Singapore Polytechnic, Singapore's first and oldest polytechnic, aims to be a national role model by making the entire campus CO2-neutral by 2030. The blueprint comes from the Danish town of Sønderborg, and the Danes will collaborate on the project. They hope this step forward for Singapore is just the beginning of a global scaling up.
By 2030, at least one in five educational institutions in Singapore will be CO2-neutral, one of several goals in the ambitious Singapore Green Plan, making Singapore an Asian role model in sustainability. With help from Denmark, more than 12,800 Singapore Polytechnic (SP) students have set out to contribute to that goal.
Last year, representatives from SP visited Sønderborg in Southern Denmark, where citizens, companies, educational institutions, utility companies, and the municipality are working together through the public-private partnership ProjectZero to make the area's energy system CO2-neutral by 2029. The dialogue has continued, and today marks the signing of a joint Memorandum of Understanding between ProjectZero, SP, and the industrial giant Danfoss.
SP representatives met with Danfoss CEO Kim Fausing; Danfoss will join ProjectZero in assisting the polytechnic with knowledge, concepts, implementation models, and cost-effective solutions when they set about establishing their own ProjectZero.
Singapore's ProjectZero is not officially named yet, but it will be a locally adapted version of Sønderborg's model. SP aims to inspire and be a role model for other educational institutions in Singapore.
"We are proud that we inspired SP to use our recipe for an intelligent and cost-effective changeover and that we are allowed to be part of their journey. We are aware that we alone are not saving the climate simply by making the energy system in Sønderborg CO2-neutral. But when scaling our model to other cities and countries, we can together leave a positive global climate footprint," says Brian Seeberg, CEO of ProjectZero
Sønderborg's ProjectZero model focuses on creating and demonstrating an intelligent and integrated energy system across an entire municipality, offering energy savings. The various sources of energy and sectors connect in a flexible network that works coherently, allowing, for example, houses to be heated by surplus heat from local companies, electric cars can be charged when there is less pressure on energy consumption, and data is used to ensure that energy is efficiently utilised in the best possible way. This model makes it possible to reduce the costs of the green transition by up to 50 per cent.
The project in Singapore includes the entire 38-hectare polytechnic campus, which houses classrooms, workshops, consultancy and technology centres, and sports facilities, such as a swimming pool and a stadium.
Mr Soh Wai Wah, Principal and CEO of Singapore Polytechnic, said, "SP firmly believes that attaining net zero is not just a responsibility, but also an opportunity for us to shape a sustainable future. Our commitment to achieving net zero emissions is unwavering, and we understand that it requires bold actions, innovative strategies, and collaborative efforts. Through this partnership with Danfoss and Project Zero, we will leverage our combined strengths to accelerate the development and implementation of sustainable solutions. We aim to reduce our carbon footprint and inspire and lead by example, encouraging others to join us on this crucial journey. I am confident that with the collective efforts of our students, staff, partners, and stakeholders, we can achieve our net zero goals and shape a sustainable and prosperous future for all."
Singapore Green Plan 2030
Launched in February 2021, the Singapore Green Plan 2030 aims to advance Singapore's national agenda for sustainable development. The Green Plan is a multi-agency effort spearheaded by five ministries:
- Ministry of Education
- Ministry of National Development
- Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment
- Ministry of Trade and Industry
- Ministry of Transport
The Singapore Green Plan 2030 contains, among other things, concrete targets for the rest of this decade. For more details of the Plan, please visit: https://www.greenplan.gov.sg/targets
For further information, please contact:
Brian Seeberg, CEO ProjectZero, on phone +45 2428 6401 or e-mail bs@projectzero.dk.