Singapore Polytechnic and ESGpedia team up to help SMEs decarbonise

Singapore Polytechnic (SP) has partnered with ESGpedia to help local companies move from sustainability pledges to measurable action. Targeting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the initiative provides access to carbon accounting tools aligned with international standards, sustainability reporting expertise, and financial support for energy efficiency improvements.

Under the partnership, ESGpedia will deliver carbon accounting and sustainability solutions that enable businesses to quantify and track their emissions across Scope 1, 2 and 3. SP will complement this by offering training, energy efficiency assessments, and serving as an approved assessor for the Energy Efficiency Grant (EEG). Through the EEG’s Advanced Tier, firms can tap up to S$350,000 in support for energy-efficient equipment, giving them a tangible route to cut emissions and improve operations.

“Singapore Polytechnic’s (SP) partnership with ESGpedia enhances the development of our staff’s capability in delivering joint industry trainings and consultancy projects,” said Lam Kok Seng, Centre Director, Centre for Environmental Sustainability & Energy Efficiency at Singapore Polytechnic.

“This opportunity also allows SP to expand its ecosystem and leverage the business network for sustainability initiatives, including joint industry engagements to enable knowledge sharing and the opportunity for SP’s students to work on real-world sustainability projects.”

This dual focus on education and implementation reflects Singapore’s wider model under its Green Plan 2030, where climate action is not treated solely as a compliance burden but as a platform for growth and resilience. By combining education institutions, government policy, and technology providers, the city-state is building an ecosystem that can help companies embed sustainability into daily business operations.

One of the programme’s first participants is LBD Engineering, a leading builder in public housing and infrastructure. The company worked with ESGpedia to establish its carbon emissions baseline and generate a Global Reporting Initiative-aligned sustainability report. With SP’s assessment, LBD Engineering secured EEG funding to deploy Infinity Cube’s Battery Energy Storage System, cutting emissions while improving cost efficiency.

“Beyond corporate responsibility, LBD Engineering believes that improving our sustainability posture leads to better business growth,” said Lim Boon Huat, CEO at LBD Engineering.

“We are pleased to be able to take active steps to improve our energy efficiency through Singapore Polytechnic and the Energy Efficiency Grant, to achieve further cost-savings and build stakeholders’ trust.”

Such cases underscore the growing importance of practical pathways for SMEs, which often lack the resources to independently navigate complex sustainability standards, but make up the bulk of Singapore’s businesses. Only by bolstering and uplifting these smaller companies can Singapore aim to completely decarbonise.