Using Environmental Strategies to Build Competitive Advantage
Based on his book “Green to Gold” Professor Esty will explore what every executive must know to manage the environmental challenges facing business and society. Professor Esty will discuss how companies generate lasting value, cut costs, reduce risk, drive new revenues, and create strong brands – by building environmental thinking into their core business strategies.
Professor Esty will provide clear how-to advice and present concrete examples from companies across the world that are achieving both environmental and business success. He will show how these companies are establishing an “eco-advantage” in the marketplace by examining all aspects of their business from production to marketing through an environmental lens.
Energy Efficiency - National Programmes to Promote Greater Energy Efficiency in Singapore
Energy Efficiency is a cost-effective means of mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The Energy Efficiency Programme Office (E2PO), a multi-government agency committee, was formed to develop a holistic energy efficiency strategy and masterplan in order to drive energy efficiency improvements among households and businesses in Singapore. The speaker will present on the activities, policies and programmes that have been implemented under the E2PO since it was established in 2007.
Providing the Power to Make a Difference – Sustainable Electricity Generation in Singapore
Environmental concerns are the cornerstone of all Senoko Power's major business decisions. The Company makes conscious efforts to reduce its carbon emission intensity, enhance operational efficiency, and involve the community in climate change awareness.
Singapore’s power generation industry was singled out by CARMA.org as one of the few countries in the world that had made significant reductions in its carbon emission intensity. This reduction was attributable in large measure to Senoko Power’s earlier Stage 1 Repowering in 2004. Senoko Power recently launched another S$750 million Stage 2 Repowering programme to convert three 250MW oil-fired steam plants into two 430MW combined cycle plants. This will further reduce Senoko Power’s carbon intensity and position the Company for sustainable development.
In the wider context of environmental responsibility, Senoko not only supports worthy community environmental programmes, but also proactively spearheads some of these programmes such as the National Weather Study Project and the SEC-Senoko Green Innovation Award.
"Environmental Vision 2025" - Hitachi's Eco-Products and Technologies
The Hitachi Group is committed to its environmental solutions efforts. In December 2007, the Hitachi Group established the “Environmental Vision 2025” with the goal to make contributions to reducing CO2 emissions associated with Hitachi Group products by 100 million tons by FY2025 in order to mitigate climate change. Mr Takashi Hatchoji will present on the Hitachi Group’s “Environmental Vision 2025” and introduce the Hitachi Group’s initiatives in environmentally superior products and services and advanced technologies in energy efficiency and power generation.
Importance of Technology Development in Water Resource Management
Mr Harry Seah will present the following: Singapore manages the entire water cycle in an integrated manner so as to optimise its limited water resources. In order to augment Singapore’s water supply, the water cycle has been “short-circuited” through the production of NEWater and desalinated water. This is made possible through the exploitation of technologies. Whilst these efforts are to increase water supply, it is equally important to manage water demand to achieve sustainable water supply. On 1 May 2006, the Environment and Water Industry Development Council (EWI) was formed to spearhead the growth of the water industry, using R&D as the key driver. The vision is to develop Singapore into a global hydrohub for the water industry by 2015.
Used-Water Treatment – Rethinking for the Future
The activated sludge process is frequently used to treat used-water. Aerobic treatment leads because of the used-water’s dilute nature. Energy is consumed to move the water, transfer oxygen into it, and to mix it with the biomass during treatment. These are not trivial because of the large volumes involved. Increasing concerns over energy costs and carbon footprints call for more energy efficient used-water treatment methods. This presentation argues the need for alternative approaches such as pre-concentration where incoming used-water is separated into a concentrate and an even more dilute stream. The concentrate stream can undergo more effective anaerobic treatment while the more dilute stream can be treated aerobically with less energy. The water from the more dilute stream may even be good enough to bypass aerobic treatment to enter a water reclamation process directly.
Hitachi’s Technologies for Water Treatment
To solve the grovel water crisis, Hitachi has been developing water technologies that protect the source of water supply as well as encourage water reuse. In his presentation “Hitachi’s Technologies for Water Treatment”, speaker Dr Shinjiro Ueda will talk about Hitachi’s products such as the MBR (membrane bio reactor) for water reuse and immobilized microorganism treatment system which prevents eutrophication. He will also touch on the Hitachi Ballast Water Treatment System which protects sea water from microorganism and plankton contamination.
Mr Leonard Lee, Head, Urban Solutions, Economic Development Board (EDB)
Professor Chou Siaw Kiang, Professor and Head, Energy and Bio-Thermal Systems Group,
Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University Singapore
Mr. Harry Seah, Director, Technology and Water Quality Office, Public Utilities Board (PUB)
Daniel C. Esty, Hillhouse Professor of Environmental Law and Policy; Director of the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy; and Director of the Center for Business and the Environment at Yale.
Professor Esty is the author/editor of nine books and numerous articles on environmental policy issues and the relationships between environment and corporate strategy, competitiveness, trade, globalization, governance, and development. His most recent book, Green to Gold: How Smart Companies Use Environmental Strategy to Innovate, Create Value, and Build Competitive Advantage, argues that pollution control and natural resource management have become critical elements of marketplace success and explains how leading-edge companies have folded environmental thinking into their core business strategies.
Prior to taking up his current position at Yale, Professor Esty served in a variety of senior positions on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (1989–93). In 2002, Professor Esty received the American Bar Association Award for Distinguished Achievement in Environmental Law and Policy for “pioneering a data-driven approach to environmental decision making” and developing the global Environmental Sustainability Index. He sits on the Board of Directors of the Resources for the Future and the Connecticut Fund for the Environment. He served on President Obama’s Transition Team.
Since 2001, Mr Ananda Ram Bhaskar has been the Head of the Energy Efficiency Programme Office at the National Environment Agency (NEA). Prior to that, Mr Bhaskar was Senior Engineer (Planning and Development) at the Tuas South Incineration Plant development project from 1994 to 2000. From 1988 to 1993, Mr Bhaskar was an Engineer at the Ulu Pandan Incineration Plant. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the National University of Singapore and a Diplom-Ingenieur Produktionstechnik, Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften Hamburg.
Roy Adair is the President & CEO of Senoko Power which is the largest electricity generator and retailer in the Singapore Electricity Market. Senoko Power has a licensed capacity of 3,300MW. It is the largest electricity generation and retail company in Singapore meeting approximately one-third of the nation’s electricity needs.
The Company is focused on supplying competitively-priced electricity in an environmentally-friendly manner. Our recent investment in 1,095 MW of combined cycle generation capability has seen the Company reduce carbon emissions by 2.5 million tonnes per annum. Senoko Power is a genuine triple bottomline power company whose approach to sustainability has been recognised by the prestigious Singapore Green Plan 2012 Award.
Roy joined Senoko Power with extensive experience of the UK and Australian electricity markets and worldwide experience of the utilities industry. Roy also has a passionate interest in the development of efficient and transparent electricity markets.
Mr Takashi Hatchoji joined Hitachi, Ltd. in 1970. Mr Hatchoji has been Chief Environmental Strategy Officer of Hitachi, Ltd. since December 2007 and Adviser of Hitachi, Ltd. since April 2007. In 2007, Mr Hatchoji was appointed President of Hitachi Research Institute. In 2006, he was appointed Representative Executive Officer, Executive Vice President and Executive Officer. In 2004, Mr Hatchoji was appointed Senior Vice President and Executive Officer. In 2003, he was appointed Vice President and Executive Officer, General Manager of Legal and Communications. In 2002, Mr Hatchoji was appointed COO and CTO of the Information & Telecommunication Systems. He was appointed Executive General Manager of Business Solution Systems Division in 2001. Mr Hatchoji was appointed Deputy General Manager of the Corporate Planning & Development Office and Hitachi Research Institute in 1997. In that same year, he was also appointed General Manager of the Corporate Planning & Development Office.
Mr Harry Seah is currently the Director of the Technology and Water Quality Office for the Public Utilities Board (PUB) in Singapore. The Technology Office coordinates the research and development (R&D) initiatives in PUB and supports PUB’s mission through technology, innovation, industry partnership, expertise development and introduction of best practices. The Technology Office manages R&D projects in partnership with experts from local and overseas water industry players, academia and research institutes. These R&D projects cover strategic fields of water technology including water and wastewater treatment, chemical and biological water quality, membrane technology, and seawater desalination. The Technology Office is also responsible for the management of water quality in PUB
Professor Ng’s research interests include water and wastewater management focusing on water quality, treatment science and technology development. Investigations had ranged from ultra-pure water to high strength and inhibitory wastewaters. His research is found in 400 publications whilst his practice experience is encapsulated in a book titled “Industrial Wastewater Treatment” (Imperial College Press). He advises on effluent treatment, water reclamation and water quality and has brought his R&D to full-scale applications. Commercialized intellectual properties include biosystems like the aerobic and anaerobic SBR and equipment like the recirculating aerator and electrochemical system. His bioplant design and operating protocols have been applied to 120 installations. He had served on Singapore’s national expert panel for water reclamation and water quality.
Dr Shinjiro Ueda is a Senior Vice President and Executive Officer of Hitachi Plant Technologies, Ltd. He is responsible for research and development including that of compressor, pump and water treatment technologies. One of his recent projects concerns the development of the environmentally-friendly Ballast Water Treatment System. This system removes plankton, bacterium and suspended solids from the ballast water at a very high speed and then discharges clean ballast water into the sea.
