We intend to build the largest, curated database of conscious brands in Asia and Europe. We work with both social enterprises and corporates. But we’ve made a choice to only work with brands that align with our core values. You can read more about these below.
We’re alive to the fact that green-washing is real. And we are in the process of creating our own tool to measure the impact of brands across the industries we cover.
Their website is at https://greenisthenewblack.com
Following our Webinar- Digital Doubts, we were asked some questions about Sustainability and social enterprises in Singapore:
Here I name Green Is the New Black as it is one of the first, that came to my mind. The thing is in Singapore, we've noticed the usage of the term 'Green', 'Eco', 'GOOD' or 'Impact', even 'conscious' is used a lot more than 'social enterprise'.
There are around 400 social enterprises/members in a community 'nurtured' by RAISE, they preferred to be known as 'raiSE' - It stands for Singapore Centre for Social Enterprise (raiSE) and was set up in 2015 to develop the social enterprise sector in Singapore. raiSE curates talks, workshops and training by industry experts covering a range of topics, from marketing and public relations, to legal and finance.
There is also alot more food concerns (from food waste to food sustainability) as Singapore is a well-known food paradise (food is very important to all our citizens). Following Covid-19, ideas like grow & enjoy organic fresh vegetables, from the comfort of your home became more embraced as an avenue to relook into the relationships humans have with both soil and food; and develop a deeper appreciation and gratitude for the abundance of food we get to enjoy.
About Ground-Up Initiative (GUI)
Ground-Up Initiative (GUI) is a non-profit community, guided by the spirit of innovation, resilience and grounded leadership to demonstrate urban sustainability. With the power of community, GUI is building Kampung Kampus, a low-carbon footprint community campus, sited on a 2.6 hectares land plot in Yishun, Singapore. Kampung Kampus aims to be a role model in sustainable living and a School of Life; nurturing an eco-conscious community with the mind, the hands and the heart to be stewards of a more sustainable and happier future.
You can read more about them here https://groundupinitiative.org
@Nonie Nuch
Additional information is this 2014 study of NUS (National University of Singapore) on the Landscape of Social Enterprises in Singapore. For me it was very interesting to read their SE definition which is way more business oriented as the European approaches: "At its core, a social enterprise is simply a business which seeks to create social impact through the trading of goods and services. It uses the business platform to achieve social and/or environmental objectives while simultaneously seeking a financial return." (highlights by me)