SINGAPORE, 10 September 2026 – While awareness of sustainability is high among Singaporeans, the strongest driver of sustainable action is whether individuals feel a sense of personal ownership and believe their actions can make a difference. This is according to “Closing the Sustainability Action Gap: Insights from the Singlife-SGFIN Sustainable Future Index 2026” (SFI 2026) white paper launched today by leading homegrown financial services company Singlife and the Sustainable and Green Finance Institute (SGFIN) at the National University of Singapore (NUS).
The study found that ownership accounts for 74 per cent of sustainability action, compared with 18 per cent for awareness and 8 per cent for knowledge. This suggests that fostering a stronger sense of personal ownership is likely to have a bigger impact on encouraging sustainable behaviour than awareness-building efforts alone.
Building on the topline findings first released in February 2026, the white paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the Singlife-SGFIN SFI 2026. It identifies the behavioural drivers behind sustainable behaviour, where the greatest opportunities to close Singapore’s sustainability action gap lie, and practical recommendations to help businesses, financial institutions and policymakers encourage more sustainable behaviours.
The findings are based on a nationally representative survey of 1,500 Singaporeans and Permanent Residents conducted between 12 September and 17 October 2025, and an analysis of 25 sustainability actions across four dimensions – Responsible Investing, Acting on Climate Change, Inclusive and Sustainable Solutions, and Society and Culture – using the Awareness-Knowledge-Ownership-Action (AKOA) behavioural framework.
The Index recorded an overall sustainability action score of 56 out of 100, based on the sustainability actions respondents have already adopted and those they intend to adopt over the next 12 months. On average, Singaporeans have adopted 10 out of the 25 sustainability actions measured in the Index and intend to adopt another eight over the next 12 months.
“The conversation on sustainability has largely focused on raising awareness. Our findings show that awareness alone is no longer the main challenge,” said Chia Ko Wen, Head of Sustainability, Singlife. “The next step is helping people turn awareness into action. That means making sustainability more personal, practical and accessible, while recognising that different people face different barriers and motivations. We hope these insights will help businesses, financial institutions and policymakers design more effective interventions that make sustainable choices easier to adopt.”
“The key insight we gained from this national survey is that ownership drives most of the sustainability behaviour, rather than awareness and knowledge of sustainability issues,” said Associate Professor Zhang Weina, Deputy Director, Sustainable and Green Finance Institute (SGFIN) at NUS. “Hence, to encourage more sustainable actions by Singaporeans, we can focus more on deepening individuals’ connection to the underlying sustainability issues and cultivating the belief that everyone is responsible for a sustainable planet and future.”
Responsible investing presents the greatest opportunity to close Singapore’s sustainability action gap
Responsible Investing recorded the lowest score among the four sustainability dimensions (43), despite showing one of the highest levels of future intent. While respondents have adopted only 21 per cent of responsible investing actions measured, they intend to adopt another 43 per cent within the next 12 months. This indicates considerable opportunity to translate intent into action by making sustainable investment options more accessible, understandable and transparent. Singaporeans who believe that sustainable investment products generate positive environmental and social impact were found to be significantly more likely to purchase them.
Sustainable choices are most widely adopted when they are easy, affordable and convenient
The study found that Singaporeans are more likely to adopt sustainable behaviours when they fit naturally into everyday life. Acting on Climate Change recorded the highest score among the four dimensions (70), reflecting stronger adoption of practical, everyday sustainability behaviours.
For example, 52 per cent of respondents buy less fast fashion and 48 per cent purchase products carrying eco-labels. By contrast, adoption declines for behaviours involving greater cost or lifestyle changes: only 25 per cent buy more second-hand clothing, 24 per cent purchase organic food despite the higher cost and 16 per cent have adopted electric vehicles. Reducing barriers such as cost and complexity will therefore be key to encouraging greater sustainability action.
Opportunities remain to strengthen climate resilience and community participation
The white paper identifies significant opportunities to strengthen climate resilience and increase participation in community-based sustainability initiatives. Only 16 per cent of respondents have purchased insurance products designed to protect against climate-related risks, although a further 40 per cent intend to do so in the next 12 months.
Community-based sustainability initiatives show a similar gap between action and intention. Respondents have adopted only 30 per cent of the Society and Culture actions measured in the Index, but intend to adopt another 38 per cent over the next 12 months. Increasing Singaporeans’ awareness of social sustainability as a concept can help to frame sustainability as a collective effort and encourage wider participation in such initiatives.
Sustainability behaviours differ across generations
The study found that different generations engage with sustainability in different ways. Younger Singaporeans demonstrate stronger engagement in Responsible Investing and Society and Culture actions, while older Singaporeans have adopted more sustainable lifestyle behaviours and sustainable consumption habits. These differences reinforce the need to tailor sustainability initiatives to different life stages, motivations and behavioural barriers, rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach.
Recommendations
Drawing on these findings, the white paper recommends three priorities for helping Singaporeans move from awareness to action:
- Make sustainability tangible by clearly demonstrating the environmental and social impact of sustainable businesses and financial products to improve understanding and adoption by individuals.
- Make sustainability more relatable by connecting it to issues that matter to individuals, such as health benefits, family wellbeing and financial security.
- Empower people to act by reducing complexity, improving transparency and making sustainable choices easier to understand, access and incorporate into everyday lifestyles.
Applying these priorities, recommendations are made to three groups of stakeholders:
Policymakers and government agencies: Drive climate action through youth engagement; strengthen personal responsibility for daily choices; enhance accountability and build trust in sustainable retail options and financial products; highlight the concept of social sustainability and shared citizen responsibility in public campaigns.
Businesses: Strengthen affordability, accessibility, and transparency to increase trust in sustainable products and services; empower employees to lead change in their own communities.
Financial institutions: Make sustainable investing more relevant to the public,
transparent and impactful, especially for younger generations.
White paper launch
In conjunction with the white paper launch, Singlife hosted a panel discussion titled “From Awareness to Action: Climate, Insurance and Investing in Everyday Decisions”. The panel featured Chia Ko Wen, Head of Sustainability, Singlife; Guo Yiran, Director (Policy), National Climate Change Secretariat, Strategy Group, Prime Minister’s Office; Thu Ha Chow, Country Head, Singapore and Head of Fixed Income Asia, Portfolio Manager, Robeco; and Associate Professor Zhang Weina, Deputy Director, SGFIN at NUS. The discussion was moderated by Audrey Tan, Assistant News Editor (Environment), The Straits Times.
The panellists shared perspectives on the behavioural barriers that continue to hinder sustainability adoption, and discussed how governments, businesses and financial institutions can make sustainable choices more practical, accessible and personally relevant. The discussion also explored the role of sustainable finance, climate resilience and targeted interventions in helping more Singaporeans move from awareness to action.
While sustainability awareness in Singapore is high, the white paper concludes that the next phase of progress will depend on strengthening personal ownership and reducing barriers to sustainable action. It calls for a collective effort across government, businesses, financial institutions, communities and individuals to help more Singaporeans move from awareness to action.
About Singlife
Singlife is a leading homegrown financial services company that offers consumers a better way to financial freedom. We are headquartered in Singapore with a presence in the Philippines.
Singlife meets diverse customer needs by offering a comprehensive suite of insurance products, including life and health, general insurance and investments, employee benefits, and financial advisory solutions.
We achieve this through a differentiated, open-architecture distribution model and Singapore’s largest network of financial advisers.
A pioneer in the digital insurtech space, we offer digital solutions accessible through the Singlife App, MySinglife portal and the Group’s investment platforms dollarDEX and GROW.
We are a key player in the employee benefits solutions space and are the exclusive insurance provider for the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Home Affairs and Public Officers Group Insurance Scheme. We’re also one of three government-approved long-term care insurance providers in Singapore.
We take our commitment to achieving Net Zero seriously and are an official signatory of the United Nations Principles for Sustainable Insurance and the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment.
Singlife was formed from the merger of Aviva Singapore and Singlife, originally an insurtech start up, in January 2022. Singlife is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Life, who acquired Singlife in 2024. We have over S$16 billion in assets as of 31 December 2025 and are rated “A” and “Baa1” by Fitch and Moody’s respectively.
Sumitomo Life was established in 1907 and is one of Japan’s largest life insurance companies, with over US$300 billion in assets as of 30 September 2025.
About Sustainable and Green Finance Institute
The Sustainable and Green Finance Institute (SGFIN) is a research institute established by the National University of Singapore (NUS). SGFIN provides deep research capabilities in sustainable and green finance with the focal point on Asia and contributes thought leadership to shape sustainability outcomes in policymaking across the financial sector and the economy at large.
Supported by exceptional domain experts across NUS, SGFIN equips businesses with critical knowledge across disciplines to better quantify the environmental and social impacts of their business developments, operations, products, and services. SGFIN also provides education, training, and toolkits to integrate sustainability dynamics into their business strategies and investment decisions. In essence, SGFIN facilitates companies and institutions in embedding sustainability as a core pillar in their business decisions.
For more information on SGFIN, please visit sgfin.nus.edu.sg.
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