SMU Sustainability Series

Jointly organised by:
SMU Yong Pung How School of Law; Sydney Law School, University of Sydney; and Faculty of Law, University of Hong Kong

Guest-of Honour:
Professor Tommy Koh, Singapore Ambassador-at-Large

Our planet faces social-ecological disruption at a scale with no parallels in human history. As societies,economies and the environment are inextricably linked, it makes no sense to regulate each of these systems in isolation. Various global reports, such as the United Nations’ Environment Program’s Making Peace with Nature, the Joint report on biodiversity and climate of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, all highlight the failure of governance systems to address interconnected global challenges in a holistic manner. The reports also highlight the perverse outcomes that result from the lack of integrated approaches.

With all of the above in mind, it is critical that new forms of laws and regulation, governance, societal organisation, communication, and the transfer of ideas and capital are taken into account when aiming to address sustainability. Laws at the international, transnational and domestic level are, however, currently ill-equipped to address the hyperconnected challenges of today, and do not sufficiently anticipate the emerging risks and opportunities of the future. It is to this gap that this Conference seeks to contribute.

Organised by:
Singapore Green Finance Centre (an initiative of SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business and Imperial College Business School)

Many cities around the world are committed to net zero transition by 2050, including Beijing, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul, and Singapore. It has been estimated that buildings account for 37% of global GHG emissions and 34% of energy consumption. To achieve the net zero targets, policies for sustainable real estate and urban redevelopment will be critical. 

The Roundtable will bring together international urban and real estate experts to address the challenges for sustainable housing redevelopment for East Asian cities. They are Dr Sock-Yong Phang, Celia Moh Chair Professor of Economics, Singapore Management University, Dr Jing Wu, Associate Professor and Vice Dean, School of Civil Engineering, Tsinghua University, Dr Ying Fan, Assistant Professor at the Department of Building and Real Estate, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Dr Jin Murakami, Assistant Professor of Urban Studies and Policy in the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences cluster, Singapore University of Technology and Design, and Dr Kyung-Hwan Kim, Distinguished Emeritus Professor, Sogang University

Please visit Singapore Green Finance Centre for more information.

Jointly organised by:
SMU and Vertex Holdings

Despite the world’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, scientists predict that we will hit the 1.5℃ tipping point in the 2030s, leading to an irreversible change in our climate system. What happens if we cross that tipping point? What implications would the devastating environmental changes have on the global economy, supply chains, cities, and societies? How can we leverage technology and innovation to bridge the gap today, in preparation for the worst-case scenario?

A partnership between SMU and global venture capital investment company Vertex Holdings, this thought leadership forum aims to leverage the knowledge and expertise of speakers from diverse backgrounds in a discourse on imagined futures, exploring scenarios where the world copes with living in a hotter and hostile world.

Organised by: SMU Institute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship

LKYGBPC, held once every two years, is one of the largest university-led start-up competitions in Asia with a mission to empower youths through innovation and entrepreneurship to create deep-tech solutions to solve urgent global challenges of the 21st century.

This year, the competition received 1,000 global submissions from 77 countries. Close to 90 per cent of the submissions incorporate sustainability solutions and reflect SMU’s commitment to the United Nations’ Sustainability Development Goals.

These entries leverage cutting-edge technology to drive environmental change. The strong interest illustrates that our next generation of entrepreneurs are actively contributing to environmental preservation by harnessing technology to minimise carbon footprint globally.

The LKYGBPC Blaze Week will also feature several sustainability-focused events:

• 11 Sep 2023
  As part of the Opening Ceremony, a book which features selected past finalist startups which are involved in improving urban sustainability, will be launched.
• 13 Sep 2023
  • Changemakers Conversations – Built Environment Panel.                      Held off-site at Kajima Asia Pacific's Innovation Centre, the forum will delve into innovative approaches and practical solutions that go beyond mere carbon neutrality to create positive environmental outcomes in the context of the built environment. Panelists will explore strategies, technologies, and policies that can be implemented to achieve sustainable development goals and foster environmental stewardship.
  • Site Visit: On the same day, participants will also have the option of visiting the Sembcorp Solar Farm.

Organised by: SMU Institute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship and Next Gen Investors Endowment

Targeted at undergraduates in all local universities, this case competition will focus on the integration of environmental, social and government issues in investing. In conjunction with the competition, the SMU Sustainable Investment Club will be enlisting the help of industry practitioners to conduct workshops and provide participants with competition training and opportunities for networking.

The two workshops are:

• Workshop 1 – How to conduct ESG analysis in listed companies + How to incorporate ESG into valuation (29 July 2023)
• Workshop 2 –How to engage listed companies for investment stewardship (2 Sep 2023)

Organised by: SMU

Guest-of-Honour: Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and Environment

The SMU Sustainability Forum aims to bring sustainability stakeholders together and showcase the impact that the SMU Community is making in the realm of economic, social and environmental sustainability through the three pillars of Research, Education and Community Engagement. It will also serve as a platform and catalyst for knowledge exchange, idea empowerment, deep dialogues and fruitful partnerships among industry players, local non-profit and community organisations, researchers, educators and stakeholders in the sustainability space.

Parts of this forum are co-planned with student leaders who participated in the SMU Pathfinders Sustainability Changemaker programme in December 2022. The event will also feature student displays and student presentations of their sustainability projects or learning experiences.

Organised by: Sim Kee Boon Institute for Financial Economics

Financial literacy is a crucial life skill for young adults, and is vital to increase their resilience.

How will financial education and practice evolve in an age of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning? What are the financial literacy skills for a sustainable future? As youth navigate career changes, how can they harness AI to enhance their financial health?

Expert speakers will share their insightful views on how Singaporean youth can be empowered to create a financially inclusive and sustainable future, and how AI will impact finance. This highly informative symposium will also showcase the winning teams from the recently concluded Financial Inclusion Hackathon 2023. Discussions on the convergence of sustainability, finance and application of tools like AI and Machine Learning will feature Ms Cheryl Chen (Senior Director, Social Sustainability, President, S&P Global Foundation); SMU Associate Professor Liang Hao (Co-Director, Singapore Green Finance Centre) and Mr Freddy Lim (Co-Founder, Stashaway).

Organised by: SMU
Guest-of-Honour: Mr Lim Tuang Liang, Government Chief Sustainability Officer

Inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Master of Sustainability (MST) and Sustainable Societies (SS) second major aim to inspire an appreciation and sense of urgency about the complexities, trade-offs, and synergies that sustainability presents for the people and the planet that we inhabit.

The MST is the first-of-its-kind programme that leverages the research and pedagogical strengths of SMU’s School of Social Sciences and College of Integrative Studies to offer a postgraduate sustainability curriculum that is built on interdisciplinarity and problem-solving in the face of complex challenges. The programme will inculcate crucial skills in the areas of sustainability reporting, systems thinking and collaborative governance, in recognition of the evolving nature of sustainability roles across sectors. The SS second major has three main pillars – environment, society and the economy – which mirror the realities and challenges of sustainable development of today and the future. By emphasising problem-solving capabilities and interdisciplinarity rooted in the social sciences, this second major aims to develop in students the skillsets for future green jobs across industries and sectors.

Theme: Build an emotional compass – Navigate your journey to mental wellness

Organised by: SMU

During this week, there will be activities and events held campus-wide to raise awareness of mental well-being, a key to building resilient communities.

A Mental Health Fest will be held on-campus, comprising an interactive exhibition where participants can view informational material and engage in hands-on activities to develop emotional resilience, such as a feelings wheel (to promote emotional literacy), a conversation card game (to process emotions and reframe beliefs towards more constructive outcomes), an area to relax and practise relaxation techniques and mindfulness, as well as a space to write notes of appreciation and regulate emotions through colouring and play.

Other fringe activities include: Human Library (SMU alumni will be invited to share how they juggle career and personal wellbeing); Cafe Conversations (conversation starters will be placed in participating cafes in SMU to encourage patrons to engage in meaningful conversations); massage sessions by people with visual impairment; as well as talks and workshops on desk stretch, office pilates and sound bath therapy to encourage the SMU Community to take care of their wellbeing at work.

Organised by: SMU Centre for Research on Successful Ageing (ROSA)

Guest-of-Honour: Mr Ong Ye Kung, Minister for Health

The Singapore Ministry of Health released the 2023 Action Plan for Successful Ageing in January 2023. The Action Plan, refreshed eight years after its first release in 2015, focuses on the central idea of empowering older adults to remain active, be it through caring, contributing, or staying connected, is a central idea.

Accordingly, the theme of this 3rd annual symposium will explore how we can better support older adults in Singapore to remain active in their later life, with being ‘active’ defined broadly and consisting of three key components: (1) Staying physically and mentally active – being able to stay healthy and to continue participating in regular activities; (2) Staying socially active – being able to stay integrated within and connected with their communities; and (3) Staying economically active - being able to continue to contribute to their communities.