Climate change offers business opportunities in the region
Edwin Khew, chairman of the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore, said that every country is expected to build infrastructure to cope with challenges posed by climate change, which in turn, opens up new opportunities for business. BT/Leo Kasim
Leo Kasim
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
COMPANIES must think ahead and find ways to tap into business potential that come along with the realities of climate change, the chairman of a Singapore sustainable energy association said yesterday.
Edwin Khew, chairman of the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore, said that every country is expected to build infrastructure to cope with challenges posed by climate change, which in turn, opens up new opportunities for business.
Khew, who is also the managing director of environment waste management company Anaergia Pte Ltd, pointed out that there are business opportunities for Brunei in the area of energy efficiency.
“There are so many things that you can do to make energy consumption more efficient and help cut costs using energy efficient technology,” Khew said in a briefing.
As industries and economies grow, so does the “hunger for energy.
”You can feed that by pursuing clean energy such as solar, wind and hydroelectricity,” he said, noting that clean energy technology already exists and being used in several countries.
He also said that businesses can also tag along with projects involving the changing of infrastructure to manage the effects of climate change.
He cited Singapore which has started building higher seawalls as a way to mitigate the effects of rising sea levels .
He said new research on rising sea levels prompted businesses to look for opportunities in this sector.
“The knowledge that Singapore gained from having learnt more about rising sea levels did attract business,” he said.
Khew is one of the featured speakers at Asia Inc Forum’s National Environment Conference (NEC) 2014 which is taking place today at the Indera Samudera Grand Hall in the Empire Hotel and Country Club.
Themed “Brunei’s green future: Ideas, Strategies, Possibilities,” the seventh edition of the NEC aims to help companies see the connection between business benefits and environmental responsibility.
The Minister of Development Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Suyoi Hj Osman will be giving a keynote address as the guest of honour.
The Brunei Times