environmental sustainability, Singapore, green living, climate change

Sustainable Development Goals in ASEAN:
The Youth Impact

17 - 18 March 2018

NTUC Centre 1 Marina Boulevard

SDGs in ASEAN: The Youth Impact

Keen to learn more about the SDGs and its relevance in ASEAN?
Come and join us for a weekend of insightful discussions and conversations on our roles as youths to achieve the SDGs in ASEAN!

On-site visits

Learn and emulate real life practices from corporations

Best practices

Put your thinking hat on as we unearth current sustainability issues, and learn how top practitioners mitigate these problems with solutions and possibilities

Youth Career Network

Held in partnership with Young NTUC, the networking session for the Youth Career Network will bring together young Sustainability Professionals across different industries to share about what they do and also provide advice to aspiring sustainability professionals like you!

Featured Speakers

Alvin Seo
Manager of Group Sustainability
Singtel, Singapore

David Chua
CEO
National Youth Council (NYC)

Nor Lastrina Hamid
Co-Founder
Singapore Youth for Climate Action

Sai Surya
Managing Director
Young Sustainable Impact SEA

Tan Yi Han
Co-Founder
People’s Movement to Stop Haze (PM. Haze)

Mala Rajpal
Vice-President of External Affairs
Conjunct Consulting

Farah Sanwari
Executive Director
Sustainable Living Lab

Khoo Yi Feng
Training & Business Development Executive
Singapore Association for Mental Health

Emily Low
CEO and Co-Founder
Pillpresso

David Bensadon
CEO
We are CARING

Kavickumar Muruganathan
Vice President (Environment, Health & Safety)
Halcyon Agri Corporation Limited

Audrey Tan
Environment and Science Correspondent
The Straits Times

Shweta Shukla
Director – Sustainable Business, Communications & External Affairs
Unilever SEAA (South East Asia Australasia)

Robin Hicks
Deputy Editor
Eco-Business

Kyujin Shim
Assistant Professor of Corporate Communication
Lee Kong Chian School of Business, SMU

Helen Duce
Co-Founder and Chapter Leader
Lean In Singapore

Uma Thana
Co-Founder
Lean In Singapore

Jiehui Kia
Senior Sustainability Strategist
Forum for the Future

Shannen Fong
Deputy Vice-President & Head, Strategic Communications
INCOME

SzeYen Tan
Senior Vice President, Group Accounting Policy
DBS Bank

Eugene Ho
Head of Corporate Affairs, Southeast Asia
SAP

Laine Greene
Co-Founder
Angels of Impact

Site Visits Sat, Mar 17 Sun, Mar 18

Seeing is believing! Immerse yourself in the real world and learn more about how corporations incorporate sustainability efforts in their operations and how they work towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Choose to visit one of them

Hilton Singapore

Explore and understand how the hospitality industry can also play a part to protect the environment by adjusting their business operations and strategies. Sustainability is and remains a core pillar of the company’s corporate responsibility commitment towards more responsible and sustainable sourcing around the world. Hilton Singapore is the first hotel in Asia to be accorded both the sustainable seafood Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) Chain of Custody certifications. In addition to leading the way to a sustainable dining journey, Hilton Singapore also introduced their Vertical Garden to harvest homegrown leafy vegetables in-house and incorporating them into the menu as side dishes. Enter into the world of hospitality and embark on an enriching journey through a guided hotel tour to visit the Vertical Garden, a new restaurant concept and more.

NTUC Fairprice

NTUC FairPrice was set up in 1973 with a social mission to moderate the cost of living in Singapore. While staying committed to its social mission, the Co-operative adopts the four Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) pillars approach that governs how they operate responsibly as a retailer, contribute to the community, manage their environmental footprint and care for employee well-being. In a two-part visit, you will get to interact with the CSR team on FairPrice’s sustainability work at FairPrice Hub and in the second half, you will be touring a BCA Green Mark Platinum supermarket.

Marina Bay Sands

Join us on our sustainability learning journey and gain an unforgettable experience through our eco-tour at Marina Bay Sands (MBS), an architectural wonder in the heart of thriving Singapore. We will walk you through some of our beautiful and sustainability-themed features starting at our world renowned Art Science Museum (ASM)! Be amazed as we view an impressive collection of large-scale art installations like the Wind Arbor, Rain Oculus and the Tipping Wall by artist Ned Kahn. Additionally, you’ll also have an exclusive opportunity to visit our Recycling Docks and Food Waste Digesters to understand how we manage our waste. The entire tour takes up to 60 minutes and would involve lots of walking!

Are you ready for an exciting line-up of dialogues, discussions and workshops relating to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Corporate Sustainability? Hear from experts in the field as we bring in speakers from large corporations as well as individuals to share on their journey in achieving the SDGs.

9.00am: Registration
9.30am: Opening Address by GCNS
10.00am: Keynote
11.00am: Opening Plenary
SDGs in ASEAN: The Youth Impact
The UN’s launch of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals agenda identified youths as one of the key drivers in taking the SDGs forward. As more youths enter the workforce in developed and especially in developing countries, this session will attempt to highlight their crucial role in driving change to achieve the SDGs.
12.00pm: Sustainable Programmes Segment
1.00pm: Lunch & Youth Career Network Networking Session
Youth Career Network Networking Session
Held in partnership with Young NTUC, the networking session for the Youth Career Network will bring together young Sustainability Professionals across different industries to share about what they do and also provide advice to aspiring sustainability professionals like you! This session will be conducted in a human library format, where you will get to exchange dialogue with these Sustainability Professionals on possible career path in the sustainability field.
The networking session is part of the Youth Career Network that delivers Young NTUC Career Discovery & Mentorship Programme, targeting at graduating students and first job seekers, to provide them with the support and guidance needed to better navigate and plan their career.
**Limited to the first 60 pax registrants (Subsequent interested participants will be placed on the waiting list.)
2.30pm: Sharing Sessions
Sustainable Lifestyles
Environmental problems seem large and insurmountable to the average person. The actions we can take as regular people seem to be negligible in the grand scheme of things. However, the role of the consumer should not be underestimated. Small things done by a large group of people for a long period of time can make a difference.
In this session, learn some tricks and tips on how to lead a sustainable lifestyle while, being empowered to have an eco-conscious mindset to guide your daily decisions to achieve the SDGs

SDGs in the Workplace
Achieving the SDGs seem to mean that it requires large projects and grand visions. But in truth, sustainable impact also occurs at smaller scales. This sharing session will uncover how SDGs are relevant in the workplace. It will focus on two vulnerable groups: Migrant Workers and the workers with mental health issues.
Migrants workers have also become an integral part of our workforce in ASEAN. However, arriving on a foreign land and without much knowledge about the local norms, these individuals are often faced with issues which place workers in a vulnerable position.
On the other hand, mental health issues are not given enough attention as a stigma is usually attached to persons with mental health issues. However, this silent problem needs to be addressed if we are to have a positive and sustainable work environment.
This session will give youths an opportunity to hear from experts in the field on these issues and hopefully gain a better understanding of the workplace as they enter the workforce.

Sustainable Business: Big and Small
From startups to large MNCs, businesses in ASEAN are beginning to incorporate sustainability into their business model. How should we think of a business’ economic imperative with respect to its environmental and social responsibilities?
This sharing session will focus on disruptive and innovative business models among new companies today, and how a company can integrate sustainability into an existing legacy model.

3.45pm: Tea Break

4.15pm: Focus Group Discussions
Understanding Transboundary Issues in ASEAN - A multi-stakeholder discussion
Transboundary pollution is a significant environmental issue in ASEAN. Issues such as the haze has captured the attention of the public recently with questions on the responsibilities and solutions to solve these transboundary issues front and centre of the discussion.
Being the stakeholders of the future, it is critical to understand and discuss the role of youths in charting a future towards the SDGs. As such, this session will bring together the viewpoints of key stakeholders of the palm oil supply chain, in an effort evaluate different views and drive towards achieving sustainability.

Gender Inequality in ASEAN
The election of Singapore’s first woman and Malay president has brought into focus the role of women in the highest echelons of politics. Halimah Yacob joins the likes of Aung San Suu Kyi as women in the highest positions in the ASEAN political arena.
The changing gender roles and norms that accompany the modernisation of ASEAN bring with it new challenges and obstacles for women seeking to gain equality. With this in mind, the time is ripe to talk about the issues young women face in ASEAN and the role of both men and women in reducing the inequality between genders.

Sustainability Financing in ASEAN
The achievement of a sustainable future relies on the ability of governments, corporations, and other stakeholders to fund and scale sustainable solutions. With an estimated US$5-7 trillion worth of investments required annually (UNEP, 2016), the ability to obtain these funds remains a key challenge.
In the spirit of the Paris Agreement and the Year of Climate Action 2018, this focus group discussion will discuss the role of sustainable financing in achieving a low-carbon, sustainable future.

5.30pm: Closing

9.00am: Registration

9.30am: Opening Remarks

9.45am: Opening Plenary
Communicating Sustainability
Communication strategies plays an important role in shaping public opinion, with the media acting as a watchdog protecting public interest and creating awareness. The issue of sustainable development has gained greater prominence in recent years with the 2015 Paris Agreement and the launch of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. There has not been a greater need to convince the public why sustainability matters and why businesses and individuals should care. What are the challenges in this field and how can we raise greater awareness on an issue where the sustainability rhetoric is getting mundane and repetitive? How then can youths effectively communicate and campaign for the issues that they care about to different audiences?

10.45am: Break

11.00am: Closing Plenary
How can Youths Create a Sustainable Future?
With the forum coming to a close, lets come together to consolidate our ideas. As youths of today will be the driving force to achieve the SDGs, let us take the opportunity to reiterate the responsibilities, commitments and a final call for action.

12.00pm: Refreshments & Networking

1.30pm: End of Youth Forum 2018

GCNS Youth Forum 2018

Sustainable Development Goals in ASEAN:
The Youth Impact

17 - 18 March 2018

NTUC Centre 1 Marina Boulevard