Green Skills Committee Report Identifies Green Skills and Training Pathways needed for a Low-Carbon Economy

The GSC was established by MTI and SSG in November 2023 as a joint effort between the Government, industry, unions, training providers, and the trade associations and chambers (TACs) to study how to better prepare our workforce for a low-carbon future.

Over the past two years, the 20-member public-private committee conducted a comprehensive review of green skills demand and interventions across four horizontal¹ and nine vertical sectors² . The findings show that the green transition is already reshaping career pathways, business models, and workforce needs across Singapore’s economy, with new jobs emerging in areas such as climate risk analysis, sustainable procurement, and carbon services and trading. Collectively, more than a hundred interventions and programmes have been implemented by agencies and stakeholders to develop green skills that will be relevant for existing and future job roles.

The GSC also identified Sustainability Reporting and the Energy sector as areas which are crucial for the economy to prepare for a low-carbon future and have strong near-term demand for green skills, with about 5,000 workers projected to be needed in both sectors by 2030. Two sub-workgroups were created to address the skills gap in these areas, and nine interventions were developed, including the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA)’s Sustainability Reporting Body of Knowledge (SR BOK)³, and Continued Education and Training (CET) programmes across the Energy sector.

The GSC also worked with SSG and Workforce Singapore (WSG) to launch self-help resources for businesses and workers, to complement Government and institution-led interventions. These include a dedicated green resources page on the Jobs-Skills Portal, enhanced funding support for green skills training, as well as practical tools for businesses, HR teams, trainers, and workers. The collaborative public-private approach ensures that training and upskilling efforts are relevant, agile, and responsive to industry needs.

The publication of the GSC report marks the conclusion of the committee’s work. MTI and SSG reaffirm their commitment to working with all stakeholders to continually evolve green skills development in tandem with business and regulatory needs. The Government will also continue to collaborate with the industry, unions, and training providers to ensure Singapore’s workforce remains future-ready for the green transition.

Dr Beh Swan Gin, Permanent Secretary, MTI and GSC Co-Chair, said “The demand for green skills will grow as Singapore transitions to a low-carbon economy. The GSC report sets out clear and actionable pathways to guide companies and workers to develop the capabilities necessary to take on good jobs of the future. It reflects the culmination of a two-year collaboration between the government and industry. By investing together in green skills, we are equipping Singapore and Singaporeans to compete and thrive in a low-carbon future.”

Mr Wong Kim Yin, Chief Executive Officer, Sembcorp Industries Ltd and GSC Co-Chair, said “Climate mitigation and adaptation will increasingly shape how our economy and workforce evolve, and create new opportunities as we head into a low-carbon and climate-impaired future. The GSC’s work provides a strong foundation for industry and government to work together, to assess and develop interventions that would equip our workforce with the skills to take advantage of opportunities as they emerge.”

Mr Tan Kok Yam, Chief Executive, SSG, said “Working alongside MTI and our training partners, we have launched new training programmes in key energy sub-sectors. We also developed Train-the-Trainer programmes to enhance the proficiency of trainers in the latest sustainability reporting standards, regulations and frameworks. SSG will continue to work with training providers, Skills Development Partners, SkillsFuture Queen Bees and sector agencies to help our businesses and workforce stay responsive to the ever-evolving demand for green skills.”

For more information, please refer to the full Green Skills Committee Report.

Annex A: List of GSC Members

Annex B: List of Sustainability Reporting and Assurance (SRA) Sub-Workgroup Members

Annex C: List of Energy Sub-Workgroup Members

¹ Financial Services / Finance, Legal Services, Supply Chain Management, and Sustainability Reporting.

² Aviation, Built Environment, Carbon Services and Trading, Electric Vehicles, Energy Efficiency in Industry, Environmental Services, Maritime, Tourism, and Energy.

³ A standardised framework that guides training providers to create consistent, high-quality courses and informs Train-the-Trainer programmes