5 Feb 2025

On 23 January 2025, the National Sustainable Procurement Roundtable (NSPR) held its first in-person Members-Only Meeting since the pandemic, bringing together 35 attendees from 13 corporate members. The session featured discussions on the challenges and strategies of sustainable procurement, with insights from representatives of Changi Airport Group, Singtel, Mandai, DBS, Frasers Property and Singapore Polytechnic.

• Addressing Scope 3 Emissions: Speakers examined the complexities of Scope 3 emissions and strategies for regulatory compliance.  Emphasis was placed on the importance of stakeholder engagement in driving effective reductions and ensuring accurate reporting.  The need to prioritise product carbon footprints over company-specific and industry-average emission factors, with inflation adjustments for greater accuracy, was also highlighted.

  Key takeaway: Implementing robust methodologies for measuring and reporting Scope 3 emissions, alongside supplier collaboration, is essential to achieving sustainability goals.

• Greening the Supply Chain: Discussions focused on available support for companies to enhance their sustainability efforts.  Supplier sustainability support programmes offer grants for workshops, advisory services, and tools to help SMEs align with sustainability goals, thereby improving their financing opportunities and attracting investors.  Speakers also highlighted the potential of linking corporate sustainability targets with supplier incentives through supply chain financing, a mechanism that can drive improvements in environmental, health, safety, and social standards.

  Key takeaway: Aligning sustainability goals with commercial incentives enables both companies and suppliers to drive improvements across the supply chain and unlock financial opportunities.

• Embedding Sustainability in Supply Chain Management: Best practices for integrating sustainability into supply chains were shared, including the use of supplier e-learning programmes to strengthen sustainability practices.  Training programmes on sustainable practices, such as reporting and carbon management, were highlighted.  Industry collaborations with Institutes of Higher Learning (IHL) were also discussed, showcasing how such partnerships can drive sustainable outcomes.

  Key takeaway: Education, clear procurement guidelines and collaborations are crucial for embedding sustainability across supply chains.

The meeting concluded with a networking session, encouraging connections and potential collaborations among members.

NSPR extends its gratitude to Prudential for hosting the event and appreciates all speakers and participants for their valuable contributions.