Singapore, 2 September 2026 - The time for declarations is over.
That is the message from UN Global Compact Network Singapore (UNGCNS) as it opens its 18th annual Summit today - bringing together more than 700 senior leaders from business, government, finance and civil society at Equarius Hotel, Sentosa, Singapore.
Themed “From Commitments to Action: Scaling Sustainable Solutions in Singapore and Across Asia,” the Summit was graced by Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment and Senior Minister of State for Education, Dr Janil Puthucheary - a signal of the Singapore Government’s sustained commitment to corporate sustainability as both a national and regional imperative.
Dr Janil Puthucheary, said that “With heightening global uncertainties, especially climate change, strengthening sustainability action and climate resilience have become more important and urgent. In a changing climate, organisations that prepare early will be better placed to protect their people and assets, manage costs, strengthen supply chains, and seize new opportunities.”
Also in attendance were UN Resident Coordinator Nikolas Myint, with a strategic opening address and a video message delivered by Sanda Ojiambo, Assistant Secretary-General and CEO of the UN Global Compact.
The Summit convened against a backdrop of global urgency and regional momentum. The UN SDG progress report confirms only 36 per cent of global SDG targets are on track. 15 per cent have regressed since 2015. With four years to 2030, the window to course-correct is narrowing.
And yet Asia is not retreating. It is leading.
Asia and Oceania have outperformed every other region in SDG progress since 2015. The region accounts for one-third of global green bond issuance. Capital is moving. Companies are acting. The private sector’s role in this transition is no longer complementary. It is central.
“Asia is at an inflection point,” said Dr Bicky Bhangu, President, UN Global Compact Network Singapore. “Our region has made significant progress on the SDGs since 2015 and is now a global leader in sustainable finance. The constraint is no longer simply ambition or access to capital. It is execution and execution is a capability, not a pledge.”
The Summit is anchored in the UN Global Compact Strategy 2026–2030, which sets a clear direction: mobilise businesses to transform sustainable business ambition into action at the scale the world demands. Three focus areas frame it - equipping companies to act, catalysing collective action, and advancing the business case for sustainability.
The sessions spanned supply chain accountability, the built environment transition, sustainable finance and cross-sector collaboration - structured around the four Forward Faster pillars and designed to equip participants with next steps, not just takeaways.
A few initiatives were launched at the Summit - each a direct response to gaps identified by UNGCNS members across professional recognition, sector coordination, capability building and peer advisory support.
Among the initiatives announced, UNGCNS formalised a coalition partnership with the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals (ISEP) - the global professional body for sustainability practitioners in over 80 countries - becoming ISEP’s founding Singapore network member and a licensed Training Partner.
UNGCNS’s Carbon Accounting and GHG Management programme became the first UNGCNS course to receive ISEP certification, establishing a clear, internationally recognised accreditation pathway for Singapore’s sustainability professionals.
In partnership with Enterprise Singapore, UNGCNS launched thought leadership programme
“People in the Value Chain: From Compliance to Deeper Impact, a strategic training-cum-advisory programme to help businesses and financial institutions build practical capability in social impact and prepare for emerging developments such as the Taskforce on Inequality and Social-related Financial Disclosures (TISFD).
To sustain the Summit’s momentum beyond the event, UNGCNS also announced the launch of Working Groups and Peer Learning Groups - focused communities - through which businesses can collaborate on shared sector challenges, learn from one another, and turn ambition into measurable progress.
“These initiatives reflect what our members are telling us what they need on the ground, right now,” said David Fogarty, CEO, UN Global Compact Network Singapore. “Our role is to bridge the distance between global frameworks and local action - and to keep closing that distance year after year. Today is what that looks like in practice.”
The Summit opened a significant week of corporate sustainability in Asia. On 3 September, UNGCNS co-hosts the UN Global Compact Network China Summit - at the same venue, on consecutive days. Two of Asia’s most active sustainability networks, in the same space, in the same week.
Asia’s sustainability transition cannot be understood without China’s role within it - as a driver of capital, supply chains, technology and regional partnerships. This week is a statement of where the next chapter of regional leadership is being written.
UN Global Compact Network Singapore (UNGCNS) is the Singapore network of the United Nations Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative. UNGCNS is a
Singapore-registered charity with Institution of a Public Character (IPC) status.
As the leading voice on corporate sustainability in Singapore, UNGCNS mobilises businesses, governments and civil society organisations to advance responsible business practices aligned with the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact and the GlobalGoals.
Through advocacy, capacity building, partnerships and collective action platforms, UNGCNS supports companies in embedding sustainability into strategy and operations while contributing to Singapore’s ambition of becoming a leading sustainable business hub.
For more information, visit www.unglobalcompact.sg.
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