Enviromental Sustainability

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 utilisation index (EUI)

First poly to offer a Minor in Sustainability

19% reduction in water consumption against baseline 2013

First poly to install solar panels to harness renewable energy

Biodiverse campus with over 1,000 trees and more than 100 tree species

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

Recipient of President’s Award for the Environment 2014

Recipient of Energy Efficiency National Partnership Awards 2021

Achieved Green Mark Certification for 35 Blocks

Achieved Eco-Office Certification for 13 Offices

Creating New Possibilities with our Partners for our Students

SEED-logo

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

SEED-logos

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 - 2024)

Our journey began more than a decade ago…

2013

Replaced energy inefficient air-conditioning equipment
Installed water efficiency fittings for all washrooms

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

Eliminated the use of styrofoam boxes in all NP food courts, replacing them with biodegradable packaging
Established mini-cooling districts to enhance building energy efficiency
Recycled air-conditioning condensate for cooling towers and landscape irrigation
Started to incorporate green walls into our building facade

2016

Piloted a distributed pumping system, achieved 20% energy savings and expanded the concepts to more buildings
Conceived a community garden with collaborative effort from colleagues from 5 academic schools and departments
Upgraded to more efficient cooling towers
Installed water meters in all buildings

2017

Started collaboration with NEA to collect and convert 18.5 tonnes of food waste annually from 3 NP food courts
Transitioned to LED lighting in classrooms, labs, and studios
Automated landscape irrigation to reduce water consumption

2018

Implemented smart lighting system for remote office light control via mobile app

2019

Set up NP’s Integrated Operations Centre, a control hub for managing the campus’ key operations
Launched “Wednesday is NO Straw Day”
Encouraged NP community to bring their own tumbler for cold beverage

2020

Removed straws from all NP F&B outlets
Leveraged digitalisation to cut paper usage by nearly 40%

2021

Recipient of Energy Efficiency National Partnership Awards 2021
13 offices in NP received the Eco-Office Certification endorsed by the Singapore Environment Council
Installed solar panels on 15 campus buildings

2022

35 blocks in NP were Green Mark certified by the Building and Construction Authority
Introduced a Minor in Sustainability under NP’s Personalised Learning Pathway programme

2023

Replaced aged main campus water mains
Decommissioned cooling towers through chiller plant consolidation
Replaced and consolidated standalone air-conditioning systems
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

2024

Launched the Sustainability Education & Ecosystem Development (SEED) initiative to integrate sustainability across its curriculum, operations, and partnerships
Launched NP’s Centre for Environmental Sustainability
Established the NP Built Environment Ecosystem (BEE) with 15 industry partners to offer leading-edge smart facilities management training
Launched the NP Environmental Impact Scholarship to nurture green talents who are passionate about championing sustainability

Looking Ahead: Our Sustainability Goals

Water usage
Reduce by 10% by 2030

Energy usage
Reduce by 10% by 2030

Carbon Footprint
Net zero by 2045

Waste generation
Reduce by 30% by 2030