Last week, I had the opportunity to deliver the keynote at the…

Last week, I had the opportunity to deliver the keynote at the CleanEnviro Summit Singapore Catalyst 2026 in Singapore, hosted by the National Environment Agency.

Dr. Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment & Ministry of Education, opened the event by setting the context for the day’s discussions on sustainability. He highlighted Singapore’s progress over the past decade, including reductions in waste generation, increased household recycling participation, and greater public awareness of recycling. At the same time, he underscored the challenges ahead—from rising collection and freight costs to volatile recyclables markets and the need for innovation to extend the lifespan of Semakau Landfill beyond 2035.

It was inspiring to see Singapore’s long-term commitment to sustainability come through so clearly.

My keynote, “Innovating Towards a Sustainable Future,” built on that theme and focused on three ideas:

— Sustainability and business value are not competing priorities. Increasingly, they are the same path.
— The Environmental Services industry is moving from activity-based metrics (bins emptied, routes completed) toward outcome-based metrics (waste diverted, emissions reduced, and materials kept in circular systems). That transition represents one of the most important innovation opportunities of the next decade.
— Green AI has two dimensions. Green BY technology—using AI to make Environmental Services more sustainable. And Green IN technology—ensuring the AI itself is efficient, responsible, and sustainable. Environmental Services has a unique opportunity to advance both simultaneously from the outset.

What stayed with me most was the ecosystem represented in the room: service providers, premises owners, innovators, government agencies, investors, and academics working together on a shared challenge. The Innovation Showcase brought this collaboration to life through demonstrations spanning Autonomous Systems, Analytics, AI, and Advanced Biology—showing how quickly sustainability innovation is moving from concept to deployment.

Thank you to the National Environment Agency for the invitation, to Dr Janil Puthucheary for setting the tone, and to everyone who shared ideas and perspectives throughout the event.

As Executive Director of the Green Software Foundation, I am particularly encouraged by Singapore’s leadership in sustainable technology. Singapore was the first government to join the Green Software Foundation, demonstrating how public-sector leadership can help accelerate the adoption of sustainable technology practices and standards..

Singapore continues to demonstrate how policy, industry, and innovation can come together to accelerate sustainable outcomes.