Singapore joins the Global Destination Sustainability-Index (GDS-Index) with the support of Singapore Tourism Board (STB), building the country’s current sustainability efforts under Singapore Green Plan 2030 (SGP2030) – a nationwide movement to advance the city’s agenda on sustainable development.
This significant move sees the Southeast Asian country cementing its position as a sustainability performance improver and changemaker, alongside destinations in the region such as Bangkok and Sarawak. Other cities participating in the GDS-Index include Gothenburg, Copenhagen, and Glasgow.
The GDS-Index is a sustainability benchmarking and improvement programme for destinations around the world. It is used to assess current social and environmental performance of a destination annually, and, in turn, drive improved performance. The GDS-Index is a collaborative partnership between ICCA, ICCA’s Scandinavian Chapter, IMEX, ECM, and MCI Group.
Building on Singapore’s identity as a City in Nature, Singapore’s participation in the GDS-Index is aligned with the vision and targets of SGP2030, which has charted Singapore’s ambitions and targets over the next 10 years, strengthening Singapore’s commitments under the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and Paris Agreement. The commitment supports Singapore to be a more sustainable urban destination and positions it to achieve its long-term net zero emissions aspiration as soon as viable.
STB became a Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) member in October 2021 and strongly supports local tourism businesses in their sustainability journey.
Some of Singapore’s sustainability initiatives in tourism:
“Sustainability is a key priority for Singapore tourism because it is vital to our future and travellers are become increasingly aware of the impact of their consumption,” says Keith Tan, Chief Executive of STB. “Becoming a leading sustainable urban destination requires a long-term commitment from both the government and industry. That is why Singapore’s participation in the GDS-Index is important, as it focuses our collective efforts and helps us track our progress as a City in Nature, where large experiences come with small footprints.”
“A warm welcome to this committed destination taking further sustainability steps to help it thrive,” says Global Destination Sustainability Movement’s Chief Changemaker, Guy Bigwood. “We are excited to see some green best practices coming out of this city-state, which has used its confined boundaries to its advantage by creating innovative sustainable solutions for the island nation. We also see the power of community growing with each of its interlinked effort towards greater regenerative destination management, and celebrate the positive impacts that its strategic, sustained change has for all."
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