As awareness grows, students share how they incorporate sustainability in their daily lives
Sustainability is about balancing our needs with the limited resources available on this planet, developing resources for future use and ultimately, leaving behind a better world for future generations, say students from the Singapore Management University (SMU).
In practical terms, it means taking the time to sort trash for recycling, carrying around utensils and metal straws to avoid disposable cutlery and buying only what is necessary to minimise wastage.
Ahead of the introduction of a sustainability initiative by DBS and SMU, we spoke with several students from the university to find out what sustainability means to them, how they practise it, and what more they think can be done to encourage others to be sustainable.
Here’s what they said:
Tackling real world sustainability challenges
As interest in sustainability issues grows, the DBS-SMU Sustainability Initiative was launched in February 2019 to support academics, businesses and students passionate about tackling real world sustainability challenges.
It includes the introduction of Singapore’s first sustainability major, as well as funding for sustainability research, scholarships, fellowships and community engagement.
The sustainability major aims to develop graduates with the knowledge and skills to implement sustainable practices in businesses that lead to long-term, measurable impact. It will be offered from Academic Year 2019, which commences in August.
Championing sustainability is a big part of DBS’ agenda, said Shee Tse Koon, Singapore Country Head at DBS Bank. “In particular, one focus area is how we can create social impact, whether through our support of social enterprises, or by partnering with business, communities and the public.
“In many ways, Singapore is well-placed to become a model city for sustainable development and our hope is that this partnership will cultivate a thriving pool of talent and businesses that will help us become a world-class centre of sustainable development excellence.”
DBS plans to commit over SGD 1 million to this first-of-its-kind initiative in Southeast Asia.
SMU Vice Provost Professor Steven Miller and DBS Singapore Country Head Shee Tse Koon at DBS-supported social enterprise Bettr Barista.
The DBS-SMU Sustainability Initiative includes:
“Increasingly, businesses have embraced sustainability as part of their strategic goals,” said Professor Gerard George, Dean of SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business.
“The multi-pronged efforts under the DBS-SMU Sustainability Initiative will help nurture SMU students to meet the needs of the job market, foster research excellence and build intellectual capacity among our faculty, as well as raise the general awareness of sustainability issues.”
Asia’s Safest Bank, 2009 – 2023, Global Finance
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World's Best Bank 2021, Euromoney
Best Bank in the World 2020, Global Finance
World's Best Bank 2019, Euromoney
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