News: LKCMedicine celebrates Eco Office Champion award

By Kimberley Wang, Writer

On 28 February, LKCMedicine celebrated its first ever Sustainability Day at the Multi-Purpose Hall in the Clinical Sciences Building. About 100 staff and faculty, joined by the Core Leadership Group (CLG), participated in the event to learn more about the School’s sustainability efforts. Vice-Dean (Research) Professor Lim Kah Leong, who was acting Dean, graced the event as the Guest-of-Honour.

Sustainability Day aims to encourage staff and students to participate in and embrace the importance of caring for the environment around us and take steps to do it each day. As highlighted by Prof Lim, “Sustainability needs to be a way of life, and not just a buzzword or flavour of the day.”

Moreover, as a leading research-intensive university, NTU has published a 15-year manifesto which aims to solidify its reputation as one of the global leaders in sustainability. The School is committed to supporting the university’s sustainability goals, which is also part of the LKCMedicine 2025 Strategic Plan under the strategic thrust of Organisational Excellence.

At the inaugural Sustainability Day, we celebrated the School being awarded the Champion status for Eco Office certification (second highest in the Eco Office certification) by the Singapore Environment Council (SEC). We now join a growing list of reputable organisations such as Shell Jurong Island, Starhub, National Environment Agency, and Health Promotion Board who are classified under this same category. This is a testament to the School’s efforts to promote sustainability.

The SEC is an independently managed, non-profit, non-governmental organisation (NGO) and is also a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) accredited environmental NGO. To achieve the Champion status of the certification, the offices at the School’s Novena campus underwent an external audit in January and were evaluated to have effective environmentally friendly practices which increased eco-consciousness among staff and in turn, helped manage waste with reduction in the usage of paper, water, and electricity.

As a demonstration of our commitment to sustainability, the CLG led in the recital of a LKCMedicine Sustainability Pledge where each one pledged to foster a culture of sustainability and to take steps towards a greener future for the benefit of the next generation. Participants were also invited to write a personal pledge as a symbol of their commitment and hang it at the Pledging Tree. Now located at the Medical Library, staff can continue to write their personal pledges and place them on the Pledging Tree.

At the event, participants were also treated to a percussion performance by the group One Heartbeat. Through multiple musical platforms, One Heartbeat aims to promote unity and empowerment. The group uses recycled items like pots, pans, and water drums to make music and to drive home the message on sustainability through the three R's: Recycle, Reuse and Reduce.

This call to make sustainability a way of like was best summed up by Prof Lim when he cited polar explorer and environmental leader Robert Swan, “The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” Prof Lim added, “This is not someone else’s planet. This is the planet that you and I live in, and one that our children are living in.”