Speech by Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Education and National Development at the ITE Sustainability Conference 2026

Mr Peter Lam, Chief Executive Officer, Institute of Technical Education,

Mr Wong Kee Joo, Chief Executive Officer, HSBC Singapore,

Mr James Soh, Executive Director, National Youth Achievement Award Council,

Industry partners, educators and students,

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

1. Good morning. Thank you for inviting me to the HSBC-NYAA-ITE Phase 4 Climate Change and Sustainability Ceremony. On reflection from what I heard from Peter earlier about the 4Cs in relation to ITE. It is my first time at ITE College East. I am in awe of the size and infrastructure of the campus, the grandeur and the investment that we put into this Campus for the benefit of our students. But it is not just about infrastructure. It is also about the Curriculum, the Culture, as well as the Collaborations that really bring it to life in the education, as well as the experience of a student at ITE. Today, we celebrate the students, educators, and companies who have come together to build a more sustainable future for Singapore.

2. Climate change is one of the defining challenges of our time. Like all other nations that face this challenge, Singapore must find a way to build a sustainable future for us to continue to thrive.

3. In February 2021, the Singapore government announced the Singapore Green Plan 2030, a whole-of-nation movement to pursue sustainable development across our economy and society, accompanied by ambitious and concrete targets. By 2050, we aim to have net-zero emissions. Government policies and new technologies play a key role in achieving this target, but they cannot succeed on their own.

4. Lasting change depends on the daily choices that we as citizens make in our workplaces, schools, and communities. It requires businesses, educators, and young people to work hand-in-hand and side-by-side. The HSBC-NYAA-ITE Sustainability Initiative reflects the spirit of this close partnership.

5. The HSBC–NYAA–ITE Towards a Sustainable Future Initiative ("the Initiative") was launched in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a clear and practical purpose: to bring ITE students and SMEs together, to find workable ways of reducing energy use, waste and carbon emissions.

6. The pilot began with 15 SMEs working with 44 students in 2020. Since then, the Initiative has continued to grow in reach, ambition, and impact.

7. Phase 4 marks the 4th run of the Initiative, where 29 SMEs have partnered with 99 ITE students to address real business challenges and produce meaningful environmental improvements with real cost savings.

8. Taking what they have learnt about sustainability in the classrooms, our students applied their knowledge to develop practical sustainable solutions for real-world challenges. They entered workplaces, studied operating processes, gathered data, tested ideas, and presented solutions that companies could implement.

9. The Initiative exemplifies applied learning at its best. Through the Initiative, our students gained the confidence to apply their technical skills in real-world situations. Our students learnt to listen to industry partners, work across disciplines, and refine ideas until they were fit for implementation.

10. Ultimately, our students learnt that school is not merely a place for them to learn about contributing to Singapore's future; they can already contribute to Singapore's future today.

11. I am especially heartened that our SMEs have come onboard to support this Initiative. It really means a lot to us. SMEs are the backbone of our economy. They are diverse, resourceful and deeply connected to the everyday life of our nation, while playing a critical role in growing our nation's economy.

12. As we work toward building a sustainable future, our SMEs have the power to drive meaningful, ground-up change that will help Singapore achieve our sustainability ambitions. Their collective efforts, multiplied across thousands of businesses and communities, will be instrumental in helping Singapore secure a greener future not only for today but for generations to come.

13. Yet, we also recognise that many SMEs could face practical constraints when beginning their sustainability journeys. They may lack time or resources to experiment with new approaches.

14. By pairing SMEs with ITE students, this programme creates a partnership in which both sides can benefit. Companies gain fresh perspectives from our youths and discover practical recommendations that they can implement in their businesses to strengthen their business resilience. Meanwhile, our students gain authentic industry experience.

15. The Phase 4 projects demonstrate this partnership clearly.

1. The team working with All Big Frozen Food transformed fish bones, heads, skin, and trimmings into a natural seasoning powder, reducing food waste by turning it into new forms of food.

2. With Toko Warisan, students studied the company's cold-room system for storing frozen food and recommended the use of Variable Speed Drive technology to optimise the cold-room system's compressor performance. Their proposal reduced overall energy consumption by 40%, lowering both operating costs and the company's carbon footprint.

3. At Cuttour Hair Studio, students found that usable hair colour was routinely left inside discarded tubes. Their simple Cut-and-Scrape Method recovered remaining hair colour in the tubes, achieving a 45.5% reduction in tube residual waste. It required no costly equipment, only careful observation, fresh thinking and the determination to improve an everyday process.

16. The other award-winning teams were equally inventive: using mycelium to create biodegradable materials from food and cardboard waste; repurposing discarded glass bottles into hospitality products; and developing a mobile hydrogen fuel-cell prototype to demonstrate clean-energy applications.

17. Different sectors, different technologies—but one shared lesson: practical sustainability solutions begin with a simple question—how can we do this better? These projects are encouraging because they combine environmental change with economic value.

18. Our students have shown that reducing emissions and improving efficiency need not be competing goals. With good ideas and strong partnerships, businesses can be equally or more productive while concurrently becoming more sustainable.

19. Our youths will play a critical role in building a sustainable future.

1. In our fast-evolving economy, our students will need not only strong technical skills, but also adaptability, creativity, collaboration, and a strong sense of responsibility. Initiatives such as this help cultivate these qualities and nurture the talent Singapore will need to build a sustainable tomorrow—technicians, engineers, entrepreneurs and responsible citizens who understand that they can make a difference in society.

2. Collectively, each project is a further step to build a more sustainable Singapore.

20. To our students: I congratulate you on what you have achieved. Be proud of your solutions, but do not let this be the end of your journey. Keep asking questions. Keep testing your ideas. Bring the same curiosity and determination into your future workplaces and encourage others to act with you.

21. To our SME partners: thank you for opening your doors, sharing real challenges, and trusting our students to contribute to your companies. I hope more companies will join future phases of the Initiative, adopt the solutions that emerge and help young people understand how sustainability works in practice.

22. To HSBC Singapore, the NYAA Council and ITE: thank you for sustaining this partnership for the past 6 years and providing a valuable bridge to bring our SMEs and youths together.

23. I also want to thank the lecturers,mentors and educators whose guidance and support has turned good intentions into measurable outcomes.

24. Once again, congratulations to all six winning teams! I would also like to commend every participating company and student for their commitment and effort. I look forward to building a sustainable future with you.

25. Thank you.