IMDA to support companies tracking emissions from cloud services, data centres: Indranee Rajah
Businesses must be given the right tools to make clear, informed decisions, and to build their confidence in their sustainability journey, she says
[SINGAPORE] The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is looking at ways it can support companies in measuring and tracking their emissions resulting from their use of cloud services and data centres in a more accurate, standardised way, said Second Minister for Finance Indranee Rajah on Wednesday (Oct 8).
“We must equip businesses with the right tools to make clear and informed decisions, to cultivate confidence in their sustainability journey. This means, for example, having access to reliable and up-to-date emissions data,” she said at a conference held by the United Nations Global Compact Network Singapore.
To this end, the national database containing localised emission factors has been expanded to cover more sectors, which would help companies measure their Scope 3 emissions, she added. These are indirect emissions arising from a company’s supply chain.
The new emission factors will cover the cleaning, security, professional services, and the information and communications technology (ICT) sectors.
Emission factors for cleaning, security and professional services will be added into the Singapore Emission Factors Registry (SEFR) by the end of this year, and those for ICT will be released in 2026.
Also being added into the registry next year are emission factors for specific products and services, which will enable suppliers to showcase their green credentials and help procurers make more informed decisions, said Indranee.
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Emission factors refer to the average rate at which a given activity releases greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and are an essential part of calculating a company’s carbon footprint.
The development of these new emission factors is driven by key government agencies, including the Agency for Science, Technology and Research and IMDA, said the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) in a separate statement on Wednesday.
The empirical research was supported by local businesses and trade associations such as the Environmental Management Association of Singapore, Security Association Singapore, Singapore Academy of Law, and Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants.
SBF said in its statement: “This growing repository of data enables companies to simplify calculations, reduce reliance on generic assumptions, and enhance the credibility of their reporting.”
The umbrella association of businesses led the initiative to launch a national database containing localised emission factors, following feedback from companies that their GHG emissions may not be accurate.
By the end of this year, SEFR will recommend suitable international emission factors for common business activities, such as air travel, for which local data is not yet available.
Since its launch a year ago, SEFR has published more than 220 emission factors.
The first batch of factors, which companies can access for free, cover eight categories: building equipment, building materials, fuel, GHGs, land transport, purchased energy, waste, and water.
Lee Chuan Seng, who chairs the SEFR governance committee, said the registry has supported more than 700 businesses over the last year in their reporting of Scope 1 and 2 emissions, as well as some aspects of Scope 3. Scope 1 emissions are those resulting from a company’s business activities, and Scope 2, from its purchase of electricity.
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