Making a Green Impact for Tomorrow

Climate change is the single biggest challenge of our lifetime. Yet it presents the greatest opportunity for us to make a lasting impact on our world for generations to come. Collectively, we have made strides through adoption of technology; but it will take more than existing technology to achieve the quantum leap in climate action. The answer lies in people - people who are skilled in navigating the intersection between profits and the planet, connecting the dots to dream up and deliver new sustainable solutions. We want NP to be a key driver in this space.

Mr Lim Kok Kiang, Principal & CEO, Ngee Ann Polytechnic

Green Campus

Our Unwavering Commitment to Environmental Stewardship

Environmental stewardship is an enduring commitment. Here at NP, our green journey did not just take off today; it started way back in 2013 when we decided to go green at all our foodcourts on campus. Over the past decade or so, we have pioneered many initiatives and made significant strides in the push for environmental sustainability.

Ranked #1 among polys & ITE for lowest energy usage – Achieved 30% energy use reduction

Met SG Green Plan energy goal 6 years ahead of 2030 Target.

First poly to offer a Minor in Sustainability

~40% reduction in water consumption

First poly to install solar panels to harness renewable energy

Biodiverse campus with over 1,000 tree species, absorbing over 25 tonnes of CO2 annually

First poly with an intelligent Integrated Operations Centre to receive S$1M grant to lead the way in smart facilities management

First building in Singapore to be retrofitted with Distributed Pumping System – Achieved 20% energy use reduction

Recipient of President’s Award for the Environment 2014

Recipient of Energy Efficiency National Partnership Awards 2021

Achieved Green Mark Certification for 36 Blocks

Achieved Eco-Office Certification for 13 Offices

* As at 2023

Creating New Possibilities with our Partners for our Students

In our next wave of green efforts, we seek to integrate sustainability across our curriculum, operations and partnerships through the launch of our Sustainability Education & Ecosystem Development (SEED) initiative in 2024. We aim to grow the talent pipeline and industry capabilities to align ourselves with the Singapore Green Plan 2030, a whole-of-nation movement to advance the national agenda on sustainable development.

Essentially, we will drive environmental sustainability in these three focus areas:

Nurturing Sustainability-Intelligent Graduates for the Green Economy

Partnering Industry for Green Solutions & Talent Development

Creating Sustainability Sandboxes

Centre for Environmental Sustainability

Creating new ecosystems to drive sustainability innovation with our esteemed partners

Our Centre for Environmental Sustainability – previously known as Environmental & Water Technology Centre of Innovation – has more than 20 years of applied research & development and consultancy experience. It serves as a platform for spearheading collaborations between industry partners and NP’s academic schools to develop solutions that address sustainability challenges.

Find out more here.

Milestones (2013 - 2023)

Our journey began more than a decade ago…

2013

Usage of styrofoam boxes was removed from all NP food courts and replaced with biodegradable packaging

2014

NP received the President’s Award for the Environment 2014, Singapore’s highest environmental accolade. The award recognises the polytechnic’s contributions and commitment to protecting Singapore’s environment

2015

Under Phase 8 of the NP campus rejuvenation, vertical green walls were constructed

2016

Conceived a community garden with collaborative effort from colleagues from 5 academic schools and departments

2017

Provided 34 tonnes of food waste from 3 NP food courts to NEA to investigate feasibility of anaerobic co-digestion process for production of renewable energy

2018

Increased our green softscape diversity by 15% by creating more vertical green walls and converting roads into gardens

2019

Launched "Wednesday is NO Straw Day"
Set up NP’s Integrated Operations Centre, which serves as a control hub for managing the campus’ key operations

2020

Straws were removed from all F&B outlets on campus
Reduced energy consumption by 30%
With the help of digitalisation, our paper usage plunged by almost 40%

2021

Installed solar panels for 15 buildings on-campus
13 offices in NP received the Eco-Office Certification endorsed by the Singapore Environment Council
Introduced a smart lighting system that allows staff to remotely control their office lights on campus
25 blocks in NP were Greenmark certified by the Building and Construction Authority

2022

Introduced a Minor in Sustainability under NP’s Personalised Learning Pathway programme

2023

Ranked first amongst polytechnics and ITEs for the lowest energy use intensity, based on BCA’s Benchmarking Report released in July 2023
To commemorate NP's 60th anniversary, 60 trees were planted on campus with the goal of raising $60,000 or $1,000 for every tree planted. 100% of the donations went towards the NP Student Aid Fund which supports financially needy students
Launch of the MooBus in NP, an autonomous minibus that ferries passengers around campus and from King Albert Park MRT station in collaboration with homegrown company MooVita