The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) unveiled the world’s first global sustainability standard designed for attractions as well as a comprehensive sustainability guide for business event venues, a move coinciding with the city-state’s hosting of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s (GSTC) Global Sustainable Tourism Conference last week.
The new MICE Venue Sustainability Playbook is the latest development in Singapore’s move towards responsible business events. Content was built on data and learnings obtained from the 2023 national MICE Industry Carbon and Waste Baseline exercise, which studied energy, water and waste generated by Singapore’s six purpose-built business events venues – Changi Exhibition Centre, Raffles City Convention Centre, Resorts World Convention Centre, Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Singapore Expo, and Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre.
The MICE Venue Sustainability Playbook aims to help event venues manage their carbon emissions, and offers practical recommendations for energy efficiency, waste management, and water conservation efforts. It features a decarbonisation framework, best practices from purpose-built business event venues, and international counterparts, and a consolidation of whole-of-government support schemes to drive decarbonisation across Singapore’s venues.
Besides launching the MICE Venue Sustainability Playbook, STB also demonstrated its commitment to supporting the reduction of carbon emissions at business events by encouraging delegates attending the GSTC Global Sustainable Tourism Conference to offset their carbon footprint from air travel by purchasing quality carbon credits through a credible offset project.
Delegates who did so received a pre-loaded value souvenir card which can be used for public transportation in Singapore. This initiative aims to create awareness of the carbon emissions impact of air travel and encourage delegates to take ownership of their own emissions, thereby fostering a greener, more sustainable delegate journey from start to end.
Meanwhile, Singapore’s attractions are also getting a power shot in their sustainability efforts through the new GSTC Attraction Criteria. Developed with support from STB, the criteria aims to serve as the global sustainability standard for attractions and provide a common understanding of sustainable practices for attractions worldwide. This is the first-ever global standard specifically designed for attractions. Attractions can expect to apply for the certification in early 2026, after the onboarding and GSTC accreditation of certification bodies in 2025.
STB’s chief sustainability officer, Ong Huey Hong, said: “These initiatives are pivotal in positioning Singapore as a leading sustainable urban destination and demonstrating our commitment to sustainability. By developing world-class standards and providing the industry with practical tools, we are not only enhancing our own tourism sector but also contributing to global sustainability efforts in tourism.”
