Competition Format
Competition briefing
Selection of 10 Finalist Teams
3-5 Days Work Attachment
Final Judging
2025 Competition Schedule
In Phase 1, teams will attend a briefing where they will hear from CDL’s Chief Sustainability Officer and GCNS’ Executive Director, learn more about UN Global Compact’s Forward Faster Initiative, SDG 13 Climate Action and the SG Green Plan, and understand the format and timeline of the case competition.
Problem Statement:
2024 was yet another hottest year on record. The earth temperature has been increasing year on year over the last decade. There is a real urgency for global and national climate action to cool and green our planet for a more sustainable future for people and businesses.
Nationally determined contributions (NDCs) are targets that help the world get to net-zero emissions by 2050, and cap global warming at 1.5 degrees Celcius. Singapore was one of the earliest to submit the country’s NDCs after the adoption Paris Agreement and in Feb 2025, has committed to reduce emissions to between 45 and 50 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) in 2035.
What can the private sector to do to accelerate the achievement of these climate goals, as advocated by UN Global Compact’s Forward Faster (FF) Initiative that calls on businesses to step up on sustainable development? Use CDL as a business case to show how companies can advance SDG 13 climate action through the application of technology, innovations and nature-based solutions.
Participants are to submit their video clips (no more than 8 mins) to https://tinyurl.com/YSDGLA2025 in recorded format (e.g. videos, presentation slides, skits, animations, voiceovers, combination of these, etc…) consisting of all the following by 30 Mar, 11.59pm:
- Self-introduction of team members
- The business segment(s) of CDL which the team is focussing on
- Implications to CDL if climate change is ignored for the chosen business segment(s)
- Proposed ideas for CDL that supports the FF initiative Climate Action
- Impact that can be generated from the proposed ideas, including metrics for tracking impact
- Supporting photos, graphics, videos, or any other creative expressions are encouraged.
Only 10 finalist teams will be selected to proceed to Phase 2 of the case competition.
In Phase 2, each of the 10 finalist teams will be attached to an assigned organisation for a 3- to 5- day work attachment in June.
During the work attachment, teams will have the opportunity to interact with the company representatives and learn first-hand about the challenges of implementing sustainability across complex operations. The case company will provide the student teams with a challenge statement aligned with the FF initiative. The attachment will help in the preparation of the final proposal and it is mandatory for all members of the finalist teams to attend the work attachment. Students must prioritize their attachment to their respective case companies. Should all team members be unable to attend the work attachment, this will impact the score of their submissions.
Each finalist team will be mentored by an experienced youth mentor who will provide advice and guidance to improve their final proposals and presentation. These youth mentors were winners in previous editions of the CDL-GCNS Young SDG Leaders Award.
The 10 finalist teams will present their final proposals to a judging panel comprising sustainability leaders and experts from various industries.
Judging Criteria
The preliminary and final proposals are assessed based on the following criteria and score weightage:
| Scoring Criteria for Phase 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Alignment of SDG 13 Climate Action with CDL's business strategy, operations and overall sustainability strategy | ||
| Demonstrate clear understanding of SDG 13 Climate Action and how it contributes to net zero | 5% | 15% |
| Identify challenges in the built environment and/or hospitality industry* in achieving SDG 13 Climate Action and how it contributes to net zero, that are relevant to CDL *Depending on the business segments) chosen by the participating team | 10% | |
| Demonstrate how embedding the SDG 13 Climate Action can translate into new business opportunities/ innovations for the Company | ||
| Detailed analysis identifying the technologies, innovations and nature-based solutions for SDG 13 Climate Action in CDL's business, considering the needs of CDL's stakeholders | 20% | 35% |
| Analysis of the proposed ideas' impact on SDG 13 Climate Action | 15% | |
| Feasibility and Effectiveness of Proposal | ||
| Originality of ideas | 10% | 35% |
| Appropriateness and scalability of proposed ideas | 10% | |
| Due consideration of limitations and solutions to overcome them | 15% | |
| Quality of Submission | ||
| Usage of creative media and effectiveness in communicating ideas | 15% | 15% |
| Total | 100% | |
| Scoring Criteria for Phase 2 - Final Proposal | ||
|---|---|---|
| Successful Alignment of the Forward Faster Initiative with Business Strategy & Operations and overall Sustainability Strategy | ||
| Clear understanding of the company's core business and target markets | 5 pts | 30 pts |
| Sound analysis of company's overall sustainability strategy and existing programmes in relation to Singapore's net zero goals | 10 pts | |
| Analysis of how selected FF initiative area of action/s is currently aligned and embedded across functions and business operations using assessment tools/ frameworks/ guidelines. | 15 pts | |
| Demonstrate how embedding the Forward Faster Initiative can translate into new business opportunities/ innovations for the Company | ||
| Detailed analysis of the risks and opportunities that selected FF initiative area of action/s and net zero targets pose to the company. | 20 pts | 35 pts |
| Appropriate initiatives and programmes proposed for stakeholders | 5 pts | |
| Appropriate metrics to measure impact towards selected FF initiative area of action/s | 10 pts | |
| Feasibility and Effectiveness of Proposal | ||
| Clear evidence of thinking out of the box | 10 pts | 25 pts |
| Due consideration of limitations and solutions to overcome them | 10 pts | |
| Consideration of projected costs and/or revenue | 5 pts | |
| Overall Quality of Proposal | ||
| Clear presentation and organisation | 10 pts | 10 pts |
| Total | 100 pts | |
| Bonus Points | ||
| 1. Quality engagement with youth mentor | 5 pts | |
| 2. Quality engagement with case company | 5 pts | |
