FROM buzzing beach scenes to quiet pockets of history, Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) aims to offer guests an experience “where discovery never ends”.
As it works to create authentic, compelling experiences, SDC chief executive Thien Kwee Eng also believes it is responsible for ensuring that the best of the island can be enjoyed for many generations.
“(It means) creating lasting memories for our guests while securing benefits for our environment and communities,” Thien said, noting that demand for sustainable and responsible tourism offerings is growing anyway.
SDC, a statutory board, launched its Sustainable Sentosa strategic road map and goals in 2021, mapping the island’s carbon footprint and identifying decarbonisation opportunities.
It also helped develop the Sentosa Carbon Neutral Network (SCNN), Singapore’s first carbon neutrality-driven business alliance, which has grown from 17 members at its founding to 30 organisations today, covering over 95 per cent of Sentosa’s carbon emissions.
For its instrumental role in uniting island businesses to drive sustainability together, SDC received the Impact Enterprise Excellence Award for large enterprises at the 2024 Sustainability Impact Awards organised by The Business Times and UOB.
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Islandwide initiatives
The SCNN has enabled a wide range of initiatives. For example, SDC worked with five island businesses to install 5.2 megawatt-peak (MWp) of solar capacity – surpassing its initial 3 MWp target.
“We leveraged the SCNN platform to share best practices with island partners within the SCNN,” Thien said, adding that other businesses also gained confidence to accelerate their own solarisation journeys.
SDC is now working on a second phase of solar capacity installation that is on track for completion by 2025 and should bring islandwide solar capacity to more than 6 MWp.
Under a Sentosa Disposable Policy, all SCNN members also pledged to eliminate single-use plastic bottled water from dine-in, takeaway and event settings by last year. SDC estimates a reduction of some two million bottles per year.
Many hotels on Sentosa have ramped up installations of filtered taps in the rooms and adopted industry best practices in tandem, said Thien.
Members also implemented measures to reduce each category of disposables used, such as carrier bags or takeaway food containers.
To manage waste, food waste digesters have been installed at SDC, Sentosa Cove, Sentosa Golf Club and hotels, while best practices such as mulching and composting have been introduced for horticultural waste.
Thien said SDC is exploring emerging technologies such as creating biochar – a charcoal-like substance made from organic material that can stably store carbon and prevent it from escaping into the atmosphere – from its horticultural waste. Biochar is often added to soil to enrich its health.
Most of the public transport available on the island is fully electric, and SDC is on track to fully decarbonise its public transportation system by 2025.
The island’s dining establishments, including those at Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa and Resorts World Sentosa, also incorporate sustainability practices such as farm-to-table initiatives and the use of local, sustainable ingredients.
The culinary arts is one area where businesses can “stand out with differentiated products, instead of striving for cookie-cutter solutions”, Thien said.
“With sustainability becoming mainstream, the bar is raised across the board,” she added.
Standing out from the crowd
Another key approach to SDC’s sustainability strategy is creating powerful narratives and connecting guests with sustainability.
An exhibition currently running at Sentosa’s Beach Station showcases island businesses’ sustainability efforts, and educates guests on how they can make an impact.
“Based on surveys, more than half of consumers will walk away from a product or service provider if they suspect them of greenwashing,” said Thien. “Not communicating sustainability in a meaningful and credible way can be risky.”
It is thus important to have measurable action plans, provide accountability to a governing structure, and constantly improve understanding of global sustainability issues.
Several SDC staff have been sent for sustainability storytelling training programmes, to learn how to back up communications with meaningful information and data.
Sentosa’s islandwide greenhouse gas emissions, including those of its island partners, were at 162,276 tonnes of carbon dioxide in FY2023, up about 15.9 per cent from the previous financial year, on account of tourism sector recovery and ongoing developments, with some initiatives yet to be completed.
SDC expects its carbon footprint to be further reduced year on year, with Thien adding that it is on track to achieving its carbon-neutrality goals.
“Sustainability is an existential imperative for small island destinations like Sentosa,” she said, adding that she hopes the island ecosystem’s efforts will inspire others to take action.
“Our hope is that our waves of efforts will one day contribute to an ocean of change for future generations.”
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