Southeast Asia is at a pivotal moment in the fight against climate change. With the region particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels and extreme weather, the need for sustainable practices is more pressing than ever. Sectors like energy are at the forefront of this transition, where decarbonisation is key.
In Singapore, 86% of business leaders have reported a gap in sustainability skills across their organisations[1]. This challenge isn’t limited to Singapore – we see it across the region. While green jobs have increased by 30% from 2016 to 2021, the workforce with relevant green skills has only grown by 6% annually[2]. According to industry reports, this is a gap we cannot afford to ignore if we are serious about achieving our sustainability goals.
Human Resource Officers (HROs) are uniquely positioned to lead the charge in closing this gap. They play a pivotal role in identifying the necessary sustainability skills and embedding them into the workforce. For organisations like Senoko Energy, we’ve seen that equipping employees with these skills doesn’t just support sustainability goals but also boosts organisational growth and employee engagement. However, like any major shift, it comes with its own set of opportunities and challenges.
Opportunities for upskilling in sustainability
The good news is that employees are eager to learn. A 2022 study by Salesforce shows that workers view sustainability as very important for their jobs, demonstrating a demand to develop sustainability-related skills3. This presents a prime opportunity for HROs to offer tailored learning programmes, ranging from workshops and online courses to hands-on projects.
It’s also important to remember that sustainability upskilling doesn’t need to be siloed in specific departments. Cross-functional collaboration can bring fresh ideas to the table. For example, teams from marketing, supply chain, and finance can come together to solve sustainability challenges, building a holistic understanding of its impact on the entire organisation.
This shift towards green skills isn’t just about environmental impact – it also helps attract talent, particularly younger employees who want to work for companies that share their values. Employees passionate about sustainability will be drawn to businesses offering meaningful opportunities to contribute to the green transition. Offering growth opportunities in sustainability can become a strong differentiator in the competitive talent market.
Additionally, opportunities to embark on new business areas and develop new technologies, such as cleaner, greener power plants, can enhance operational efficiency while lowering emissions. By empowering employees to acquire new knowledge and skillsets, companies are positioning themselves at the forefront of innovation in the green economy.
Addressing the challenges
Upskilling for sustainability comes with its challenges. New technologies like hydrogen energy and carbon capture are advancing rapidly. HROs need to stay agile, updating training regularly to keep pace with these advancements.
Resistance to change is another hurdle. Employees unfamiliar with sustainability might be hesitant to embrace new responsibilities. Thermal power has been Senoko Energy’s backbone for decades, and some of our team members, including many with years of experience, are naturally cautious about adopting new green technologies that are unfamiliar to them. Changing mindsets, therefore, is the most important endeavour. Generating electricity while lowering carbon emissions with greener fuel efficiency and adopting technology other than combined-cycle gas turbine plant are new to our industry, and we’re essentially starting from scratch.
Many employees at Senoko Energy have spent years in thermal power generation, so adjusting to new practices and in some cases having to acquire new skillsets require a cultural shift and a significant change in the way we think and work. Embracing sustainability is the only way forward, and this requires being open-minded to work with new technology and equipment, and unfamiliar processes. In addition, cross-section collaboration with other colleagues, as well as external stakeholders are often required. Having to work with others is not a choice but a necessity. Senoko Energy’s examples include our developing SolarShare, Singapore’s first peer-to-peer trading platform for solar energy and low carbon energy imports, which entails many cross-border collaborations.
Transforming culture for the energy transition
 In 2022, we launched a company-wide cultural transformation in preparation for the energy transition. Part of this transformation is unveiling new core values that encapsulate the new mindset we need to possess – We Take Charge, We Embrace Change, We Provide Energy for Life. In a nutshell, this transformation empowered our employees to be the First Penguin, a unique creature that has the courage to dive into the ocean and bring others with it despite knowing there’s risk of predators lurking.  –  Being bold, like the First Penguin, along with other attributes like speaking up, challenging the status quo and thinking out of the box – are qualities essential to navigating the energy transition.
We have a biennial ‘Learning Fiesta’ that encourages our employees to take charge of their learning. The 2023 edition focused on raising awareness of the energy transition, highlighting the need for sustainability in all aspects of our business. Employees are provided with resources and platforms to deepen their understanding of sustainability, and we’ve expanded sustainability training to ensure everyone is equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to support the transition.
In addition, we’ve hosted networking sessions for aspiring leaders, where they discuss sustainable initiatives and how they relate to leadership development. These sessions have helped nurture the next generation of leaders who will guide us through the green transformation.
We’re also preparing an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) report, even though we are not yet required to do so. This is a way to hold ourselves accountable and to raise awareness among our employees and stakeholders, and it demonstrates that sustainability is integral to our long-term strategy.
Our employees have also been involved in hands-on special projects like the installation of rooftop solar panels and electric vehicle chargers. These experiences not only reduce our carbon footprint, but also equip our employees with valuable sustainability skills that will be critical in the future green economy.
Additionally, our Climate Action Team have been our sustainability champions, leading various green efforts within the company, such as eliminating disposables in our premises, organising waterway cleanups, and visiting the Sustainability Gallery Singapore. These activities help build a culture where sustainability is lived and breathed at every level.
Senoko Energy’s commitment to sustainability goes beyond reducing emissions – it’s about empowering our people and fostering a culture that embraces the energy transition. As Southeast Asia faces growing climate challenges, bridging the sustainability skills gap is critical.
By seizing opportunities for upskilling and tackling challenges head-on, HROs can play a leading role in building a greener, more sustainable future.
As Ban Ki-Moon, Former Secretary-General of the United Nations, aptly stated: “Climate change is the single greatest threat to a sustainable future but, at the same time, addressing the climate challenge presents a golden opportunity to promote prosperity, security, and a brighter future for all.”
[1] Sustainability for Business Resilience Report 2024 – NTUC LearningHub
[2] Our 2022 Global Green Skills Report (linkedin.com)
About the author
Joey Kwek, Head of Division, HR & Corporate Services, Senoko Energy
Joey Kwek has more than 20 years of experience in human resource and talent management. Before joining Senoko Energy, where she heads the HR & Corporate Services division, Joey was Head of Corporate HR at Makino Asia. Her previous experience includes tenures at SembCorp Logistics and Panasonic.
