What does it take for a co-operative to truly go green? Is it about adopting bold initiatives or starting with small, deliberate steps? As sustainability becomes more than just a buzzword, co-operatives across Singapore are beginning to weave eco-conscious practices into their operations.

Sustainability Learning Journey for Co-ops by Co-ops

This growing momentum was evident when more than 20 co-operators participated at the first-ever sustainability themed learning for co-operatives in Singapore at the refreshed supermarket store in City Square Mall in early October.

Organised by NTUC FairPrice, also Singapore’s largest supermarket co-operative, and the Singapore National Co-operative Federation (SNCF), the participants hailed from representatives of local co-operatives, SNCF, and FairPrice Group.

Originally opened in 2019, the 24,000 square foot supermarket was recently refurbished, only re-opening in September and boasting sustainability-first innovations in the retail space.

Sustainability Lead for FairPrice Group Soh Lisar explained how the new outlet is expected to have a 30 per cent lower carbon footprint than the average FairPrice supermarket in Singapore.

For instance, the use of carbon-dioxide refrigerants in the store’s fridges can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Typically, supermarket fridges use fluorocarbon refrigerants.

Ms Soh also explained to participants that the store seeks to prioritise sustainability as much as possible. Some strategies include managing different types of waste to adopting energy efficient alternatives. According to Ms Soh, the store adopts LED lighting throughout the space, and this would cut the store’s energy consumption by half.

Customers too are also able to refill their detergent and other household cleaning liquids. “I was particularly impressed by their innovative detergent refill station, which allows customers to refill their existing bottles, reducing plastic packaging waste,” said Raena Leang of GP+ Co-operative.

A first of such initiative by supermarkets in Singapore, NTUC FairPrice will be partnering World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature Singapore to provide in-store sustainability education soon.

Co-operators have lauded the learning journey as insightful and educational. A Good Space Co-operative’s Committee of Management member Louis Puah said: “I appreciated (FairPrice Group’s) approach of testing sustainability initiatives at the City Square Mall outlet before looking to implement them at different stores islandwide.”

Co-ops are ramping up efforts

On the potential for gleaning and applying learning points from the learning journey to the changemaker co-operative, Mr Puah highlighted that even though NTUC FairPrice operates differently from A Good Space, many of its members are proactive sustainability advocates. “Our members organise their own workshops and learning journeys for their members to learn about sustainability,” he said.

In a similar vein, local co-operatives are ramping up efforts to be more sustainable. Community Engagement Executive of Singapore Muslim Teachers’ Co-operative Siti Zahra Maria reflected on the sustainability initiatives in her co-operative.  

“We have kickstarted various initiatives including installing solar panels on the roof of the shophouse office, replacing all the lights in the office to LED lightings to reduce electricity consumption, as well as removing unnecessary printers (using centralised printers) to reduce print materials,” she said. 

Sharon Ong, an account executive at Singapore Prison Service Multi-Purpose Co-operative, and her team are exploring alternatives to reduce energy consumption in their co-operative. The co-operative now faces the challenge of finding ways to make its lighting and air-conditioning systems more sustainable, she said.

“We are looking into solutions such as investing in energy saving or energy efficient appliances and lightings, or switching to using fans instead of air-conditioners,” said Ms Ong, one of many co-operators who has also attended the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) courses introduced to educate co-operatives after a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between SNCF and the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) was inked in 2023.

For Ms Leang, who helps GP+ Co-operative organise in-person events for healthcare professionals, sourcing conference venues with sustainability features has been a key focus. “When there are numerous tasks to manage, sustainability often takes a backseat in people's minds. To overcome this, we need to make a conscious effort,” she said.

The CCFC Sustainability Grant

In 2023, the Central Co-operative Fund (CCF), a trust fund under the purview of the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, have set aside S$500,000 as the CCF Sustainability Grant to be used in 2024 and 2025.

Administered by SNCF, the grant seeks to encourage co-operatives to learn about sustainability and how they can contribute to the Singapore Green Plan.

The grant is designed to support co-operatives in embracing their sustainability journey with measurable outcomes across three phases: Phase 1 - Training, Phase 2 – Adoption, and Phase 3 - Development.  

See Also

“Sustainability is a journey; every step counts” says NTUC's Chan Tee Seng To say that NTUC FairPrice, Singapore’s largest supermarket co-operative, has been a pioneer in sustainability within the retail industry is no exaggeration.

“The federation recognises that the way sustainable initiatives will grow and impact the larger community require all stakeholders to get started,” said SNCF’s Chief Executive Officer Mr Ang Hin Kee. “It is about the aggregation of marginal gains, and we are happy to support the co-ops on their percentage improvements in the sustainability journey.”

In 2023, the first “ESG for Co-operatives” pilot course was held and saw 10 co-operative representatives gathering for one day to learn how to communicate them via sustainability frameworks. The course was conducted by Professor Ang Hak Seng, Director for the Centre of Excellence for Social Good at SUSS.

Throughout 2024, close to 100 co-operators have benefitted from the classes organised with SUSS. Separately, more than 120 co-operators also got the opportunity to glean sustainability practices from Taiwanese co-operatives at the Annual Co-operative Leaders’ Conference in Taipei last year.

“As co-operatives, responsibility and ownership is a key concept relevant to co-operative members, more so as compared to corporates and civil service,” said Mr Puah added. “Instead of treating sustainability as a top-down effort and initiative, co-operatives can empower their members to champion and advocate for sustainability efforts, rallying more citizens and people to contribute.”

Ms Leang, a Gen Zer, echoed the same sentiments. She said: “Our role is to recognise the impact we can make within our industry and contribute in our own distinctive way. By doing so, we can inspire others in the industry, as well as our members, to take action.”

Words and Photos by Sng Ler Jun