The ‘Voices of Singapore’ study by World Wide Fund for Nature Singapore (WWF-Singapore) has set the stage for WWF to bring Singaporeans closer to a climate-resilient future.
On the 13th of October 2022, the World Wide Fund for Nature Singapore (WWF-Singapore) announced the findings of its study, ‘Voices of Singapore’. Conducted by Intuit research, the study was designed to understand Singaporean’s views on sustainability, setting the stage for WWF to bring Singapore closer to a climate-resilient future.
600 Singaporeans participated in the study, and results found that two-thirds of the respondents were willing to make day-to-day changes in their lives in order to promote sustainability. Changes included turning off unnecessary lights, electrical appliances and using public transport. More than half of respondents noted being willing to cut down on food waste, use energy-efficient appliances or LED lights at home, and conserve water.
Respondents aged 50 and above were the leading age group in practising these lifestyle changes, since the changes bring along long term cost saving benefits.
Six out of ten respondents were also aware of iconic WWF programmes such as Earth Hour, with a third of the respondents having taken part in it. And although less popular, a third of Singaporeans were aware of the Kosong Plan, a plan that encourages Singaporeans to make their own personal Net Zero plans.
Most notably, however, the study highlighted the top five topics that Singaporeans found most personally relevant (in order of importance): Circular economy, Food security, Use of renewable energy, Protecting our seas, coastlines and marine environment; and Developing innovative solutions.
nine programmes, one goal.
The discovery of these topics and results has paved the way for WWF-Singapore’s new thematic pillars: Climate, Sustainability and Circular Economy, Nature and Biodiversity, Closer to Home. Each pillar houses programmes that will help drive action in Singapore.
“As custodians of our planet’s well-being, we recognise that citizens’ expectations are changing and a plethora of environmental issues now take precedence. We have taken these beliefs of Singaporeans into consideration and created a strategic overview of WWF- Singapore’s interventions – one that creates a clear proposition for a variety of stakeholders to be engaged and be active for our planet’s future.” said WWF-Singapore’s CEO, Mr. R. Raghunathan. “As embodied in our tagline, ‘Together Possible’, it is imperative that individuals, businesses, policymakers and investors recognise the role that everyone plays in this collective journey towards a greener and more resilient future. Together, we can leave a legacy which allows future generations to enjoy a world where people and nature can coexist and thrive.”
In total, there are 9 programmes covering a range of issues, from Net Zero Carbon and Sustainable Finance to Marine Conservation and Future Sustainability Leaders.
making impactful change.
Working locally and around the region to create impactful change, WWF-Singapore has had other successful programmes in the past. The Wildlife Cyber Spotter programme, for instance, has helped identify over 14,000 illegal wildlife listings. WWF-Singapore’s Asia Sustainable Finance Initiative (ASFI Academy) has also had 5000 enrolments in the past year, providing Asia-based finance professionals with a suite of accessible, practical and technology-enabled sustainable finance e-learning courses based on the latest sustainability science.
If you’re interested in volunteering for WWF-Singapore or learning more about the organisation, check out WWF-Singapore’s website for more details, or learn more about their upcoming programmes here.
Enjoyed this article? Check out Mandai Wildlife Group’s new initiative, ‘Choose Good with Mandai’, or learn more about the Singapore Science Centre’s new exhibition!
