Singapore network launches sustainability training push

UN Global Compact Network Singapore has announced a coalition partnership with the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals and launched new training and peer-learning initiatives at its annual Summit. The measures were unveiled at a gathering of more than 700 leaders in Singapore.

The announcements included a partnership with the global professional body for sustainability practitioners, a joint thought-leadership programme with Enterprise Singapore, and the creation of Working Groups and Peer Learning Groups.

The Summit brought together senior figures from business, government, finance, and civil society. Dr Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment and Senior Minister of State for Education, attended alongside UN Resident Coordinator Nikolas Myint, while Sanda Ojiambo, Assistant Secretary-General and Chief Executive Officer of the UN Global Compact, delivered a video message.

The measures focus on professional training, social impact in supply chains, and ongoing collaboration between companies after the event. UN Global Compact Network Singapore said its Carbon Accounting and GHG Management programme is its first course to receive certification from the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals.

This makes the Singapore network the institute's founding network member in Singapore and a licensed Training Partner. The institute operates in more than 80 countries, according to the organisation.

Regional backdrop

The announcements come as companies in Asia face pressure to turn sustainability pledges into operational change. UN Global Compact Network Singapore cited UN data showing that 36% of global Sustainable Development Goal targets are on track, while 15% have regressed since 2015.

At the same time, it said Asia and Oceania have made stronger progress on the goals than other regions since 2015. The region also accounts for one-third of global green bond issuance, underscoring the scale of capital flowing into the transition.

Dr Janil Puthucheary addressed the wider business context at the event. "With heightening global uncertainties, especially climate change, strengthening sustainability action and climate resilience have become more important and urgent. In a changing climate, organisations that prepare early will be better placed to protect their people and assets, manage costs, strengthen supply chains, and seize new opportunities," he said.

UN Global Compact Network Singapore linked the Summit to the UN Global Compact Strategy 2026-2030, which focuses on helping businesses turn sustainability ambitions into action. Sessions covered supply chain accountability, the built environment transition, sustainable finance, and cross-sector collaboration.

Execution focus

The latest initiatives were presented as a response to practical gaps raised by members, including professional recognition, sector coordination, capability building, and peer advisory support. The new programme with Enterprise Singapore, titled "People in the Value Chain: From Compliance to Deeper Impact", is aimed at businesses and financial institutions working on social impact issues and preparing for developments such as the Taskforce on Inequality and Social-related Financial Disclosures.

The new Working Groups and Peer Learning Groups are intended to give companies a forum to work through common sector problems and share approaches. The structure is designed to continue after the Summit rather than end with the conference sessions.

Dr Bicky Bhangu, President, UN Global Compact Network Singapore, said the challenge for the region has shifted. "Asia is at an inflection point. Our region has made significant progress on the SDGs since 2015 and is now a global leader in sustainable finance. The constraint is no longer simply ambition or access to capital. It is execution, and execution is a capability, not a pledge," he said.

That emphasis on implementation was echoed by the group's senior management, which is seeking to position the organisation as an intermediary between international sustainability frameworks and local business practice in Singapore.

"These initiatives reflect what our members are telling us they need on the ground, right now," said David Fogarty, Chief Executive Officer, UN Global Compact Network Singapore. "Our role is to bridge the distance between global frameworks and local action-and to keep closing that distance year after year. Today is what that looks like in practice."