Physical return of Singapore International Water Week and CleanEnviro Summit Singapore will bring together over 15,000 international and local attendees and leaders in the public and private sectors to spur innovation and share sustainable solutions and best practices

Singapore, 15 April 2022 – The Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) and the CleanEnviro Summit Singapore (CESG) will take place from 17 to 21 April at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre. The co-located events will welcome over 15,000 attendees and speakers comprising leaders in governments, industry and academia from around the world.

Synergistic exchange to accelerate action against climate change

2 Against the backdrop of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) and recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports calling for urgent action to be taken to mitigate and adapt to climate change, the programmes for SIWW and CESG are designed to drive synergistic exchange and accelerate action against climate change.

3 Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, Singapore, will deliver the keynote address at the joint opening ceremony on 18 April and speak about the Singapore Green Plan 2030. Launched last year, the national movement outlines concrete and ambitious plans towards sustainable development and net zero emissions by or around mid-century, against targets to reduce waste-to-landfill per capita by 30 percent by 2030 and measures to close our waste loops. Singapore’s 2021 Waste and Recycling Statistics will also be shared during her speech.

4 This will be followed by a joint Environment & Water Leaders Forum (EWLF) that focuses on how cities and organisations can transform sustainability challenges into opportunities as we work towards a climate resilient future. EWLF will feature prominent government, international organisations and industry leaders sharing insights on cross-disciplinary environmental and water policies and governance, and includes:
• Ms Michele Blom, Vice Minister, Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, Netherlands
• Ms Els van Doesburg, Vice-Mayor, City of Antwerp, Belgium
• Mr Patrick Blethon, CEO, Saur Group
• Dr Andrew Benedek, Chairman and CEO, Anaergia Inc
• Dr Axel Schweitzer, CEO, ALBA Group plc & Co. KG

5 EWLF will be moderated by Ambassador Ong Keng Yong, Executive Deputy Chairman of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS).

Water and environment leaders will also continue high level discussion around policies and strategic approach at SIWW’s and CESG’s flagship Water Leaders Summit (WLS) and the Clean Environment Leaders Summit (CELS) respectively (refer to Annex A for a summary of programmes and speakers highlights).

Environment & water issues in focus

6 Climate change compounded with population growth, finite resources and the need for clean water, sanitation and public hygiene continues to place pressure on the sustainability and liveability of cities. The two summits will address pertinent and emerging topics such as resource circularity, sustainable financing, decarbonisation, pollution control and digital transformation of the environment and water sectors accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic in the last two years.

7 SIWW2022 will also feature coastal protection as a new theme following PUB taking on the role of coastal protection agency in Singapore. At the same time, the pandemic has also raised the importance of building resilience against public health threats. CESG will continue to drive discussion around enhancing hygiene standards and effective pest management in safeguarding public health standards.

8 All in all, over 80 content tracks across SIWW2022 and CESG2022 will offer deep dives into these topics with the aim to actualise actionable insights, reach business opportunities and scale real-world solutions across cities. This includes SIWW2022 Water Convention’s 47 technical sessions and over 300 papers spanning six themes, Thematic & Business Forums, and CESG2022’s Clean Environment Convention (CEC) of four plenary sessions over two days (refer to Annex A for a summary of programmes and speakers highlights). Partner events such as the Ecosperity Conversations, Asia Climate Forum, and the ABC Waters Seminar will also feature climate risks & opportunities, climate change, and urban water landscape design topics, respectively.

Best of sustainable environment and water solutions

9 Showcasing innovative environment and water technologies will continue to be at the forefront of SIWW and CESG. The Water Expo will feature close to 250 exhibitors, including 12 pavilions, showcasing their products and services across 21 different product categories. Casting the spotlight on water start-ups are the Imagine H2O and Ripple2Wave pavilions, and for the first time, a Digital Solutions Pavilion that focuses on smart technologies and digital solutions for water utilities will make its debut. (refer to Annex B for Water Expo Guide and list of exhibitors).

10 In leveraging partnerships and innovations to advance Singapore’s sustainability agenda, SIWW2022 will play host to TechXchange on 17 April 2022, a forum that connects innovators with investors, partners, and buyers to advance commercialisation of exciting, new water technologies. 12 water start-ups will partake in exciting business pitches, interactive debates, and lively discussion with who’s who of the industry as they discuss emerging technologies that could shape global water sustainability.

11 In addition, the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2020 Laureate, Professor Kazuo Yamamoto, will deliver a keynote lecture of his pioneering work in inventing and operationalising the submerged membrane bioreactor (MBR) that fundamentally transformed wastewater treatment worldwide on 18 April 2022. In the same evening, he will receive the Prize Medallion and Certificate from Mdm Halimah Yacob, President of the Republic of Singapore, at the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize Award Ceremony & Banquet.

12 Day 1 of SIWW2022 will also culminate in the official opening of the Jurong Island Desalination Plant, Singapore’s fifth desalination plant on 17 April 2022. The completion of JIDP marks another important milestone in our journey for water sustainability. Besides enhancing Singapore’s water security, the plant is more energy efficient as it is co-located with the Tembusu Multi-Utilities Complex to derive resource synergies such as seawater intake and outfall structures, and power from the in-plant generation facilities.

13 “Despite the challenges brought about by the pandemic, SIWW is pleased to return as an in-person event, bringing together global water leaders and experts to share and co-create innovative solutions on emerging urban water challenges.” said Mr Ryan Yuen, Managing Director of Singapore International Water Week. “We are heartened by the support of the international water community as evident by the strong turnout and are pleased to present a rich line-up of curated content with our partners across the water value chain. Through this event, we seek to inspire the global water community to take positive steps to mitigate and adapt against climate impacts and build a sustainable water future for all.”

14 The Environment Expo will feature close to 60 exhibitors from 11 countries showcasing the latest in environmental technologies and solutions. It also has a dedicated Innovation Pavilion featuring 12 exhibits showcasing a wide variety of innovative technologies and solutions including autonomous cleaning vehicles and robots, public health applications such as wastewater surveillance for COVID-19, low-cost sensors for air quality monitoring, smart toilet systems and Project Wolbachia-Singapore, as well as novel ways to turn waste streams into useful resources (refer to Annex C for list of exhibitors).

15 “Growing urbanisation and the impact of climate change has created complex risks which affect people’s health, lives and livelihoods. Cities are at the forefront of innovating and implementing high-impact solutions to address climate risks and urban waste issues,” said Mr Dalson Chung, Managing Director of CleanEnviro Summit Singapore. “At CESG, key stakeholders from the public and private sectors come together to showcase capabilities, form partnerships, and put into action tangible solutions to transform and innovate the ways we can advance resource management and circularity, sustainable energy, pest management, and environmental hygiene sectors.”

Virtual on-demand access offered for the first time

16 Following strong interest in SIWW and CESG virtual events last year from the international community, both events will offer an On-Demand Pass for the first time. This pass allows participants to watch all session recordings of the rich content delivered during the event week on-demand. There will also be virtual opportunities to connect with all participating CESG exhibitors and attendees.

17 In addition, SIWW will launch its very own digital content hub, SIWW+. Besides hosting SIWW2022 on-demand content, participants and delegates alike can browse free sections of SIWW+ containing articles, publications, and videos of past SIWW editions, including last year’s fully virtual SIWW2021.
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About Singapore International Water Week
The Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) is the global platform to share and co-create innovative water solutions. Comprising the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize, Water Leaders Summit, Water Convention, Young Water Leaders Programme, Water Expo, Thematic and Business Forums, Technical Visits and TechXchange, SIWW delivers a range of flagship programmes and platforms that brings together the global value chain of water to share the latest in business and technological innovations, as well as policy developments in water. The 9th Singapore International Water Week will be held from 17 – 21 April 2022, alongside CleanEnviro Summit Singapore (CESG).

About CleanEnviro Summit Singapore 2022
The fifth edition of the biennial CleanEnviro Summit Singapore (CESG) will take place from 17 to 21 April 2022. It serves as a global networking platform for thought leaders, senior government officials, regulators, policy makers, and industry captains.

Organised by the National Environment Agency, the event is built on the theme, ‘Towards Sustainable and Climate-Resilient Cities’, with pressing and pertinent issues such as promoting circular economy frameworks, adopting climate resilient policies and safeguarding public health standards taking centre stage. The discussions will deep-dive into five key areas: Waste as Resource, Enhanced Hygiene Standards, Effective Pest Management, Sustainable Energy, and Pollution Control.

The Clean Environment Leaders Summit and the Clean Environment Convention feature in-depth discussions and will provide participants with the opportunity to share global best practices. The Youth Environment Leaders Immersion Programme provides opportunities for a select group of youth leaders to explore the expo, network, exchange ideas and expertise with their peers, and learn from established leaders in the environmental sphere. The sessions are intended to enable discussions of practical and scalable solutions to environmental concerns, especially those brought on by climate change. Exhibitors at the Environment Expo will also showcase the latest in environmental technologies and solutions.

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