From Cost to Cause: #PakatanSeRumpun Can Help SMEs Find Their “Why” in Sustainability

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From Cost to Cause: 

#PakatanSeRumpun Can Help SMEs Find Their “Why” in Sustainability by Dr. Daniel CF Ng 伍长辉 博士 of Omni Integra and SustNET Sustainable Business Network 

For most small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), sustainability still feels like a cost, not a cause.

Tight margins, limited technical know-how, and a lack of visible returns often make green efforts seem like a luxury. 

Yet, as Singapore’s SME Sustainability Barometer shows, this mindset must evolve from “What can we do?” to “Why must we do it?”

The first step is reframing sustainability as a value creator rather than an expense. 

SMEs that adopt sustainable practices often gain operational savings, customer trust, and easier access to financing. 

For example, firms that invest in energy-efficient equipment lower long-term utility costs. 

A logistics SME that electrifies its delivery fleet not only reduces emissions but also wins contracts from green-conscious clients.

To make this shift, SMEs need clearer pathways and collaboration models. 

Initiatives like the “Queen Bee” programme—where larger corporations mentor smaller supply-chain partners—demonstrate how shared learning and economies of scale can lower costs and build collective resilience.

Government and financial institutions can further ease the journey through unified “sustainability passports,” simplified reporting tools, and recognition for verified progress.

However, the most powerful transformation begins with purpose. 

When SMEs see sustainability as integral to business survival in a carbon-constrained economy—not just compliance—they move from doing green projects to becoming green businesses. 

This requires leadership commitment: appointing sustainability champions, embedding ESG goals in strategy, and celebrating quick, visible wins.

Ultimately, SMEs hold the keys to greening entire value chains. 

By aligning their “why” with a broader ecosystem of purpose-driven collaboration, they not only secure their future but redefine growth itself—from profit alone to progress for all.

By Dr. Daniel CF Ng, Omni-Integra LLP