 is organised by WWF-Singapore. The venue is sponsored by Marina Bay Sands Singapore. Watsons Singapore is the leading partner of the event. The supporting partners are HSBC, Samsonite, Wing Tai Asia Retail. Refer to Annex B for the full list of supporting associations and chambers. 

For more information, please contact:

About Earth Hour

Earth Hour is WWF’s flagship global environmental movement. Born in Sydney in 2007, Earth Hour has grown to become one of the world’s largest grassroots movements for the environment, inspiring individuals, communities, businesses and organisations in more than 180 countries and territories to take tangible environmental action for over a decade. Historically, Earth Hour has focused on the climate crisis, but more recently, Earth Hour has strived to also bring the pressing issue of nature loss to the fore. The aim is to create an unstoppable movement for nature, as it did when the world came together to tackle climate change. The movement recognises the role of individuals in creating solutions to the planet’s most pressing environmental challenges and harnesses the collective power of its millions of supporters to drive change.

About WWF-Singapore

World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organisations. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the earth’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature. 

WWF-Singapore works locally and around the region to create impactful change around climate, circular economy, wildlife, biodiversity and sustainable finance by engaging individuals, communities, businesses and governments. 

For more information, please visit wwf.sg.

About Marina Bay Sands Pte Ltd

Marina Bay Sands is Asia’s leading business, leisure and entertainment destination. The integrated resort features Singapore’s largest hotel with over 2,200 luxurious rooms and suites, crowned by the spectacular Sands SkyPark and iconic infinity pool. Its stunning architecture and compelling programming, including state-of-the-art convention and exhibition facilities, Asia’s best luxury shopping mall, world-class dining and entertainment, as well as cutting- edge exhibitions at ArtScience Museum, have transformed the country’s skyline and tourism landscape since it opened in 2010.

Marina Bay Sands is dedicated to being a good corporate citizen to serve its people, communities and environment. As one of the largest players in hospitality, it employs more than 10,000 Team Members across the property. It drives social impact through its community engagement programme, Sands Cares, and leads environmental stewardship through its global sustainability programme, Sands ECO360.

For more information, please visit www.marinabaysands.com.

About Singapore International Chamber of Commerce (SICC)

SICC was founded in Singapore on 8 February 1837 to preserve Singapore’s free port status to help businesses and Singapore develop. Helping businesses and Singapore remains the Chamber’s purpose today and drives everything we say and do. The Chamber is Singapore’s longest serving, independent business association and Singapore’s first registered company.

Members of the Chamber form the ecosystem with an edge which is an advantage to every businessperson who chooses to be part of it and to utilize it. It is a very inclusive ecosystem. 50% of Chamber members are Singaporean and 50% foreign owned businesses from all sectors of the economy. Half of member companies are large organizations including multinationals and half are medium, small and start-up companies.

SICC champions anti-ageism and all forms of discrimination in the workforce and in society for personal, commercial and societal success. The Chamber champions positive workplace culture where employers and employees co-create and sustain an environment to achieve personal and commercial goals. SICC also champions collaborative innovation in its annual business awards because that is often the fastest way for any business to innovate and succeed. Last, but not least, SICC advocates the transitioning of businesses to circular models of production and consumption to achieve true sustainability for our planet and species in a circular economy.

www.sicc.com.sg www.siccawards.com.sg

ANNEX A: SPEAKERS

• Ms Cindy Khoo, Deputy Secretary at the Singapore, Prime Minister’s Office – Strategy Group
• Ms Elizabeth Clarke, Director of Conservation, WWF-Singapore
• Mr Frederick Chew, Chief Executive Officer, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Chief, Public Sector Science & Technology Policy & Plans Office, Prime Minister’s Office
• Dr. Hsien- Hsien Lei, Chief Executive Officer, The American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore
• Mr Kelvin Tan, Head of Sustainable Finance and Investments, ASEAN, HSBC
• Dr. Kirsten Schuijt, Director General, WWF-International
• Ms Kristina Anguelova, Head of Asia Sustainable Finance, WWF-Singapore
• Mr Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, Climate and Energy Global Practice Leader, WWF-International (President of the COP20)
• Mr R. Raghunathan, Chief Executive Officer, WWF-Singapore
• Mr Scott Beaumont, President Asia Pacific, Google (SICC Board Member)
• Ms Swati Mandloi, Net-Zero Programme Lead, WWF-Singapore
• Mr Tan Boon Gin, Chief Executive Officer, SGX RegCo (SID Governing Council Member)
• Ms Tan Su Shan, Managing Director, Group Head of Institutional Banking, DBS Group
• Mr Vipul Chawla, Group Chief Executive Officer, FairPrice Group
• Mr Vivek Kumar, Chief Marketing, Communications & Fundraising Director, WWF-Singapore
• Ms Yuki Yasui, Managing Director, APAC, Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ)

Annex B: Supporting Associations

• American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham)
• Singapore Institute of Directors (SID)
• Singapore International Chamber of Commerce (SICC)
• Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF)
• The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE Singapore)
• Singapore Computer Society (SCS)
• Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SICCI)
• Chief Marketing Officer Council (CMO Council)