University of Wisconsin–Madison

Singapore: Laomani Sisongkham (Sustainability in Singapore)

Sustainability in Singapore

A stone path leads to a garden filled with different shapes and sizes of bushes and trees, with three palm trees standing above them all, leaves blowing in the wind.

As I wind down the final weeks of my direct exchange program in Singapore, it is only fitting to talk about what Singapore is widely recognized for internationally: its commitment to innovative sustainability practices. Singapore’s developments in the ESG realm have been none other than extraordinary, and their prowess in the field is something that initially drew me to the program well over a year ago. When it comes to sustainability, it’s assumed that a lot of negative environmental effects can be at times hidden without a closer look. Understanding this, my perspective on sustainability in Singapore is solely based on things I as a consumer and inhabitant of the country can partake in and witness. This excerpt is a holistic view of my takeaways of sustainability in Singapore, and how it has personally impacted my development.

The first thing someone will witness when they enter the country is the amount of biodiversity that is present, and how beautiful the landscape truly is. Although a city-state, Singapore commits to greenery and longevity of trees that add not only benefits to their emissions but also longstanding beauty that is unique to the space. See below for some of my favorite greenery in Singapore!

Water rains down from the center of a glass ceiling, where people walk around many different trees and bushes.

When it comes to sustainability specifically, you can feel the community effort to come together and be more environmentally conscious, which I believe is unique to Singapore. In addition to trash and recycling cans, there are also composting and specialty disposal bins attached to nearly every corner. Plastic bags cost a pretty penny to encourage reusable shopping bags, and I can firmly say that I have seen less than 3 pieces of litter during my time here.

Singapore is such a beautiful country, and their commitment to sustainability is incredibly powerful and I am excited to see how other countries adopt similar practices moving forward.

 

 

 

Laomani smiles in front of windows with red trim.

Laomani Sisongkham

Major: Operations & Technical Management, Supply Chain Management, Marketing

Hometown: Appleton, Wisconsin

Program: Singapore – National University of Singapore Business School Exchange