International Policy Makers and Senior Officials Tap into Singapore's Experience in Environmental Sustainability
August and September 2008

Delegates from the “Clean Energy in Response to Climate Change” Programme

In the last month, the Singapore Environment Institute (SEI), in collaboration with the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan International Co-operation Agency and Korea International Co-operation Agency, played host to some 60 senior government officials from over 30 countries around the globe.  The delegates converged in Singapore to attend 3 training programmes that were conducted in succession at the Institute.

Delegates and organisers from the “Sustainable Development and Environmental Management” Programme

Starting on 18 Aug 08, a 10-day programme “Climate Change, Energy and the Environment” was conducted under the auspices of the Japan-Singapore Partnership Programme for the 21st Century (JSPP21).  In the first two weeks of Sep 08, another 10-day  programme “Sustainable Development and Environmental Management”  was delivered under the Singapore - Republic of Korea Third Country Training Programme (TCTP) framework.  Spanning the second and third weeks of Sep 08, SEI is currently training another group of foreign officials on “Clean Energy in Response to Climate Change”, a brand new programme sponsored under the SCPTA (Singapore Co-operation Training Awards) and SIDSTEC (Small Island Developing States Technical Co-operation) frameworks.

Indeed almost 3,000 government officials and policy makers worldwide have set foot into SEI since 2003 when the Institute first came into being.  When these delegates left for home, they brought with them something that is intrinsically valuable - knowledge of Singapore’s successful environmental strategies, which they could adapt to their advantage in their own countries.  To SEI, this is part of its vision that has transformed into reality; its vision of making Singapore a regional hub for environmental training.

Delegates and organisers from the “Climate Change, Energy and the Environment” Programme

SEI’s reputation as an integrated environmental training provider has truly travelled far and wide.  With the growing demand for SEI’s educational delivery, several other international programmes are already well in the pipeline in the coming months.  SEI will partner MFA and several international organisations including the Hanns Seidel Foundation and the French Embassy to conduct programmes ranging from climate change governance to environmental public health.

Capacity building and knowledge exchange in SEI takes place through its unique blend of people elements:

Power of Partnership

SEI’s “whole-of-partnership” approach ensures that delegates benefit from a host of lecturers coming from the academia, industries and governmental agencies.  For instance, the ‘Clean Energy in Response to Climate Change’ programme enlisted the help of over 20 speakers from the various sectors to provide for a balanced learning platform.  It also set an excellent milieu for our local experts from the academia, industries and governmental agencies to network and seek out future exchange and collaboration opportunities with the foreign government officials.

“PEEL-Out” and Play

SEI’s flagship course - the Programme for Environmental Experiential Learning or PEEL - allows delegates to go around Singapore for a captivating and enjoyable tour of environmental facilities.  Notably, delegates from the “Climate Change, Energy and the Environment” programme were treated to SEI’s first official run of its fifth PEEL trail - the Climate Change Trail.

Focused Target Participants

Good environmental governance depends on sound knowledge and strong political will.  That is why these programmes were tailored for top policy makers and senior officials directly involved in the decision-making process.  Many participating delegates were among the ranks of CEOs, Directors, Mayors and Senators.

Last updated on 18 Sep 08