In the wake of the Covid pandemic, governments around the world closed borders, shuttered economies, and enforced curfews. The unintended result was a restoration of nature to its former glory, a dramatic improvement in air quality, and the return of a pod of dolphins to otherwise tourist-clogged Venetian canals. This put in sharp focus our impact on the environment. A 2020 BCG survey showed a 70% increase, to be precise, in awareness that our conduct threatens the environment, which in turn, affects us. 40% of respondents also pledged to consume more sustainably - including by recycling and buying locally produced goods.
In this specially curated panel, moderated by Gary Low, Vice-President (Legal) of Lazada Singapore, discussants engage with such topics like:
• What does it mean to consume sustainably?
• What are the challenges faced in sustainable production?
• What role does technology play in sustainability?
Travin Singh, co-founder of Crust Group, reincarnates RedMart’s excess bread into alcohol. As he talks about his experience in green beer brewing, he will share his mission to reduce food waste globally by 1% by 2030.
Samantha Thian, founder of Seastainability, shares how her social enterprise collaborates with seafaring communities to preserve a vibrant marine life. She will also talk about Stridy, her app to promote environmental consciousness and community action.
This segues neatly to Keith Oh. Head of Product Design at Carousell, Keith will talk about re-commerce and the role intermediary platforms can play to address problems of overconsumption and excess.
Awareness and affirmation, though preconditions of sustainable consumption, are not enough. There must also be action. The panellists for the SMU Ethics Lecture 2022 invite us to think about how our own consumption habits contribute to climate change, and also show us how all of us individually and as a community can contribute meaningfully to a sustainable solution.