We welcomed 2021 with cautious optimism as we returned to some semblance of normalcy. However, this month has seen rising numbers of COVID-19 cases in the community, and a return to Phase 2 of circuit breaker measures in order to curb the spread of infections.
As the COVID-19 crisis continues to take its toll, we remain grateful to have been able to serve our community through the oscar@sg fund. The fund, launched on 29th April 2020, aims to enable initiatives to assist communities facing adverse circumstances due to the COVID-19 crisis. With over 300 applications to date, the fund has supported initiatives that not only provide immediate relief such as food and other daily necessities, but also programmes that provide mental and emotional care for those in need. As the crisis continues and its impact reverberates through our society in various ways, the oscar@sg fund continues to receive applications from individuals and organisations that aim to help communities in need during this trying time.
The crisis has also led many of us to question what it will take to ensure that our society is resilient and prepared for the crises of the future. As such, we are pleased to announce that Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory Limited (TLL) has come on board as Temasek Trust’s latest designated beneficiary. The researchers and scientists at TLL are working with government agencies to explore how their research and innovations may best address Singapore’s environmental needs as well as assist in our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.We are privileged to play a role in enabling their capacity to do good. We look forward to working with them as they explore more ways of maximising their positive impact on communities and responding to the most pressing challenges facing the world today.
The COVID-19 crisis has spurred many of us to look towards new and innovative pathways of doing good. Impact investing is one such pathway with significant potential and a net market worth that is approaching approximately USD 715 billion worldwide1. Working with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), we are furthering our work in impact investing across the region to set standards for local and regional stakeholders that would act as a guide as they explore this burgeoning field.
The importance of environmental sustainability has come into focus this year, with Parliament declaring climate change a global emergency. 2021 also marked the launch of the Singapore Green Plan (SGP) 2030. SGP 2030 calls for individuals and organisations from all sectors to step forward to answer this call to action. Temasek Shophouse (TSH) will purposefully incorporate sustainability into our corporate practices and daily lives by working closely with staff members from Temasek Foundation, Temasek Trust, Stewardship Asia Centre and ABC World Asia. We will also be engaging our community partners and members of the public through a broader suite of sustainability-focused programmes in the coming months aimed at encouraging all of us to learn how we can all be a part of this journey.
In the months ahead, it is our hope that we build on the sense of solidarity and continue to come together to help those in need.May we all take the necessary precautions to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe, and may we continue to support those around us during this crisis.
1 Global Impact Investing Network: 2020 Annual Impact Investor Survey (2020). Retrieved April 20, 2021 from: https://thegiin.org/assets/GIIN%20Annual%20Impact%20Investor%20Survey%202020.pdf
