MAS' Commitment to Meet Public Sector Sustainability Targets
MAS is committed to conserving the use of natural resources across our operations. We are monitoring our carbon footprint, tracking the usage of electricity, water and paper that are major components of our environmental impact, and optimising the energy and water efficiency of our office premises. We also seek to build a culture of sustainability, where staff are motivated to adopt resource-saving measures and co-create innovative solutions as part of MAS’ sustainability journey.
These efforts will enable MAS to meet or even exceed public sector sustainability targets under the GreenGov.SG initiative, where the public sector in Singapore leads the way to pursue sustainable development and support the national sustainability agenda mapped out in the Singapore Green Plan 2030.
Reducing Energy and Water Consumption
Between 2013 to 2020, MAS reduced energy and water consumption by 23% and 5% respectively, exceeding or in line with public sector targets of 15% and 5%. MAS is committed to further reductions in our energy and water consumption, in line with public sector targets under GreenGov.SG.
Energy consumption was reduced primarily through improving the energy efficiency of the central air conditioning, energy recovery and lighting systems in the MAS Building. To achieve optimal energy efficiency, the central air-conditioning system was retrofitted by sizing the chiller capacity to meet the cooling load profile. This lowered the central air-conditioning’s energy consumption by 18%. The remaining energy savings were from the use of cold exhaust air to lower the temperature of incoming fresh air from outdoor, installation of energy efficient T5 fluorescent lightings and LED lightings, and turning off office lights during lunch hour.
Since 2013, MAS has progressively installed water fittings with excellent water efficiency ratings (3 ticks) under the Public Utilities Board’s Mandatory Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme. Water sub-meters have been installed for high usage areas or systems for real-time monitoring. These meters are linked to the Building Management System, which generates alerts when unusual water consumption or leak is detected. This allows prompt action to be taken to avoid or mitigate potential water wastage. To further reduce water consumption, rainwater is also harvested for outdoor cleaning use.
The MAS Building was awarded the Green Mark certification (Platinum level) in 2015 by the Building Construction Authority and was recertified in 2018. Since 2015, the MAS Building has also been certified a Water Efficient Building by the Public Utilities Board. MAS was also a public-sector recipient of the 2018 Best Energy Efficiency Award administered by the National Environment Agency. The award recognised MAS’s effort in rejuvenating and greening MAS Building through the adoption of efficient energy management and conservation practices.
We aim to further reduce energy consumption by upgrading all T5 fluorescent lightings to more energy-efficient motion-controlled LED lightings in our office premises, installing solar panels on the rooftop of MAS Building and Currency House, using cool paint to lower the temperature of our water storage tanks and adjusting the indoor air-conditioning temperature from 24°C to the energy optimal level of 25°C.
Reducing Waste
Waste reduction is an important part of MAS’ sustainability strategy. MAS is committed to reducing waste, in line with public sector targets under GreenGov.SG. We continue to encourage the three ‘R’s of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle among staff members, to minimise waste, conserve natural resources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Initiatives have been introduced to raise staff’s sustainability awareness and promote environmentally friendly practices in the following areas:
| Initiatives | Year Implemented | Outcomes Achieved |
|---|---|---|
| Minimise Plastic Waste | ||
| • Removed the provision of single-use bottled water in meeting rooms at MAS’ premises | 2018 | Reduce the use of >3,000 plastic bottles per year |
| • Implemented clustered placement of office litter bins | 2017 | Save > 16,000 plastic liners per year |
| Reduce Paper Waste | ||
| • Introduced “Bring-Your-Cup” at beverage vending machines in staff pantries | 2017 | Reduce the use of >76,000 paper cups per year |
| • Encouraged staff to go digital and print less where possible | 2016 | 56% drop in paper usage – equivalent to 150 trees per year |
| Project Bring-Your-Own | ||
| • Provided staff with reusable utensils and lunchbox to pack meals alongside a pledge to stop using single-use items | 2020 | As of Q1 2021, 38% of MAS staff have pledged to use reusable utensils |