Address by Edwin Khew, Chairman SEAS, for the launch of Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore (SEAS) on the 12th July 2006 @ Hotel Grand Copthorne Waterfront, Singapore

Dr. Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister of the Environment & Water Resources, Dr. Amy Khor, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of the Environment & Water Resources, Simon Tay, Chairman, National Environment Agency, Lee Yuen Hee, CEO, National Environment Agency, Ted Tan, Deputy CEO, IE Singapore,

Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Speakers, Ladies & Gentlemen.

In the last decade, the Singapore Environment Industry has transformed from primarily a trading type industry to a technology based industry specializing in specific areas of environmental infrastructure that is relevant for the country and the regional markets like water, waste and energy management. This transformation saw the need for specific sector associations to be formed to allow like-minded companies to collaborate on local market issues, reach out to regional markets and be represented in Global forums. The Waste Management & Recycling Association of Singapore (WMRAS) and the Singapore Water Association (SWA) was therefore established in 2001 & 2004, respectively. With the need for Singapore to be more efficient in its energy usage, the current high cost of oil and energy, major concerns of energy security globally and Singapore’s accession to the Kyoto Protocol – it is timely for Singapore to form SEAS. The base of SEAS members will come from SAFEco where there is already a growing number of Energy Services Companies (ESCO) and Renewable Energy Companies. However the Councils for both Associations have agreed that existing SAFEco and SEAS memberships will be mutually transferable i.e. SAFEco members will automatically be a member of SEAS and vice versa.

SEAS will have a Patron and we are happy to announce that Amy Khor (Senior Parliamentary Secretary & Chair of N3C) have kindly consented to be our Patron. The council of SEAS will initially have 10 members with a chair, a deputy chair, and 8 council members, 4 of these council members will chair committees on R.E., E.E., Green House Gas Emission Reduction and project financing. All this is spelt out in the 8 TORs finalised by the SEAS council at its first meeting last week, and these TORs are on your table. The TORs are by no means cast in stone and will be reviewed from time to time as the Association evolves.

From the TOR you can perhaps sense that the objective and the mission for SEAS is to develop Singapore into a centre for sustainable energy activities and for Singapore to be a major centre for the management and trading of carbon assets.

SEAS will provide a common platform for companies in RE, EE, Carbon trading, CDM projects and the financial institutions to meet, discuss and collaborate. SEAS will seek as its members companies working in all areas of Sustainable energy i.e. RE, EE, R&D, carbon trading, CDM projects, financial institutions as well as clean energy funds and venture funds. Members of SEAS will have opportunities to participate in the various committees and also participate in networking sessions, seminars, conferences and outgoing missions (regionally and globally).

Activities lined up for SEAS in the next 2 years include :

Energex 2007

ENERGEX is a very successful energy conference that draws participants from the private, public as well as academic sectors. Globally many research as well as industry papers will be presented through the five-day conference. SEAS is very proud to be the hosts and co-organiser of this conference in 2007.


Entrapolis Singapore

SEAS will also be organising a seminar on Sustainable Energy at Global Entrapolis Singapore in November this year.


Association of Energy Engineers (AEE)

 SEAS will develop joint programs and courses with the Association of Energy Engineers (USA). SEAS signed an MOU with AEE 2 weeks ago. AEE has members world wide and runs the CEM course that is recognize as a professional energy manager’s qualification world wide.


MOU in Shanghai

Industry Committee on Energy Efficiency a committee within SAFEco organised an Energy Mission to Shanghai in March this year. A group of 8 energy companies participated in an energy exhibition, hosted a seminar for companies in Shanghai, signed a MOU with their Shanghai counterpart and participated in several site visits including the Jin Mao Tower, the flagship building of Shanghai. A Consortium of ICEE member has secured the contract to audit and improve the energy efficiency for Jin Mao Towers, a proud achievement for us.

This is the beginnings of an exciting journey for SEAS and Singapore to develop into a major regional centre for sustainable energy. We have many positive elements in place to help us succeed. This includes Singapore being a major regional financial centre, a major oil trading centre (3 rd largest in the world), a major R&D centre for Environment Technology(PM just chaired the 1 st meeting of the research, innovative and enterprise council(RIEC) and announced a $1.4 billion fund for R&D into the environment and water technologies), and most importantly a cohesive public and private sector i.e. government working hand in hand with industry(a good example is the support and assistance given by MEWR, NEA, IE Singapore, EDB and MTI in the setting up of SEAS and the RE & EE industries). I am therefore confident and optimistic that with the elements and factors mentioned above together with a very supportive and capable SEAS council, SEAS and Singapore will succeed and we will meet our key objectives.

I am therefore extremely grateful that Minister Yaacob helped us launch SEAS this morning and I would like to thank him for doing so and for giving his support. I would also like very much to thank Ted Tan and IE Singapore our partner in co-organising this seminar and launch and last but not least all you participants and distinguished guest, who have taken time off to be a part of the SEAS launch and to attend this seminar. I do look forward to all of you joining us at SEAS to contribute and be part of our success. SEAS has categories of membership to cater to all companies and individuals who support climate change and sustainable energy. Those that are keen to sign up I believe application forms are available on your table. For others who need to know more before joining you can receive more information from Kavita outside during coffee break or you can assess the SEAS website and apply on-line.

Thank You.